Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.
-Psalm 6:10
Are there enemies in your life - stubborn enemies that do not seem to stop resisting you in your walk with Jesus? Prayer is the battle ground on which you will see the power of God triumph over them. You will watch sin burn up, if you keep tending to the fire of God on the altar of prayer. Fear, timidity, and spiritual coldness will vanish in the flames. Prayer is the most essential weapon of the Christian life, matched only by the Word of God.
And the enemy we fight is not a physical enemy any more than prayer is a physical weapon. In the new covenant under Jesus’ blood, He tells us, “Pray for those who persecute you,” and our obligation toward human enemies is to persistently show love (Matthew 5:44). I believe when King David and the psalmists called for judgment on their enemies, they were being used by the Holy Spirit to show us how to pray against the forces of hell. We have a revelation that they had not yet heard: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers…against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
Corrie Ten Boom said, “When a Christian stops praying, the devil shouts for joy.” He is elated to know that, at least for now, he will not be confronted by the mighty power of God in and through your life. God may protect you, but you will not be a threat or danger to the devil. But when you begin to seek the Lord, to bring your battle to Him in prayer, to pray against the forces of hell, the devil gets nervous. The demons who once rejoiced become suddenly afraid. But a believer who sets his heart to pray, though he was once afraid, will soon have a shout for joy that only God can give! David prays, “let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You” (Psalm 5:11).
While the joy and the personal victories are wonderful, the call to pray is not about you or about me. It is not merely to increase my spiritual stature or enjoy God’s presence more, though that will happen. It is a kingdom activity. Prayer is the fuel of our mission in this world. Prayer prepares the way for the gospel to reach hearts. Prayer really changes things, because prayer touches God.
Most of us see the evil going on in our day, the sin and lostness of our generation. But do we see Jesus? No matter what the evil of the day is, whether in the nation, the world, or our personal lives, this is what He says: “Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?” (Isaiah 43:13). Get ahold of God through prayer, and the evil of the day will suddenly be eclipsed by the glory of the One who existed eternally, before there was anything called a “day.”
Victory will always flow out of sincere, persistent prayer. It may happen instantly or it may take a while. It may not happen the way we envision. But you can be certain that God “is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). The next time you feel discouraged from praying, from deepening your prayer life, remember it is because the enemy does not want you throwing the spiritual grenade of prayer at him! He knows a simple praying Christian can disarm him, thwart his plans, and push back the gates of hell.
-Pastor Alex