Participatory Study Series Pamphlets

Self Defense for Prayer Warriors

I pray a lot for others, but I often feel tired and have a hard time resisting temptation, especially to discouragement. What is the problem?

Many people who engage in much prayer, especially spiritual warfare prayer, find themselves tired and assaulted by temptation, especially to discouragement. They often find themselves praying for others until victory is won, while living in defeat themselves.

There are some simple, Biblical principles used by many heroes of the faith, that will help to overcome this problem. But first remember:

Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory.
- 1 John 5:4

We don't have to live in defeat! (Psalm 46)

• Get some rest
  
  Even Jesus took time off to rest. "Then Jesus said, 'Let's go to a place where we can be alone and get some rest." - Mark 6:31

• Meet with other Christians
  
  Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other.
  - Hebrews 10:25
  
  Be sure that you include both giving and receiving encouragement. Don't be too proud to admit that you need it!
  
• Praise God and worship Him
  
  As soon as they began singing, the LORD confused the enemy camp. - 2 Chronicles 20:22
  
  Praise and worship strengthens you and reminds you that the glory belongs to God. It reminds you that the battle doesn't depend on you and that you are not alone.
  
  Some good praise passages include: Psalm 136 (God's love never fails!), Psalm 104 (God is the creator), Psalm 149 (Praise!), Psalm 150 (Shout praises!), Psalm 33 (Sing praises).
  
  Some encouraging passages about God's power and strength and his desire to restore include Isaiah 35 and Isaiah 54. There are many more passages you can find. Share your favorite passages with other believers even if you can't sing very well, sing praises as well. The style doesn't matter; the attitude of praise does.
• Study the scriptures
  
  This will overlap with your praise and worship.
  Our LORD, you are eternal! Your word will last as long as the heavens. You remain faithful in every generation, and the earth you created will keep standing firm. All things are your servants, and the laws you made are still in effect today.
  - Psalm 119:89-91
  
  Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk.
  - Psalm 119:105
  
• Confess, repent, renounce, then rejoice in God's forgiveness and cleansing
  
  There is no better expression of the benefit of forgiveness than:
  
  Before I confessed my sins, my bones felt limp, and I groaned all day long. Night and day your hand weighed heavily on me, and my strength was gone as in the summer heat. So I confessed my sins and told them all to you. I said, "I'll tell the LORD each one of my sins." Then you forgave me and took away my guilt.
  - Psalm 32:3-5
  
  When you have confessed your sins, claim your forgiveness and let God take those sins away.
  
  But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.
  - 1 John 1:9
  
• Let others pray for you
  
  Often prayer warriors assume that because they are praying and seeing the effects in other people's lives they don't need to receive prayer themselves. This is a prideful attitude. It is also a failing attitude!
  
  Too much pride will destroy you.
  - Proverbs 16:18

Jesus said, "Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates wheat from the husks. But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to me, help the others."
- Luke 22:31, 32

We should realize that we will be tested, that we need prayer to sustain us in the test, and that we need to then support our fellow Christians in their time of testing.

Everyone will be in testing at some time and everyone will be supporting others at some time.

The following pamphlets in this series may help in your self-defense:

• Repentance and Rejoicing
  Repenting and coming out rejoicing
• Prayer Scriptures for Prayer Warriors
  Scriptures adapted as spiritual warfare prayers
• I Want to be Healed
  Basics of healing prayer
• I Want to Praise and Worship - (forthcoming) basics of personal praise and worship
• So You're an Intercessor!
  Basics of intercessory prayer

From Energion Publications: I Want to Pray!

Energion Publications
P. O. Box 841
Gonzalez, FL 32560

Phone: (850) 525-3916
Web: Energion Publications (http://energion.com)
E-Mail: pubs@energion.com

This brochure is available in quantity. Contact Energion Publications for more information.

All scripture quotations taken from the Contemporary English Version, Copyright © 1995 American Bible Society.

Copyright © 2001, Henry E. Neufeld