5 Keys to Effective Spiritual Battle Prayers

Amid trials, we need effective spiritual battle prayers to overcome the enemy. However, in order to be ready, we need to have a plan for those spiritual battle prayers before the time to engage is on our doorstep.

We need to be proactive because the time will come. And to be caught unprepared is to lose the battle before you have a chance to defend yourself.

Prayer’s Importance

Prayer is often the thing we tell people we will do, but rarely do. Prayer is the thing that often comes last when we are fighting chaos and calamity.

Prayer is our last resort. We must make it first and understand its’ importance if we are to access and utilize its full power. Spiritual battle prayers are important, but praying consistently is important too!

There are many Bible verses that instruct us to pray. The disciples even asked Jesus how we are to pray and He told them in Matthew 6: 9-13.

Be assured that since Jesus took time to instruct the disciples how to pray and it be recorded for the benefit of all the saints for thousands of years to come…it’s IMPORTANT!

Preparing for battle

The apostle Paul writes in great detail in Ephesians chapter six regarding how we are to prepare for spiritual battles. Taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible translation, let’s review beginning in verse 10:

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength.
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil.
12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
13 This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.
14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest,
15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.
16 In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word.
18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. (Highlighted and bold for emphasis)

Here is our foundation for spiritual battle prayers. When dealing with the enemy…Satan, the Devil, the accuser, thief, liar and slanderer of our souls, it is war. And we need to treat it as such.

A soldier would never go into combat without all his or her gear on. Without checking their weapon to ensure it is ready to fire and has ample ammunition. Without having a plan from the commander.

Paul gives us the commander’s plan, God’s plan for spiritual battle in this passage. We must put on this armor every single day without fail. It is our foundation for spiritual battle prayers.

Keys to Spiritual Battle Prayers

Now that we have our foundation, I want to give you what I have found to be five keys to effective spiritual battle prayers:

1. Know your enemies and how he/they operate.
2. Meditate on and memorize scripture.
3. Pray according to the Lord’s model.
4. Have others pray in agreement with you.
5. Don’t give up – be persistent!

These keys are what I use to formulate spiritual battle prayers for any situation I face. This comes from years of experience as a believer.

Also, from teachers and mentors who have poured their knowledge into me. And finally, from excellent books written on the subjects of prayer and spiritual warfare.

We approach spiritual battle prayers from our perspective and knowledge and that should always be growing and expanding. Let’s look at this more in depth.

1. Know your enemies and how he/they operate.

Satan has an army of demons that he directs in his attacks on you. The Bible identifies them as “legion” (Mark 5:9) in one story of a demoniac that Jesus healed.

They are many. They are evil. They seek to do Satan’s will and that is to destroy you (1 Peter 5:8). If you have placed faith in Jesus Christ Satan cannot take you from God’s hand. He can, however, render you useless as a disciple for God’s glory.

By preying on your mind, emotions, circumstances and health, Satan can make you ineffective to do anything for God. He will cause you to doubt God, doubt your salvation and choose self-satisfaction and desires over Godly pursuits.

He may cause you to stress and worry so much that you become physically ill or depressed. He is able to do these things because he disguises himself as an “angel of light” (II Corinthians 11:14). Yet he is no comparison for the “marvelous light” of our Savior (I Peter 2:9).

We must not “give the devil an opportunity” (Ephesians 4:27) to gain a foothold, and spiritual battle prayers is a great way to do so. James 4:7 tells us that instead we should “resist the devil and he will flee from you”.

The devil and his demons are powerful for sure, but they are not God! And though you are Earth bound for now, your soul is already heaven bound.

When you said “yes” to Jesus, the same power that raised Him from the dead was sent to you and resides in you. In Acts 1:8 Luke reminds us that Jesus told the disciples that “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you”.

You have the power of the Living God inside you and it is your strength in fighting spiritual battles.

2. Meditate on and memorize scripture.

Ephesians 6:17 tells us that God’s word is our sword. It is the offensive weapon that activates our prayers. In Romans 12:2, Paul tells us that we need to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” meaning we align our thoughts with God’s. We do this through Bible study.

Make it a daily practice to spend time reading your Bible. Devotionals or other faith-based books are not enough. Weekly sermons or faith-based podcasts are not enough. There is no substitute for reading the Word for yourself. You’ll be amazed with the spiritual battle prayers you will be able to come up with on your own when you do so.

If you are new to reading the scriptures start in the New Testament, perhaps in John or Luke. The New Testament is easier to understand and memorize and feels more relatable than many of the Old Testament books.

Don’t overwhelm yourself by attempting large chunks all at once. A few verses a day to start is good.

Apps like Bible Gateway will read the Bible to you if you learn better through hearing. Pick a verse from the book you are reading and write it out. Tape it to your car dash, your bathroom mirror or even your refrigerator.

The more you see it, the more you will read it. In this way scripture begins to become part of you. God’s word is a critical component of your battle prayers.

The battle is not really yours anyway, it is His. We see this throughout the Bible. From Exodus 14:14 to Psalm 33:20 we are told the Lord is our helper and He fights for us.

His word is “sharper than any double-edged sword” and that is why we must know it well.

3. Pray according to the Lord’s model.

The very familiar “Lord’s Prayer” is a model for us. It is not complicated and it rests on four basic concepts: Give God praise, confess your sins, ask believing it will be done, accept God’s answer.

God is often used as a spiritual ATM. We don’t always bring Him the honor He deserves before demanding He answer us.

Praise – Instead, enter prayer with an attitude of worship. Thank Him for all He has done and is doing for you. This can be extremely difficult when you are in the thick of a fight.

Sometimes when my own fights have been particularly hard, all I could say in my prayer time was “Lord I love you; you are so good to me and I’m thankful for you. Please help”.

Not exactly a prayer that would seem to ignite even a spark, but in Jesus’ hands it does! He is our fortress and deliverer we read in 2 Samuel 22:2 and Psalm 18:2.

Confess – any sin in you that would keep you from being in right relationship with Him. That would prevent your prayers from reaching God’s throne. Repent of it and commit to following God’s path.

Ask. Be specific in your requests and be bold. Ask for exactly what you need. Laid off and don’t know where the rent or grocery money is going to come from? Health diagnosis that seems too difficult to stand? Recurring temptation that you seem unable to shake?

• “God I am asking you to provide groceries for my family and money to keep this roof over our heads.”
• “Lord, I’m scared of this cancer diagnosis and I need you to bring me strength, peace and wisdom for the doctors treating me.”
• “I’ve failed again with my food addiction and I need you to close my mouth and make my taste buds not crave sugar so I can be rid of my gluttony.”

Accept – Sometimes the answer to our prayer may look a lot different than we expect. And we must be willing to endure as part of a larger lesson God is teaching us.

4. Have others pray in agreement with you.

Spiritual warfare should not be entered into alone. Enlist the help of trusted mentors, counselors or pastors to pray with and for you. Effective spiritual battle prayers often take “legion” as we are fighting “legion”.

Be certain those in your circle are strong people of faith. In a spiritual battle you need people who stand on the same convictions you do. People who look to God and His word for their blueprint on life.

I know I said this battle is God’s, however, He made us for community. He intends for us to do life together and that includes when we are going to combat.

We bring others around us to agree with us (in alignment with scripture) on the situation. They also provide needed accountability, depending on the type of battle you are in.

And then we entrust God to do the hard work of protecting and delivering us from the enemies’ schemes.

5. Don’t give up – be persistent!

No matter how long the war, don’t lose hope! The Bible is full of women and men who waited weeks, months, years, or even decades for their prayers to be answered.

Romans 12:12 tells us to “Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction and be persistent in prayer”.

James 5:16 encapsulates this principle as well as our previous one: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.”

Not just a little powerful, but VERY powerful!

In the garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus being persistent in prayer as He goes before His father THREE times to ask that the cup of wrath be removed from Him. Each time He is specific, bold, and willing to accept His Father’s will above His own.

He also took friends with Him, He wasn’t a lone soldier.

Gleaning from spiritual battle prayers

Every battle squeezes something out of you. However, it produces greater faith, increased dependence on our Lord and the building of our character.

It is both training ground and battlefield in one. The greatest lessons I’ve learned have been during spiritual battles.

When we have prepared for battle using these five keys, we will have victory. Keeping our minds stayed on Him is how we win regardless of the outcome.

The longer your journey, the more you will see that your spiritual battle prayers bring you peace and joy through His promises. No matter the war.