Prayer Warrior ~ Episode 246Are you a prayer warrior? The military raises leaders and those who have physical strength, stamina, and endurance in their physical lives. How can we apply this to our spiritual life? Are we spiritually tough?

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As I’ve shared, my son is in the military and currently in Ranger School, trying for the Army Ranger Tab. This is a grueling sixty-day trial of body, mind, and spirit. It causes good men to dig deep, and it helps if they have a deep relationship with the Lord.

This Lent, I have traveled a path of praying alongside my son. I have journaled consistently, searched the Sacred Scriptures, and been on my knees in church praying for his needs and the Lord’s provision.

I have learned from talking to him during one of his brief breaks after passing the first section and moving on to the second that he has never prayed so much in his life. Being sleep-deprived, sleeping outdoors, eating freeze-dried foods, and not having enough to eat really wreaks havoc on a person’s physical and mental well-being.

Yet it has taught me that we can apply what a soldier goes through to our own prayer lives and become prayer warriors! Soldiers must endure, sacrifice, persevere, and be brave when facing danger. They continue onward when many would call it quits. There is no choice but to continue forward; that is a lesson for all of us. When times are tough, we continue on, and we ask the Lord for His help. We can endure with our Lord’s help. Sacrifice, such as fasting, brings us closer to God. If we persevere through our anguish, we will find hope on the other side, and as for danger? We must pray that our minds are open so that we can recognize and avoid it.

Prayer Warrior TipsHere are some things I find helpful.

1. A blank personal pocket book. I purchased small little lined books that I keep in my purse and clip a pen to the book. On the back of the book, the last page or the cover, I list the people I want to pray for each day. This can be for specific prayer requests, deceased loved ones, or those needs that are dear to your heart. That way, I can flip to the back of the book daily to pray.
2. A consistent prayer time. These are things you do each day. If you pray first thing (before or after a cup of coffee or tea), or maybe on your way to church, at church, and maybe a few minutes afterward.
3. Fasting along when seeking the Lord for His will, or when in prayer for a special intention or for a need.
4. Keep familiar scriptures in your mind that are encouraging. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:10-12 ADD MORE HERE
5. Never quit. We know God is faithful; we know He is there for us even when things seem hard or problems are insurmountable. We must persevere in the face of hardship while acknowledging that while our feelings are legitimate, we must look for the greater good.

When we think about being prayer warriors, we should also consider praying the right way when someone asks. If you have a friend who is having surgery or struggling with a personal issue and asks you to pray, stop and pray immediately. If you do not have time, a simple “Jesus, please provide for her needs.” And then, when you have more time, be intentional in your prayer.

1. Send a text message with a prayer.
2. Send an email message with a prayer.
3. Send a card and tell them you are praying.

Prayer warriors also put on the armor of God. We protect ourselves from the enemy with prayer. We get our strength from God, not from ourselves. When we pour into others, we become depleted, but if we are connected to the Holy Spirit, living water flows through us.

If you have time, become a prayer warrior – ask your family how you can pray. Join a prayer group, or online prayer support chain. Start one yourself. We started a text prayer chain for my son with our immediate family. I even called it Mike’s Prayer Warriors. (f you listen to this podcast, you know Michael’s voice; he does the introduction to this podcast as well as what we call the outro – so please join me in praying for his safety and those of our military and first responders.)

We can be first responders for the Lord. Our strength is in God. Our hope is in God, and our prayers are the result of our repentance from sin and the hope in Christ. Jesus, I trust in You!

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