Prayer Warrior: Myth and Mandate
I really do think we need to go here because ignoring this misconception is depriving a great number of us in a life threatening way. Just know that I’m going to tread carefully here because I recognize that this may be a sensitive spot for some of us.
Often we speak of Prayer Warriors as if that is a spiritual gift distributed by God to an elite few. We act as if “Pray without ceasing” is the private motto reserved for an exclusive guild within the Body of Christ. Some folks have been given a very limited edition name tag and that’s where we direct needy people for real spiritual help. We throw that Prayer Warrior title around as if God has indeed extended invitations to His real conversations – but the gatherings have very limited seating.
It’s like we have come up with a special merit badge restricted to a very few who have been specially vetted and selected. Basically we have just invented a special category of Christian. And in so doing we have exempted a majority of Christians from their responsibility to cultivate habits which are essential to spiritual maturity.
In that sense, “Prayer Warrior” is a myth.
In another sense, “Prayer Warrior” is a mandate.
“Prayer Warrior” is a calling given to all believers. “Pray without ceasing” is an imperative directed to everyone who identifies as a Christ follower.
There is a costly place before the Throne of God designated for each of us. We must each occupy our place of prayer, for it was purchased for us by the Lover of our Souls. We have to stop abdicating our place of peace and power to a few. How foolish we are to leave that wondrous place unoccupied, unused, undervalued!
Not one of us can navigate the rigors this un-Heavenly world without cultivating communication – and communion – with the Strength of our Lives. We cannot represent Jesus well if we are not spending time with Him – knowing Him and His way of thinking, acquiring His system of decision-making, framing our lives by who He is.
Without ongoing dialogue with God we cannot have victory over our selfish desires, our self-interest, our self-centeredness, our self-preservation, and our self-exaltation – let alone the other enemies of our soul: the world, the flesh and the devil! Prayer is our battlefield! We have to stop playing games with this sacred trust!
We all – everyone of us – have to stop fooling ourselves. Our souls need prayer like our bodies need oxygen! We all – everyone of us – need to be with Him.
The more we are with Him, the more we know Him.
And the more we know Him the more we love Him.
And the more love Him the more like Him we become.
And in becoming like Him,
we find freedom and fulfillment, peace and purpose.
What we treasure will mold us. So, we pursue these extended prayer times with God in order to love Him to the point that we simply enjoy Him – not just because of what we get out of being with Him.
And that means ALL of US – everyone of us.
You will find a personal prayer retreat guide HERE. It’s filled with suggested resources to get you started with an extended time with the Lord. It’s meant to be printed on both sides of the page and folded into a booklet.
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