Female Prayer Warriors in the Bible (7 Powerful Lessons Learned)

Female prayer warriors in the Bible are seen throughout Old and New Testament scriptures. While much of what we hear from the pulpit each week revolves around the male disciples, Old Testament heroes of the faith or Jesus, these fierce women prayer warriors of the Bible should not be overlooked.

What it means to be a Prayer Warrior

Before we jump into female prayer warriors in the Bible, it is important to know: What does it mean to be a “prayer warrior”?

A prayer warrior is one who is connected to God intimately and consistently seeks to learn more about Him, from His word and uses their prayer time as a battleground for change. As Dr. Tony Evans says, to bring heaven to Earth you need prayer.

Do you have people in your life that you always turn to when things are tough? These are the ones that in a crisis, you reach out to ask them to pray. These are your powerful prayer warriors!

You may have never thought of them in those particular words. Perhaps you just think of them as very “spiritual” or as being a “Godly woman”.

Do you wish you were a prayer warrior too? You can be. Much like any other area of your spiritual walk, it can be cultivated.

Recommended Book:

Our Female Prayer Warriors in the Bible

Each of these women had significant roles within their homes, communities and even within the bigger story of the Gospel. There are powerful and valuable lessons to be gleaned from their stories.

You will notice in some of these stories, there are not specific instances of prayer. However, I submit that due to the obvious nature of kingdom work that is stated, prayer was most certainly taking place. Female warriors of the Bible most definitely have prayer life going on!

These sisters’ stories illustrate what it means to be a powerful prayer warrior and why it is important to cultivate this as part of your spiritual growth.

Looking to get “anchored” in prayer? Try this resource here!

7 Spiritual Growth Lessons from our Prayer Warriors

I have chosen seven women from both Old and New Testament to examine. Some you may be familiar with, while others may be new to you.

There are seven lessons as well…one each that I felt was the core of that particular sister’s story.

1. Pray Daily

You prepare for spiritual battle daily as you face spiritual warfare daily. So, to be an effective female prayer you must cultivate a daily prayer habit.

2. Pray Fervently

The Oxford Dictionary defines fervent as “having or displaying a passionate intensity”. Therefore, praying fervently is to pray with passion. Make your requests to God boldly. As we will see with our seven women, all female prayer warriors in the Bible are bold in what they say and do!

3. Pray without Ceasing

This may sound like you should be praying every single minute of every single day. The phrase “without ceasing” could be better translated as being consistent in your prayer.

This goes back to praying daily and yet it is more than that. This is adopting an attitude of prayer in everything you do. In other words, you do not need to have scheduled prayer time or a prayer room or space to do your praying.

Pray as the need arises. You think of someone you know going through cancer treatment. Send up a prayer for healing. Your child must be disciplined. Send up a prayer for wisdom. You get the idea.

4. Pray with Expectation

 I feel we often pray and yet don’t really expect change to come. Maybe that is just me. Sometimes the change doesn’t come right away or how we might imagine it.

Yet, are we praying with the expectation that we serve a God mighty enough to deliver on anything we ask of Him? Pray and stand on His promises. Pray expecting Him to move that mountain for you.

5. Pray and ACT when God says to/sends you

This is a tough one. When God tells you via your prayer time, or in answer to a prayer that you are to be part of the answer, do you obey? If He says go, we must go. If He tells you what to do or how to do…do it!

6. Pray through your fear

Big, bold, prayers can cause big, bad fear. However, we know God has not given us a spirit of fear. So, tell your fears to go back to hell where they belong and trust God to bring you peace and clarity for your situation.

7. Prayer as Discipleship

In our call to disciple others, prayer should be a key component of our mentoring process with and for them. Prayer for wisdom as you lead and teach. Prayer for understanding and clarity for the one(s) whom you are discipling.

Prayer as part of your lesson(s) to them. How to pray, scriptures to pray, prayer posture. All of it is part of your discipleship of fellow believers.

Exploring Female Prayer Warriors in the Bible

So just who are these sisters I keep referring to. Glad you asked! Let’s meet them now.

Jehosheba

Jehosheba is not likely to be one of the first females you think of when you hear “female prayer warriors” mentioned. Let’s be honest, she may not even be in your top ten. I dare say some have never heard of her.

Her story is one of courage, valor and great importance to the Gospel. Her story is found in 2 Kings 11:2-20. She was the daughter of King Jehoram of Judah, sister of King Ahaziah of Judah and wife of Jehoiada, the priest. She was royalty with loyalty to another king.

When her brother King Ahazia died, his wicked mother Athalia made herself Queen. To ensure no one would object, she had all male members of the royal family killed.

Except for one. Jehosheba stole her nephew Joash and with her priestly husband, hid him for six years. Her actions preserved the family line, the Davidic line, from which Jesus, our Savior, would be born!

So brave and righteous are her actions that the ancient Judaic authorities list her as one of twenty-three women of fame in the Midrash. The Midrash is an exegesis of scripture and the word literally means “textual interpretation”, so a study of Biblical text.

When your ancient Jewish brothers say you are a big deal…you are a big deal!

Actual prayers of Jehosheba or even talk of her praying are not found in the scriptures. However, all of my mommas, aunts, sister mommies, neighborhood mommies KNOW that raising a child requires PRAYER! Amen?!

I imagine Jehosheba found herself on her knees many times throughout those six years before Joash was crowned king at age 7. I am certain her prayers only increased after Joash took the throne. 

Yes, a supernatural covering of God was happening here, however, I am convinced that it was in part due to the powerful DAILY PRAYERS of this female prayer warrior that Joash was kept safe.

Priscilla

Jumping over to Acts and Romans in the New Testament we encounter Priscilla. Priscilla and her husband Aquillas worked with Paul. They housed him while he preached in the synagogues in Corinth and traveled with him to Syria. 

This sister was a preacher and teacher of the Word. Now I get that the word “preacher” when applied to women is not always well received. Teacher or preacher…she was doing it.

In Romans 16, Paul exhorts the work that Priscilla and her husband were doing in their house church.

The work of spreading the gospel from within their home as well as on the road with Paul was essential to the early church. Essential indeed to the early Christianity movement.

Priscilla’s work therefore exemplifies prayer as discipleship. Again, we do not see actual recorded prayers in the scripture, however, I believe we can be assured that it was happening.

With the persecution from Rome and the continued persecution from Jewish religious leaders, prayer would have been a cornerstone for Priscilla.

Her discipleship work was done under the supervision and authority of her husband, Paul and of course God. This is kingdom headship and alignment…a whole topic for another day.

To be entrusted with the Gospel and be part of it’s early spread would have required close and intimate prayers with Jesus. Her prayer life no doubt was the guideline of her actions as she assisted her husband and Paul in discipling new believers.

Deborah

Back in the Old Testament, we find Deborah, a prophetess and judge of Israel. This story to me is exceptionally unique as it illustrates a woman in a position of power and authority in ancient times. Nearly unheard of.

Many read this account and perhaps think more of Jael as she dealt the blow that ended the fighting at this time.

However, Deborah is the one to whom the vision was given. The one who predicted that a woman would be the one the Lord would use to deliver Israel from the enemy.

She had full faith in her God and knew that what she spoke would come to fruition. That is a woman who has spent time with God consistently, intimately, daily. 

She had prayed with the expectation that He would deliver, and He did. By virtue of her prediction, and her title of both prophetess and judge, there is no doubt Deborah was a prayer warrior.

This event brought 40 years of peace to Israel. Pray with expectation was Deborah’s motto I think.

Mary Magdalene

Mary’s story is woven through three of the four Gospels. Here is a woman who is proof that God can and will use anyone. Even those of us who think we cannot be used.

Once Jesus drove the demons from Mary, she was loyal to Him to the absolute end. She was one of the women at the cross, was there to help prepare His body for burial. Was there to witness the empty tomb.

When Jesus appeared to Mary in John’s account, no doubt she had prayed for a change to the story she was living. Prayed that Jesus would come back. 

And He did, specifically to her. And specifically called her name. Ya’ll, this makes me so happy!

This female prayer warrior was absolutely, irrevocably known and loved by Jesus. That means we should know in our hearts, minds and souls that we are too!

And although her prayers are not recorded…her intimacy with her Lord is. And evidence of her faith being put into action is.

Mary Magdalene was the first to carry the good news that Jesus had arisen from the dead! She bore the gospel story to her brothers in Christ.

That is prayer in action. When Jesus told her to go, because of her close relationship with Him, precipitated by both prayer and person-to-person interaction, she went.

In fact, I believe she probably ran! This female prayer warrior had the best news ever to be told…she wasn’t dilly dallying around to be sure.

Her attitude of “pray and act” is evident in Mark, Luke and John.

Zipporah

Wife of Moses, Zipporah performed a task I’m not sure many of us could stomach. Circumsion.

This was the custom of the Jewish people, an act that set them apart from all other people groups of the time. An act ordained and enforced by God.

Which is where Zipporah had to step in. Because her husband had not circumcised their son, Zipporah did the deed to save her husband from the wrath of God.

Few words are spoken by Zipporah and none of them are an actual prayer. However, to do what she did would have required strength. I believe she prayed fervently that she would be able to carry the task out and thereby save her son and husband from sure death.

Hannah

Many of us can sympathize with Hannah. She wanted a child so very much. Her husband’s other wife taunted her to no end with her brood.

And so Hannah prayed without ceasing. She besieged heaven with her desire for a child. 

In fact, when her family went to the temple for worship time, she prayed so incessantly that the priest actually thought she was drunk!

For she prayed silently, but with tears…much weeping over her longing for a baby. She went so far as to make a vow regarding her prayer request. And the Lord answered that prayer, and she did as she had said and gave the child back to God.

See, when you pray without ceasing and have such an impossible seeming prayer answered, you don’t hold back anything from God.

Hannah had cultivated an attitude of prayer and she kept at it until God answered. And because of her faithfulness to prayer and to God, He blessed her with more children than the one she gave back.

And she prayed even more…prayed without ceasing.

Esther

“For such a time as this.” I’m sure you have heard these words many times. Perhaps even a lot in this present and strange season we are all in.

Esther’s story is a popular one and a powerful one. She had so much to lose in her predicament. Her very life depended on how the King would receive her requests.

And she was fearful. Rightfully so, as in that time, a king could have you killed simply for asking to hold court with him. If he did not like you or was in a bad mood, you were done.

However, Esther had a very astute cousin, Mordecai, who had helped raise her. Had molded her to follow the Lord and more importantly had modeled that for her.

So, when the time came, though scared, Esther was able to pray through the fear. She took time to fast, asked others to pray and fast as well. 

She knew the task was great and therefore a great deal of prayer was going to be needed. She had to step up as a prayer warrior to gain strength for the journey she was undertaking.

Her obedience to prayer and to doing the right thing kept her people from death. Though God’s name is not mentioned in Esther, His hand of providence is all over this book of scripture.

This prayer warrior did not let fear stop her. We shouldn’t either.

Conclusion

Prayer warrior women move mountains so that others have a path to follow. They fight for what is right wherever the need. They teach so that others may be taught.

Application of these seven lessons daily is what will mold your female prayer warrior status. Look to others in your church or small groups that you have identified as powerful prayer warriors. Ask them their secrets to a great prayer life.

Prayer keeps us on the offensive side. It is much easier to fight from a proactive stance rather than always having to run defense.

Additional Verses on Prayer For The Prayer Warrior In You

• “But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:6
• “And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22
• “In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” John 16:23-24
• “They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” Acts 1:14
• “ Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
• “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
• “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” James 5:16
• “In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.” Romans 8:26
• “ Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” Romans 12:12
• “Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for—believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24
• “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone,” 1 Timothy 2:1
• “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3
• “ For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” Ephesians 6:12

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