The Weapon of Prayer

Published June 6, 2004

Most of us don’t think of using prayer as a weapon. We usually think of prayer as a means of asking for blessing, or as a way to praise our God. And prayer is indeed the way to receive blessing and also one way to praise God. But prayer is indeed a weapon. A very powerful weapon.

Like any weapon, prayer can be used ineffectively, or worse yet, misused.  It can be used to defend us from enemies, and it can also be used as a way to attack our enemies. This use of prayer as a means to attack our enemies, is called imprecatory prayer. The word imprecatory means literally, to curse.

Now there are many no doubt, that find the concept of imprecatory prayer to be unscriptural, however, that is due to their ignorance of the scriptures, and perhaps in large measure, due to the human habit of depending upon ourselves, literally the flesh, to meet our own needs, or accomplish personal objectives. 

The Apostle Paul addressed this problem in 2^nd Corinthians in the 10^th chapter, 3^rd verse. He stated:

Just what did he mean that we walk in the flesh? To many Christians, we are not to walk in the flesh, but here we are just the same! There is a substantial difference between walking in the flesh, and walking after the flesh.

If you are not in the flesh, then you are out of it, because, if you are not in the flesh, then you are dead. You are sitting there now in your body aren’t you?  One of the main difficulties facing the Christian church as it faces the Great Tribulation, is that so many of us lean on the arm of the flesh, because we are in the flesh. But to do battle with the forces we are about to face in the flesh is a losing battle. That is why we are so adamant about Spiritual preparation. There are more than enough people who are screaming about preparing for the flesh. The spirit can sustain your flesh, but your flesh cannot sustain the spirit.  We need to recognize, that in spite of all this talk of preparedness of the flesh, without knowing how to use the weapons of our warfare, our flesh will perish.

And as we enter into the period which God has predestined for those of us who are in Christ Jesus, and known as the great Tribulation, we are going to need to understand how to use imprecatory prayer, and learn to avoid using the flesh. We must learn to war, not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

Now there are many no doubt, that find the concept of imprecatory prayer to be unscriptural, however, that is due to their ignorance of the scriptures, and perhaps in large measure, due to the human habit of depending upon ourselves, literally the flesh, to meet our own needs, or accomplish personal objectives.

And just as soldier must practice to use carnal weapons in order to make effective use of them, so must we practice using Spiritual weapons. And like a soldier in a carnal army, we in the Army of the Lamb must practice with our spiritual weapons now, on the proving grounds that God has given us here in whatever situation we find ourselves, before we enter into the spiritual battles we will face in the Great Tribulation.

Because the weapon of prayer is so powerful, we must use it with precision and accuracy. We need to be able to identify our targets, and discern between the enemy, and friendly forces. This is also common in a carnal army, as poor identification of targets, can lead to what is known as “friendly fire”.  This term refers to the act of firing upon one’s own troops, or those of a confederate, and leads in the carnal world, to court marshal, and imprisonment. In severe cases where strict orders are disregarded, it can even be punished by death. It is therefore, very important to discern between hostile and friendly forces, and to be certain not to take the identification of targets lightly.

 Sadly, for most Christians, the critical identification of friendlies versus hostile forces, is seen as unimportant. In such a battle scenario, when a friendly continues to fire on their own forces with consistency, a commander is justified in removing the errant squad of friendlies, to save the entire battle group.

Carnal armies often use carnal accessories to enhance the effectiveness of their carnal weapons. A scope for example, is useful to increase the accuracy of a rifle, helping the soldier to disable an enemy at a greater distance than they would otherwise be able to using only an iron gun sight, or they might also use a grenade launcher in combination to achieve a greater lethality.

Tactics are also useful to a carnal army, which might include the use of saturation bombing, or even laying down a concentrated pattern of fire over an extended period of time for targets that need to be softened up before a major assault can be made.

However, no weapon of either the flesh or the spirit, can be effectively used if the soldiers are undisciplined or of low morale. The soldier must not only know when and under what conditions their particular weapon can be used, but also must have a realistic expectation of what their weapon can be counted upon to do, and under what circumstances. To use a hand-grenade for example, to hammer a nail can be not only ineffective, but can actually result in self-injury or worse. To fire a single round into a bunker and expect to hit and disable a target with the intent of capture it, is not only unrealistic, but foolhardy. In each instance of physical combat, the soldier must know what he can expect of his weapon, before depending upon it to save his flesh, So it is in the use of weapons of the spirit.

Like any weapon, prayer can be used ineffectively, or worse yet, misused.  It can be used to defend us from enemies, and it can also be used as a way to attack our enemies. This use of prayer as a means to attack our enemies, is called imprecatory prayer. The word imprecatory means literally, to curse.

There are those who will tell you that we must pray for our enemies. However, we see our Savior Jesus Christ praying in John 17:9 not for the world, but for the elect. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

Matthew 5 43-46 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

The word "Bless" as used in the New Testament book of  Matthew in chapter 5, verse 44 (Strong's #2127) is properly translated as to speak well of, as opposed to the word (Strong's #3107) which implies a desire to have God facilitate the deeds of our enemies.

We are told to pray for those who despitefully use us in Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:28, Blessed [are ye] that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed [are ye] that weep now: for ye shall laugh. however, we are not told to ask that God bless them in our prayers.  What then should we pray? I believe that it means that, rather than striking out at them in the flesh, we ask God to do so in the spirit. We see many examples of this in the Old Testament when Israel faced many powerful enemies on the battlefield, and we have examples in the Psalms of imprecatory prayer as well. Psalms 109 is a good example.

Let’s continue to examine this warfare. 2^nd Corinthians, 10:3. (READ) 

You don’t want to be part of that crowd that judges after the outward appearance, you want to be part of the group that judges after the Spirit. God tells us in 1^st Samuel 16:7. “…For the Lord seeth not as a man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”  To see things as God does, after the Spirit, brings spiritual perspective. To perceive things after the flesh brings fleshly death.

We have many scriptures, which describe the tactics we are to use to defeat the enemy, but because we are so tied to the flesh; many of us do not understand them. And because many of the leaders we have chosen to follow, not only openly follow after the flesh and lead by such example, but also teach others to do so, the Tribulation saints are about to learn a hard lesson. And for many of them, they will discover, only too late, that their prayers will have little power, because those whom they have looked to for guidance and direction, count prayer as an afterthought, or do it as a mere ritual, without power, and without discernment.

We are told in 2^nd Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 4, that (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) 5. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6. and having a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

In verse 5 we are told about bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. This is an important point, as when our thoughts are allowed to wander free without restraint, we lose spiritual power. Right after Christ was revealed to the disciples, he told us: Matthew 16:19: And I will give unto the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matthew 18:18 Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

We also see in 2^nd Corinthians 10:6 the phrase having a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. This implies that we must be in obedience before we can expect to revenge disobedience in another. This illustrates how important it is to bring those thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

If we want to realize the power of God in our lives, we must be careful to obey in THOUGHT and DEED. All thoughts are spiritual.

We are told in the book of Romans in the 6^th chapter, that in extreme cases, a believers body may be destroyed, that his soul might be saved. 1^st Corinthians 5:4 tells us: In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus

We are told what weapons we have at our disposal in Ephesians chapter 6, and about the enemy we face. The whole armor of God. our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Shield of faith. Helmet of Salvation. Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

Notice that ¾ our armaments are defensive. Our feet shod with the preparation of PEACE. We should be prepared for peace. The phrase referring to our feet being shod, means we should be prepared to walk or move in that direction. I am amazed at how many professing Christians refuse out of pride, to move in the direction of peace.

Our shield of faith refers to our main defense. We should continually repair and strengthen our shield by the reading of the word, that we not only learn from those who have gone before us in the faith as they have use their shield of faith, that we might count upon it in the day of spiritual battle, but that we might know the true precepts of our faith, that we might have confidence in it. Many people know a few verses, which they often recite to themselves out of context, to bolster their faith, only to discover that their shield fails them when they come under fierce attack. The shield of faith is essential to defend against the attacks of the unseen world, which manifest themselves in events that are measured in the material world. This speaks of those things which would persuade the faithless that there is no hope, that you cannot persist because of all the logical arguments which are contrary to the laws of the Spirit of God.

In 1^stThessalonians 5:8 we are also told about the breastplate of faith and Love. So it would seem that faith is not only a shield we can use to defend against the fiery darts of the Devil, but also cover our breast, where our heart of the Spirit is located. The heart is even more vulnerable to injury, because one can not survive an injury to the heart. But also, the breastplate is of love. With hate in your heart, no matter how convinced you are doing right, no matter how much faith you might have, you are mortally vulnerable to any attack the forces of darkness might mount against you.

We are told that the greatest of the spiritual gifts is love.(1^st Corinthians, Chapter 13)

 The second greatest commandment we have, is that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. The first is that we must love God with all our heart, and soul and mind and strength. (Mark 12:30-31)

The helmet of salvation:  A helmet protects a vital area. If you have no helmet, you are going to suffer a great injury, if not a fatal one. Being saved, having the covering of the blood of Christ is the most important defense you can have. Even if your mortal fleshly body is injured fatally, “not a hair of your head will perish” (Luke 21:18). How can this be? It is because though you die in this world, you will be resurrected in the next, which is the real world. This world is passing away. The next world is eternal. It is as if we are in a dream, which seems real to us. Most people believe this world to be real. It is real only in the material sense, that is to say, the sense, which we use presently to measure. That is the root word of material. The same root word is used for a unit of measurement, the meter.  As we measure reality with the imperfect devices we use presently, mankind is not able to measure the spiritual reality that is at the root of all that occurs on this plane. However, if you measure reality as God does, using his word, which describes things not seen in this existence, you can discern the things of the spirit. It should be clear that the whole armor of God works as a unit.

The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. His word is the greatest weapon you have. With it, you can do battle with the most powerful wickedness that exists in high places. Our Savior used the word against Satan when he was tempted in the wilderness. And in prayer, the word of God has been used mightily against the enemies of God’s people. David used it. The Psalms are filled with the prayers of the saints asking for protection from and victory over their enemies, using God’s promises which are found in his word. It is important to bring God’s words to his remembrance when praying down a foe. The word is the only sword we have been given, and it would seem reasonable to bring the promises of God in his word, to his remembrance when asking anything.

Just as a soldier must practice to use carnal weapons in order to make effective use of them, so must we practice using Spiritual weapons. And like a soldier in a carnal army, we in the Army of the Lamb must practice with our spiritual weapons now, on the proving grounds that God has given us here in whatever situation we find ourselves, before we enter into the spiritual battles we will face in the Great Tribulation. We need to stop depending on our flesh, and begin to depend upon the Spirit for our needs. This does not mean we should just sit back and do nothing, but that we must pray always for direction before doing whatever we do. We should pray for direction and discernment, and we should go to the word of God for our answers to those prayers. We need to be prepared for what is to come by putting these principals into practice now, and not use them as a last resort, to be tried when all else fails.

There is an ignored section of scripture in the so called remnant church if there ever was one. 

We also never know how the enemy fits into God’s plan, whether they are there to test you, or if they should someday, like the Apostle Paul, become a vessel chosen to bring glory to God at some future date, so it’s best to pray that you be in God’s will before praying against specific individuals.

We are all subject to temptation and other testing. God could have created a bunch of robots, and we would all be walking about the earth without any sin in their lives and no temptation to do so, but that was not his plan. He gave us all free will to prove what is truly in our hearts. God love proof, and mankind and our works will all be tested to prove what kind we are of. 

In severe cases where strict orders are disregarded, it can even be punished by death. It is therefore, very important to discern between hostile and friendly forces, and to be certain not to take the identification of targets lightly.

 Sadly, for most Christians, the critical identification of friendlies versus hostile forces, is seen as unimportant. In such a battle scenario, when a friendly continues to fire on their own forces with consistency, a commander is justified in removing the errant squad of friendlies, to save the entire battle group. We do hope better of you than to fire on your own. 1^st Corinthians tells us in the 3^rd chapter, and 15^th verse, that our work is to be tested and tried by fire.

It should be obvious to us all that we should only use imprecatory prayer against those who fight against us, who call themselves Christians, after much prayer, asking God for guidance, after all other scriptural options have been exhausted.

Because the weapon of prayer is so powerful, we must use it with precision and accuracy. We need to be able to identify our targets, and discern between the enemy, and friendly forces. This is also common in a carnal army, as poor identification of targets, can lead to what is known as “friendly fire”.  This term refers to the act of firing upon one’s own troops, or those of a confederate, and leads in the carnal world, to court marshal, and imprisonment. There are a lot of people who are making decisions that relate to target identification, using the things of this world as their tools of discernment. And I know from experience, that I can’t always know who is responsible in the realm of the world, for the difficulties I face. But God knows, and sometimes it turns out to be me. That is why I like to pray that God would use his Spirit to convict the hearts of my enemies that they might repent of their wrong doings, and then they have the choice of either changing course, or of hardening their hearts to their own hurt. Read Galatians, chapter 5.

One is Holy and True, one is unholy and nothing more than illusion.  You cannot hope to influence affairs in this realm, without submission to the spiritual laws and powers, put in place by God. If you are not influencing the incidents and affairs and other matters with which you come into contact in your life, on your knees, in prayer and fasting, and submission to His Majesty, the King of Heaven and Earth who rules the affairs of all of creation, you are in submission to the dark spirits, who operate in the realm of the flesh.

If you are putting your hand forward, dabbling in the arena of the material world, and meddling with the physical in your actions, to achieve what it is that you have in your heart, you are operating in the power and the spirit of the flesh. There are only 2 camps.

If we are to survive for any significant period of time to bring glory to our God and our Savior in the Great Tribulation, which Christ has promised we will see, we will have to learn that the only way we will be able to do so is in the Spirit of God, and not in the spirit of the flesh.

Folks, this is an army. This is not a social club. The soldier has to be ready and willing to endure hardness for the cause. Christianity is a discipline, it’s not a party, it’s not a place for a bunch of lonely people to socialize and drink tea. There is no more time left for playing Church. You can join the ranks of the Soldiers of the Army of the Lamb to shoulder the grave responsibility Our King has given us, but you have to get off the fence and get serious about it. Either you are preparing to do battle in the spiritual realm, or you are just looking for a place to leave your carcass here in the flesh world, because the enemy takes no prisoners, it’s just that simple.

The time to learn to use our spiritual weapons is now, while we are yet in training, but we don’t have much time, because the final battle for those who will stand for Christ is right around the corner. And for those who are yet to understand the significance of what you have heard here, the battle is either before you today, or it is behind you, and you have already surrendered.

Copyright © 2004. Craig Portwood.  All rights reserved.