Section 8: The Progress of Prayer
Lesson Thirty-Eight: Warfare Prayer
Paul writes of spiritual warfare prayer when he instructs us to:
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in
the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and
always keep on praying for all the saints. —EPHESIANS 6:17–18
For us to be effective in warfare prayer we need to know:
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Our Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Captain of the Lord’s hosts. (Read
Ephesians 1:20–22; Colossians 2:15; 1 John 3:8.)
Our enemy, Satan, who is the prince of the power of the air. (Read John 8:44; 10:10; 2
Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2.)
Our authority in Christ. (Read Luke 10:19–20; Ephesians 2:6.)
How to listen before engagement. All spiritual authority is ambassadorial, meaning that
we do not engage in warfare except by specific instruction. Our spiritual authority against
the enemy is given to us one assignment at a time. (Read John 5:19.)
Worship Him for Who He Is
Worship and praise are inextricably linked to prayer. Anytime we come before Him to pray, we
should "ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness" (1 Chron. 16:29). Worship is the art of
thanking God for who He is. It is the act of adoring Him and acknowledging His attributes. The
psalmist wrote:
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his
name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all
generations. —PSALM 100:4–5
Praise Him for What He Has Done
Once inside the gates, we enter the courts of prayer with praise. As worship is thanking God for
who He is, praise is thanking Him for what He has done. In Psalm 86:12–13, King David said, "I
will praise you, O LORD my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is
your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave." In these verses, the
psalmist praises God for His love and deliverance, for what He has done.
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Worship and praise are inextricably linked to prayer.
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In Exodus 15, after God saved the Israelites by drowning the Pharaoh and his Egyptian army in
the Red Sea, Moses and the children of Israel worshiped and praised God.
Blended Worship and Praise
In the following passage, notice how the children of Israel shift between praise and worship as
they declare who He is and what He has done:
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he is
highly exalted [worship]. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea [praise]. The LORD
is my strength and my song [worship]; he has become my salvation [praise]. He is my God, and
I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him [worship]. The LORD is a warrior; the
LORD is his name [worship]. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The
best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea [praise]. The deep waters have covered
them; they sank to the depths like a stone.
"Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the
enemy [praise]. In the greatness of your majesty [worship] you threw down those who opposed
you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble [praise]. By the blast of
your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters
congealed in the heart of the sea.
"The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge
myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ But you blew with your
breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters [praise]. "Who
among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory,
working wonders [worship]? You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them
[praise].
"In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will
guide them to your holy dwelling [praise]. The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the
people of Philistia. The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with
trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; terror and dread will fall upon them. By the
power of your arm they will be as still as a stone—until your people pass by, O LORD, until the
people you bought pass by [praise]. You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of
your inheritance—the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, your
hands established [praise]. The LORD will reign for ever and ever [praise]."
When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the
waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground
[praise]. —EXODUS 15:1–19
Throughout the Old Testament, praise and worship were employed as men related to God.
Then as Jesus ministered on earth, He taught His disciples to begin prayer with this worship
declaration: "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name" (Matt. 6:9, KJV). He taught
them to end prayer with this declaration of praise: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory, for ever. Amen" (v. 13, KJV)!
Question: In your journal, make a list of worship and praise statements of your own. First, list
worship words and phrases that describe who God is to you.
Now list praise words and phrases that describe what He’s done for you.
The next time you pray, begin your prayer with one or more of these declarations. He loves to
hear us worship and praise Him (John 4:23).
What life experience helped you recognize the importance of prayer in your personal life? How
is your life different when you do not pray as often as you should pray?
Write a prayer, using at least one sentence, for each of the following purposes of prayer:
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Adoring and thanking God
Fellowshiping with God
Requesting things from God
Interceding for the needs of others
Praying in the kingdom of God
Your Time with God
Did you know that a movement of prayer is growing and developing in America? It began as a
simple devotional exercise. From there it grew to a "support" status, which served as a
foundation of other ministries. Then it began to be recognized as a vital ministry in and of itself.
Today we are seeing prayer become the very identity of the church.
The church in America is actually becoming a house of prayer, just as Jesus prophesied it
would!
Lord God, I want to grow up in prayer myself. I choose this day to commit myself to devotional
prayer, to pray fervently for the ministries You have led me to support and, like a spiritual
attorney, to plead the cases of people and causes in prayer before Your throne. I want my very
life to be a house of prayer for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I ask this, amen.
We’ll be looking for you next week,
Eddie and Alice
"America’s prayer coaches"
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Intercessors, like "spiritual defense attorneys," plead the cases of others in prayer before God's
throne. Eddie and Alice present their readers fresh insights into effective intercessory prayer as
they view it through "another lense." Spiritual Advocates: How to plead for justice, stand in the
gap, and make a difference in the world by praying for others, may be their most unique book
yet! For more info, or to order goto: http://bit.ly/spiritualadvo
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Enroll in this free 52Week School of Prayer at www.TeachMeToPray.com It’s based on Eddie
and Alice's book, Drawing Closer to God's Heart: A Totally Practical Non-Religious Guide to
Prayer. It’s offered with generous permission from Strang Communications, the publisher. For
more information or to order the book visit: http://bit.ly/drawingclose