The following is adapted from Priscilla Shirer’s book Fervent.
This is war. The fight of your life. A very real enemy has been strategizing and scheming against you, assaulting you, coming after your emotions, your mind, your man, your child, your future. In fact, he’s doing it right this second. Right where you’re sitting. Right where you are.
But I say his reign of terror stops here. Stops now. He might keep coming, but he won’t have victory anymore.
Because it all starts failing when we start praying.
Get ready. To pray.
Because life is just too impossible otherwise—yours, mine, everybody’s. We simply don’t have the luxury of playing nice with prayer. Not if we want things to change. Not if we want to be free—from whatever’s keeping us held down and held back. Not if we want our hearts whole and thriving and deep and grounded . . . different. Not if we want to reach our destinies and experience God’s promises. Not if we want our husbands and children living out what God has called them to do and be and become. Not if we want a fence of God’s protection around us. Not if we want to bear the unmistakable mark of His favor upon us. Not if we want the devil and his plans to go back to the hell where they came from.
But none of that is going to happen—no matter how badly we may want it—as long as prayer remains an afterthought, a formality, a mindless mix of duty and manipulation, something we do but usually don’t do, and rarely if ever do with any meaning and vitality, with confidence and clarity. As a result, we waste a whole lot of years, doing a whole lot of other things. Things that thoroughly exhaust us but ultimately don’t work. We end up, for all our trying, missing the point, missing out on what God intended, missing the whole heart of what really matters. So now we’re going to pray specifically and strategically.
Praying with precision is key. When we pray about the places where we seriously suspect the enemy is at work—that’s how we keep our prayers focused, not only on particular situations but on biblical truths that are consistent with maintaining victory in the midst of them. It’s how our praying stays integrated with reality, rather than aimlessly wandering down a side, spiritual hallway that never seems to connect with the living room, where we, you know . . . live. It’s how we keep our whole selves engaged and alert, trusting God for the right things, confident He’s giving them, able to sense His direction about what to do and then to take action accordingly.
If all we’re doing is flinging words and emotions in all directions without any real consideration for the specific ways the enemy is targeting us and the promises of God that apply to us, we’re mostly just wasting our time. We’re adding to the confusion while not really making a noticeable dent in the problem or the process. We’re fighting to keep our heads above water, yet feeling pretty sure on most days we’re fighting a losing battle.
Well, part of that idea is right: WE ARE in a battle. A battle with a long history that reaches back before the annals of time began. But it’s one in which the victor has already been determined. A battle, yes. But a losing battle?
Not. Even. Possible.
And prayer is our not-so-secret weapon in the fight. I’d even venture to say, our most potent one.
Join us today from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at your local Lifeway store for a special time of prayer for our community, our nation, and our world. Click here to learn more about the event!
