Op-Ed: How to Be an Effective Prayer Warrior This Election Season
Believers must recognize the importance of the upcoming elections: They are first and foremost a spiritual battle requiring mature, spiritual weaponry — quality prayer!
Many are those who view the elections through a political lens only. But the believer must be wiser than those who do not know Christ or his Scriptures.
God has provided believers with the most powerful weapon possible in spiritual wars. When you get on your knees to pray you are actually going into battle. Ephesians 6:12 tells us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Because of this constant struggle, praying effectively for the best success is vital. This is especially true before the upcoming elections, which are critical to the future direction of our country.
I don’t believe I am overstating it when I say that these elections will, among other crucial issues, affect whether America will remain strong in sending missionaries across the globe in obedience to God’s Great Commission. Given that biblical command, it is imperative that committed Christians be praying for an outcome that glorifies our Lord, and that more believers will win office.
To be effective, we need to examine how we can be our best at prayer and in prayer, not only for the outcome of the elections but also for the outcome of our lives. But what is a quality prayer and what does it mean to pray effectively? The Bible provides the answer.
Let us closely examine the closing section of Paul’s address to the church in Ephesus to learn how to increase our effectiveness in prayer: “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”
Paul reveals the purpose for believers to remain in the world after they have been saved.
In that regard, 2 Timothy 2:4 adds and makes it extremely clear that all believers have been called by God to be his soldiers in the theater of spiritual battle post-salvation in Christ prior to going home to be with him. Paul states to Timothy, “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”
After being saved by God and his grace, we are to soldier on in this world for him. The Word of God, which is the only offensive weapon mentioned, is his continual source of knowledge for his specific assignment in battle.
The Bible study “Are You Praying Most Effectively for the Elections?” delves deeply into Scripture to reveal biblical insights about quality prayer, including that our prayers must be deliberate, endorsed, detailed and directed.
It follows that we need the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ for our prayers to be heard by God. James 5:16b states this truth in the positive: “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”
We should be praying more when the pressure is the greatest!
I know many believers who are naïve as to what this study teaches. They think of elections only in political terms.
In contrast, the believer should concentrate on being the most effective prayer warrior in the upcoming elections! Being a valuable ambassador for Christ is far more important than possessing political campaign skills (as important as those are).
To say it bluntly, I know too many Christian spiritual hacks who know nothing, and seemingly don’t care to know anything, about the spiritual dimension of an election. Don’t be one of them!
Read the full Bible study and learn how to be a more effective prayer warrior.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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