What Did God Say About Prayer?

The general mindset regarding prayer in the Body of Christ is that of standing in the world performing a ritual that supposedly is going to give you access to the spirit world. Once you have entered this world of spirits through much prayer, supplication and warfare, you are ready to talk to God, informing Him of your needs, hopes and desires, as well as the needs of others. Immediately after talking to God, you now turn to deal with demons and all the powers of darkness, so as to guarantee that nothing will hinder the receiving of the things you asked God for. This type of prayer is being offered from the position of the flesh.

Saints see themselves as a part of this world; trapped in it by circumstances, situations and relationships. Their only hope is to reach a very distant God for help to survive this hostile environment. They embark on a journey “to get a prayer through ” the demon infested first and second heaven so that they can finally talk to the Father. This is an easy mindset to operate in if one does not grasp the concept of a new creature made in the image of Christ. But let us get back to basic truth.

There are no examples in the Old or New Covenant of anyone struggling with the powers of darkness to get to the throne of grace. Neither is there is a one-sided conversation with a God who does not speak. Furthermore, there is nothing in scripture to suggest that you are to do battle with the powers of darkness so that they will not be able to stop the blessings of God from getting to you. This error in prayer, has become known as spiritual warfare and those who pray such prayers are known as prayer warriors. But what this is, can be defined as “a waste of time.”

A prayer warrior is one who makes intercession for the lost, the workers of the ministry, and the free path of the word and Spirit of God, into the nations of the world. There are no examples in the Old or New Covenant of a man battling the forces of evil in prayer. Prayer is communication with God. Jesus has already conquered the powers of darkness. It is not necessary for you to make war with them as you come to the throne of God in prayer. Yes, Satan and all the powers of darkness are your enemies, but they have all been conquered and are in submission to the authority of Christ. When God grants your petition, it is then that the angels of the Lord are commission by God (and God alone), to manifest the answer to your prayer.

St. Matthew 28:18-20

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

The Father says, “I have given Christ power over all the power of the enemy. The powers of darkness are under commandment, therefore it is impossible for them to fight and war against Christ. Because you are in Christ they are also subject to your word.” There is no such thing as spiritual warfare in prayer. The sons of God are not fighting battles in the heavens. The angels are the only spiritual warriors doing battle in the heavens. I am sure your mind is going to the following passage. Ephesians 6:11-12; Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. The question is, where and how do we wrestle with principalities and powers of darkness? These principalities and powers work through people. They inspire and possess those that would do their bidding. There is no spiritual warfare for the Sons of God in the heavens. When you encounter Satan or any other powers of darkness, it is when you are confronted with his presence in mankind. It is your commission to procure more Sons; therefore you will be faced with setting captives free by the power of the Holy Ghost in you.

If you are going to have an encounter with the devil, it will be in working the ministry of reconciliation in the lives of those who are lost. Prayer is your first platform to do so; it is the platform for ministry. All ministry starts with God. You must come to the Father in intercession for mankind and it is then that He will grant your requests and allow the power of the Holy Ghost to flow through you like a river of living water. As far as demons and devils are concerned, Jesus was very clear.

St. Mark 16:17-18

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

You have been given the power to cast out devils and heal the sick. These are the signs of the presence of Christ in the world today. To have power over spirits eliminates the need to fight them. Jesus never fought or wrestled with any demons or devils, but He simply spoke a word commanding them to obey. If He is your example; then you, too, should only have to speak a word. If you walk in the character of Jesus you will manifest the power of His life. There are no gray areas here.

You must choose to manifest holiness for the sake of those who are lost. He that committeth sin is of the devil; (Jesus was sent because of the workings of the devil in man.) for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. As many as believed on Him, to them He gave the power to become likened unto Himself, the Sons of God. Therefore, whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother .( 1 John 3:8-10)

Prayer is communication with God .When we pray we talk to God and God alone. To introduce war in prayer is to undermine the accomplishments of Christ. Jesus has already conquered all the forces of evil. He led all captivity captive. We are also instructed not to pray to angels. Faith is also misguided in this so-called prayer function for much of it is expended trying to gain access to a Father who is omnipresent. He not only lives in heaven, but He lives within us as well. And then, there is that little matter of believing that an answer is forthcoming once the petition is made.

Apparently many either do not believe God will answer them or maybe it is that they are not fully persuaded that they were indeed talking to Him. In some cases the whole barrel of faith is used simply to believe that the so-called prayer warrior is indeed standing in the spirit world, talking to the Father and battling the forces of evil, all in one session. The Father and the Son are forever present with the Sons. How could they not be? Our lives are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).Therefore, there is no need for the Sons of God to war with demons or any other satanic powers in their attempt to speak with their Father. The Sons of God have already transcended the first and second heaven. And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Eph 2:6).

If we are already seated in the throne with Christ, why then is it necessary for us to do battle with the enemy just to get to the throne of grace? And to add insult to injury, why do we propose to have to fight the devil in order to receive those things the Father has purposed to give. There is something very wrong with this school of thought. It is ludicrous to say the least. Furthermore, as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (I Cor. 15:48-49). We are the offspring of God. We are partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 2:1). We are the evidence of a living Christ; as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17).

From the above verses and many others, the Body of Christ has embarked on a journey that will take them nowhere as it relates to spiritual warfare. In fact, the mindset concerning such matters is vain and arrogant. Yes, once again we are in error in our pursuit of servitude.