A Comprehensive Guide to Becoming a Prayer Warrior through Intercessory Prayer

Have you ever wanted to become a prayer warrior? Do you want to get beyond the basic (not unimportant) mentality that prayer is asking God to “touch everyone, heal everyone, help everyone, and bless everyone?” I believe to be effective in our prayer life we must train our perspective on prayer. Prayer is a vital part of our relationship with Christ, and we must know how to use this weapon we’ve been given by God — especially when in seasons like the one we’re in.

What is Intercessory Prayer?

Intercessory prayer is a form of prayer where one person prays on behalf of another. It is the act of praying for the needs and concerns of others, asking God to intervene and work in their lives for their benefit. Intercession is a powerful tool that we have as Believers to make a difference in the lives of those around us. It is a selfless act of love that demonstrates our compassion and concern for others.

Intercessory prayer is not just a formality or religious ritual, but a heartfelt act of faith that engages the power of God to bring about change in people's lives. It is a spiritual battle that we engage in on behalf of others, contending for their well-being and freedom. Intercession requires humility, faith, and perseverance. It is not about trying to persuade or manipulate God, but about aligning ourselves with His will and purposes for the people we are praying for.

Jesus’ Example of Intercessory Prayer

Jesus, the ultimate example of love and compassion, showed us the power of intercessory prayer. He did not just pray for himself, but he prayed for others, even those who persecuted him. Jesus' heart was for the salvation of all people, and he interceded on their behalf. We are called to follow in Jesus' footsteps, to pray for those who are lost or hurting, and to intercede for the broken and wounded.

As Believers in Jesus Christ, we should pray for everyone. The power of prayer is not limited to a select few, but available to all who call upon the Name of the Lord. We should pray for our loved ones, our enemies, our leaders, our neighbors, and even strangers.

Common Misconceptions

There are many misconceptions about intercessory prayer, but we must not let them discourage us. We must understand the following:

Intercessory prayer is not a way to manipulate or control God. It is an act of surrender, acknowledging our dependence upon God and asking for His will to be done in our lives and in the lives of those we pray for.
It is not a way to bypass personal responsibility. We cannot simply pray for God to fix our problems without also taking action ourselves.
Intercessory prayer is not a one-time event. It is a continual practice of lifting up ourselves and others to God, trusting in His wisdom.

Training Your Perspective: Paul’s New Testament Prayers

What if you began to pray about God’s will even more than your will? Perhaps the next step is for you to take a deep dive into the prayers and desires that heroes in the faith had. Does God care about “Aunt Sally’s knee surgery?” and “Little Johnny’s ‘sniffles?'” Of course He does. But when prayers for physical ailments dominate our prayer lists, perhaps it’s worth asking ourselves, what else can I be praying for? What is God’s will in this situation?

To help you focus, here are several of Paul’s New Testament prayers and their specific focuses:

Romans 1:8–10: Thanksgiving, and that Paul would be able to come see them.
Romans 10:1: Salvation for others.
Romans 12:12: Encouragement to be constant in prayer.
Romans 15:5–6: Harmony and unity between believers.
Romans 15:13: For joy and peace to fill their lives.
Romans 15:30–33: That Paul’s gospel efforts would succeed.
1 Corinthians 1:4–9: Thanksgiving for the grace of God and the enrichment of believers in Christ.

Practical Ways to Use Paul’s Prayers

Relief, provision, healing, and protection are excellent things to pray for. However, the gospel is why we are here on earth and God’s glory is what we must long for most. Use these suggestions to train your prayer life:

Pray one of Paul’s prayers daily, in addition to your normal prayers, and apply his prayers for other believers to the ones in your own life.
Invite the conviction of the Holy Spirit into your own prayer life. Ask yourself: Are you focusing on mostly physical things? Are your prayers shallow and earthly?
Try praying for only gospel-centered things for 3 straight days — multiple times per day.
Try praying prayers loaded with thanksgiving to God for 3 straight days — multiple times per day.
Work to balance spiritual and physical requests by keeping track of how many revolve around you and your wants.

If we want to become better at praying, we just have to do it. Just as writers who put advice into practice see improvement, those who want to improve their prayer life will also get better at praying by simply doing it often.