Prayer turns the tables on the enemy

Writtenby Kristy Loewen

Growing up in a Christian home meant that for me prayer was everywhere. We prayed for our food. We thanked God for the blessings in our lives. We prayed for what we wanted to happen. We prayed for clarity. We prayed for forgiveness. We prayed for protection.

But until I got older, I never really understood using prayer as a weapon. It is a weapon to fight for what we know God wants for us. The Bible is full of verses describing how God has blessings galore to lavish on us. But how often do we really feel those blessings?

Do we live our lives surrounded by a peace that passes understanding? Do we feel the power to overcome anger in our most stressful times? Do we live like we are on the winning team? Or do we always feel like we’re playing defence?

To me, prayer is how a Christian can play an offensive role in advancing God’s Kingdom. You can go out and tell people about the Word of God, but if it is not protected, those seeds will fall on dry ground. You can pray with someone, but without the eye-opening powers of Christ, will they even hear it?

Prayer is what tips the scales from being a Christian who plays defence to one who plays offence. It’s what makes us remember we are on a winning team. It’s what makes us feel we are moving forward more than we’re going backward.

Satan is a real enemy. He is not one to be ignored, although he would love it if you did. Instead, let’s invite God’s power to fight against his thwarting plans. Who do you think creates dissension in your home? Who makes you feel so alone that you call or text people you shouldn’t? Who makes you feel like a failure on a daily basis? Satan.

The best part is we know God has already won the battle. We know what happens in the end.

It is quite laughable, really, that Satan thinks he even has a chance with us if we are with Christ. He is the one who should be treading water, not us.

The power Jesus Christ can work through us is unlimited. Don’t ever feel you aren’t a strong enough Christian to fight off attacks. If you think along that route you will never be strong enough; all you need to do is trust Christ because He is strong enough, even though you’re not.

Speak the words out loud. “In the name of Jesus Christ, let this fear be gone,” whether it’s negative thought patterns, procrastination, money worries, etc. Then trust and wait, for “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

The power of offensive prayer has saved my life more than once. Refusing to let yourself become a victim is the first—and often the hardest—step to overcome. You first need to accept that you are worth fighting for. Decide to believe God created you for freedom in Him, not for slithering on your belly.

Hard times will still come, but amid your hard times, you can have peace in your heart. You can trust God to carry you through. Every hard time you encounter can help you reach the lost—the more you go through, the more people you will understand, the more your empathy builds. Your prayers for others can become more powerful and precise.

Trust God. Trust that prayer works. Trust that He knows the best timing and way to answer your prayers. You do your part and He will do His.