Have you ever heard the term “prayer warrior?” I always thought “prayer warrior” sounded cool. I mean, who doesn’t want to be a warrior?

But what is a prayer warrior, and are we supposed to be prayer warriors, or is that just for certain people with that gift?  I used to think maybe you had to be elderly to be a prayer warrior. Most people who were called prayer warriors in our church were older, after all.

Since then, I’ve learned that not only can I be a prayer warrior as a teen, but anyone can and should be a prayer warrior. But I must warn you – being a warrior is not for the faint of heart.

First of all, I believe that every Christian should be a praying person. Prayer is how we communicate with our Heavenly Father. In James 5 we are told to pray when we’re sick, to pray when we’re cheerful, to pray when we’ve sinned, to pray during the hard times – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we are to pray without ceasing! Just like we love to visit with our family and friends, God loves to hear from us too. He wants us to have a relationship with Him. And I know from experience that the more you pray, the more you love it.

Jesus gives these instructions on prayer in Matthew 6:5-13:
“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

Prayer isn’t meant to show how spiritual we are. Prayer is meant to be a conversation between you and God.

So, if we are to be prayer warriors, what are we to pray about? First off, notice what Jesus said in verse nine: “Hallowed be Your name.” His prayer started off with praising God. When we pray, we should praise God, because He is worthy of our praise. We can also pray for our needs, whether physical or spiritual. We can ask for God’s help in our lives – for His strength during tough situations, for His love when we’re having a hard time loving others, for His peace when we’re afraid, and on and on. And as prayer warriors, we can be praying for others too. We can pray for…
– Our parents and siblings
– Our church family
– Our friends who don’t know the Lord
– Our government leaders
– The Church around the world – specifically those who are persecuted
– Revival

The list can go on and on. As a prayer warrior, be ready to listen to the Holy Spirit. If you’re feeling lead to pray for a specific person or topic, then do it! Let God guide you as you pray, and don’t forget to listen to His voice too! Prayer isn’t a one-way conversation. The Holy Spirit will speak to you as you pray too.

If you’re feeling lead to be a prayer warrior, but aren’t quite sure how to get started, here are some tips that I’ve found helpful.

1: Create a prayer list. Write down any prayer requests that you have and pray for them regularly. As God answers your prayers, check them off. It’s encouraging to see how God answers your prayers. But make sure you have patience too! Sometimes our prayers aren’t answered as quickly as we’d like, or in the way we expect, but God will answer.

2: Keep a prayer journal. There are tons of different ways to keep a prayer journal. I like to write out my prayers because it helps me stay focused while I’m praying. I also leave a few blank lines at the bottom of each page so that when a prayer is answered I can record it.

3: Have a schedule. We should be in prayer all throughout the day, but it’s extremely helpful to have a set time each day for prayer. Lots of people choose to have their prayer time first thing in the morning, but since I don’t focus well first thing in the morning, I do my prayer time right before I go to bed. The time of day you choose to pray isn’t as important as making the commitment to be in prayer and doing it!

4: Remember the battle you are fighting. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” As you pray, remember that our enemy doesn’t want us to pray. He doesn’t want us to be in communication with God, and he will try to keep you from it. Keep pressing on. Keep fighting in prayer for the truth, and trust the Lord to be at work and to answer.

Mark 11:22-24 And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God.  Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.  Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

Pray in faith, and trust God to answer. Will you be a warrior?

With love,

Kelsey