How Can Prayer Change Things?

Don’t give up on prayer. The kind of prayer Apostle Paul talks about in Ephesians is a passionate, resilient kind of prayer that doesn’t take no for an answer or leave things to chance.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places… that in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:12-20

Sometimes War Is A Necessary Evil

Nobody wants war but it happened in heaven.

When evil rose up in heaven, God did not just wish for it to go away.

Evil does not just disspear, and it cannot be reasoned with, it can only be stopped.

In Romans 7, the Bible says there is a war going on between the flesh and the spirit. It’s important to know that the flesh doesn’t just disappear because you were born again. The war with the flesh remains even after salvation.

In every shape and form, we support the war against evil so that goodwill prevails on the earth.

P.U.S.H Against Principalities

Principalities are a class of spiritual beings. These structures of the kingdom of darkness do not originate in the kingdom of darkness; they are a copy of the Kingdom of God. Principalities are not the average demon roaming around on the earth. They are spirits dominating over certain territories.

When you begin to pray over your city and over the place that God has placed you, you are pushing back the work of darkness in that area, and you are allowing God’s kingdom to begin to work in that region.

Apostle Paul’s Spiritual Strategy

1. According to Apostle Paul, our first responsibility is not to fight but to stand our ground in this spiritual war. We are to stand in who we are in Jesus Christ, what He did on the cross, what He says about us. You’ve got to stand.
2. Get suited – put on the armor of God and take up spiritual weapons. You don’t have to buy the armor, you just apply it to your life.
3. Pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit for ourselves, all the saints and for opportunities for the Gospel to be preached.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:18

What Prayer Does

Interceding for the lost is the heart of spiritual warfare.

Prayer Attacks Sin

Prayer attacks sin, therefore, sin attacks prayer.

Since the beginning of this world, once man committed sin, he hid from God. One of the reasons people don’t pray is not because they don’t have time but because they have sinned. If you allow prayer in your life, the first thing prayer does is it goes after your sin.

A sinning man will stop praying but a praying man will stop sinning.

Leonard Ravenhill

1 Samuel shows that prayerlessness is sin.

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.

1 Samuel 12:23

The only way to combat the sinful tendencies, desires, and passions of our flesh is to pray. Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart.

Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart.

Prayer Attacks The Enemy

Prayer attacks the enemy, therefore, the enemy attacks prayer.

Prayer is the specific and strategic assault against the enemy, even when the prayers are not directed against him. The devil cannot stop God from answering your prayer, so he’ll try to stop you and me from praying.

Until you know that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for.

John Piper

Prayer Attacks The Flesh

Prayer attacks the flesh, therefore, the flesh attacks prayer.

One of the reasons some of us don’t pray is that we don’t feel like it. Pray when you feel like praying, for it is sin to neglect such an opportunity. Pray when you don’t feel like praying, for it is dangerous to remain in such a condition.

Prayer Attacks Bad Circumstances

Prayer attacks bad circumstances, so bad circumstances attack prayer.

Some people don’t pray because the experience they had with prayer was so disappointing that they gave up on prayer. Don’t let your bad experience stop you from praying. When God doesn’t answer your prayer, He still gives you His presence and He still changes things in your life, whether you realize it or not.

Don’t give up on prayer because God wants to move in your life.

Prayer Attacks Passivity

Prayer attacks passivity, therefore, passivity attacks prayer.

As Christians, we shouldn’t have a passive stance towards life. Passivity is dangerous. Passivity is an urge to give up, but the Bible says to pray with perseverance.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

Intimacy with God has to lead to intensity. Fervency is expected if answers are to materialize in the physical world. Pray, preach, and practice your faith until something happens. PUSH!

Prayer is the earthly license for heavenly interference.

Myles Munroe

Our advantage against the enemy’s tactics in our family and business is prayer. Prayer is not the only thing but it’s the main thing. Prayer leads to preaching and practicing our faith.

If there is no foundation of prayer in our family, everything we are doing is being done in the flesh. We are fighting a spiritual battle with physical methods.

Take some time to go into the secret place and seek God’s intervention for your life, your family, and His purpose on earth.

Prayer

For some of us, just as Russia is invading Ukraine, drugs are invading our family, unbelief and atheism are invading our children, cancer is invading our health, and depression is invading our minds. I want to encourage you, there is hope. God says call upon me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Jeremiah 33:3

Enter into God’s presence and say “God, I need You. I need Your help.”

If you can, get on your knees and ask for God’s intervention in the crisis in your life and in the crisis in the world.

Pray until something happens.