Praying a Warfare Prayer

Each morning here in Costa Rica, we begin our work day with prayer and an hour of devotional time with one of our loving mentors, Richard.  Richard is a dedicated servant of the Lord with a powerful testimony and much wisdom gleaned from God’s Word.  

Richard has placed a magnificent focus on praying warfare prayers of protection over our squad and our home here in Jaco.  Every day before we begin our devotional time, we pray a warfare prayer over the space and begin our “SWAT Training” (Spiritual Warfare And Tactical Training).

So what is a “warfare prayer”?  Well, let’s start with spiritual warfare first. 

You may have heard someone use the phrase “spiritual attack” or heard someone say, “There’s spiritual warfare all around us”.  This might be something you’ve never heard before.  Or if you’re like me, you speak these phrases or something similar quite often. 

What is spiritual warfare?

Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

What can we do to combat spiritual warfare?  

1 Peter 5:8-9 says this: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

Additionally, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Since we are warriors, we are called to stand as such and pray as such in the name of Jesus and his Spirit that is within us.  This type of prayer establishes protection over us from spiritual attack.

Here are practical steps (and an example) of praying a warfare prayer: 

1. Take the ground

2. Push out the enemy 

3. Set up a parameter guard 

4. Establish communication with the chief-in-command 

5. Put up camoflouge 

6. Ask the Lord to release the gifts of the Spirit upon us 

A practical warfare prayer you can pray anytime:

“Jesus, thank you for being with us. We establish this is Your holy ground.(1)  We command, in Jesus’ name, that anything that does not come bearing your name leave immediately.(2)  May your Holy Spirit fill the space so that nothing evil can enter it, and may your walls of fire and mighty angels offer us a fence of protection from the enemy in this holy space.(3)  We are now fully present and in communion with you, Lord.(4)  May a shield of camouflage cover us so that no part of the enemy can hear or see us in your presence, Jesus; we ask to be under your full protection in this space.(5)  God, please release the gifts of your Spirit upon us.(6)”

Two years ago, the Lord placed it on my heart to pray warfare prayers often by commanding the enemy away in Jesus’ name.  Three months ago, Jesus corrected me in my praying and told me to pray for his Spirit to fill the space so nothing evil could come in; with this, I also began to pray for a shield of protection to cover the space.  Thus, I was praying warfare prayers.

I had no idea my time here in Costa Rica would bring confirmation to how Jesus has commanded me to pray; Richard’s wisdom and prayer advice has been invaluable and God-breathed–it has allowed me to see and share, in practical steps, how to pray a warfare prayer.

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. -Proverbs 30:5