Table of Contents

Your Free Gift

Introduction

Four Weapons of Powerful Prayer

Seven Powerful Prayer Topics

Four Ways God Answers Prayer

Three War Room Prayer Strategies

Nine War Room Prayer Tips

Conclusion

Thanks!

Thank You

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About the Author

Powerful Prayers in the War Room

Learning to Pray like a Powerful Prayer Warrior

By Daniel B. Lancaster

T4T Press

Powerful Prayers in the War Room Copyright © 2015 by T4T Press

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passage in reviews.

Disclaimer

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, or transmitted by email without permission in writing from the publisher.

While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretations of the subject matter herein.

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Any perceived slight of any individual or organization is purely unintentional.

This book is not affiliated with the movie called “War Room” or the book War Room by Chris Fabry.

Your Free Gift

As a way of saying thanks for your purchase, I’m offering a free book that is exclusive to my book readers.

In Training Radical Leaders, you’ll discover 10 Bible studies we used overseas to train missional leaders like Jesus. I pray God will use you to start a discipleship movement wherever He has placed you using this second book in the Follow Jesus Training series.

> > >Tap Here to Grab Training Radical Leaders < < <

Introduction

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray. — Samuel Chadwick

This is a simple book on prayer.

You will learn the most important lessons I’ve gathered about prayer in the last 40 years - principles I wish people had taught me long ago. I’m not as powerful a prayer warrior as I want to be, but the truths I will share with you have helped my prayer life a great deal. The lessons you will learn in this book have helped me, and I believe will help you, too.

For many years, prayer was frustrating and hard for me to do consistently. This was my problem: I wanted to pray, I had been told I should pray, but I didn’t know how to pray. When I tried to pray my mind would wander, I found myself bored, and I felt prayer was a complicated exercise I could never master. Just being honest. Conversations with other believers convinced me I wasn’t the only one feeling that way about prayer. Earnest followers of Jesus shared similar thoughts.

When our family of six moved to Southeast Asia as missionaries, spiritual warfare became a real issue. Having pastored in America, my prayer life had looked like a roller coaster – some highs, but mostly lows, twists, and turns. Working with national believers for twelve years overseas, I was struck with how they prayed powerful prayers and I didn’t. I don’t mean emotional prayers; I mean prayers that were answered in ways that brought glory to God and saw His kingdom advance on the earth.

So, I started a journey of learning how to pray. Although I read many books on prayer, my main strategy was to look in the Bible and see how Jesus prayed and what He prayed about during his ministry. Then, I tried to copy Him in a way that would forge a habit. The rest of the book outlines the helpful gems I learned: the four weapons of prayer, seven powerful prayer topics, four ways God answers prayer, three war room prayer strategies, and nine tips to improve your prayer life.

We need powerful prayer warriors in the war room if our world is going to change. Clearly, most of the problems the church faces today are from a lack of prayer. Use this book to learn how to pray better. Use it to teach your children and grandchildren. God has always used the simple things to confound the wise. My prayer is God would use me and you to change the world one more time. Change, I believe, will only come on our knees.

Four Weapons of Powerful Prayer

When the devil sees a man or woman who really believes in prayer, who knows how to pray, and who really does pray, and, above all, when he sees a whole church on its face before God in prayer, he trembles as much as he ever did, for he knows that his day in that church or community is at an end. – R.A. Torrey

Many people struggle with knowing how to pray. I know I have through the years. They have heard many times they should pray, but never received the tools to do so. They enter the War Room of prayer empty-handed and soon grow discouraged. They find themselves wishing they could pray better and feeling guilty they don’t.

As you enter the War Room, remember Jesus is with you. He is the Great High Priest and knows how to pray perfectly. During his ministry on earth, Jesus showed his disciples how to pray, and he wants to show you how to pray too. Few actions make Jesus happier than when one of his children bow beside him and join him in prayer!

In this section, you will learn four weapons of powerful prayer: praise, repentance, asking, and yielding. Each part is important to a healthy prayer life. If your prayer life is dry or boring, usually the reason is one of the four weapons of prayer is missing. Make each weapon of powerful prayer a habit and watch your prayer life grow.

Praise

The right way to pray is to stretch out our hands and ask of One who we know has the heart of a Father. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Praise is the first weapon in powerful prayer. Each of Jesus’ recorded prayers starts with praise and we should copy Him. Luke 10:21 says:

At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well pleasing in Your sight.” (NASB)

It makes sense for praise to be the first part of prayer. When we begin to pray, we are ushered into the throne room of Almighty God – with the angels and seraphim. Other believers join us before God’s throne. Throughout the Bible, the first response people make in God’s presence is worship.

Why is praise a powerful weapon when we pray?

We were created to love God and people, but because of original sin, we found ourselves in circumstances where we hurt others, and others hurt us. Soon we developed the idea our main task was to guard our heart. We built walls to keep others out. Occasionally, we would let someone in, but doing so terrified us, and we soon found a reason to kick them out.

The result is we have small hearts. In fact, as time passed our hearts grew smaller and smaller.

Praise is an important weapon in the war room of prayer because it makes our hearts bigger – we understand who God is and what He can do.

Praise opens our heart to God. Praise connects us with the Everlasting Father. Praise pulls us out of our little world and gives us the bigger picture of God’s sovereign kingdom.

When I start my prayer with praise, it sounds something like this:

Heavenly Father. I praise you. You are good. You are strong. You are our deliverer. You are the Everlasting One. You set a table before us. You lead us to green pastures. There is none like you. Awesome in all your deeds. Your hand is not too short to save. You have loved us with an everlasting love.

This is an example of a prayer of praise. Practice praising God in prayer until you feel your heart is bigger and you see God in His splendor. Here is the hand motion I use during the “praise” part of prayer.

After you spend time praising God, move to the next weapon of powerful prayer: repentance.

Repent

If you find your life of prayer to be always so short, and so easy, and so spiritual, as to be without cost and strain and sweat to you, you may depend upon it, you have not yet begun to pray. — Alexander Whyte

The second weapon of powerful prayer is repentance. I’ve noticed when I praise God with all my heart, I become more aware of my sin. When I see holy God, I also see my faults. Feelings of inadequacy, fears, struggles, and other difficulties rise from my heart. In fact, I question whether I am praising God with all of my heart if this doesn’t happen!

How do you deal with those negative thoughts and feelings? Jesus shared a parable about two different ways people deal with their sin in Luke 18:9-14:

Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else:

Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there. I go without eating for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn.”

The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, “God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner.”

Then Jesus said, “When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.” (CEV)

Some people don’t deal with their sin when they pray. Instead, they think about their good deeds and the bad deeds of others. Psychologists call this misdirection. The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable hardened his heart by judging others. Throughout the Bible, God cautions He will not listen to a hard-hearted person.

People like the tax collector choose to repent of their sins — owning their faults. Repenting means to admit our sin openly, feel remorse, and turn away from committing it again. This is what the tax collector did, and Jesus said he went home justified – God had heard his prayer. Repenting pleases God and connects us with His heart when we pray.

People are uncomfortable with the idea we will all face a judgment day. We feel like we are barely keeping up with our lives as it is and rationalize that God will overlook our sin. We spurn judgment day because our hearts are stubborn. We don’t want to admit our wrongdoing and come up with flimsy excuses to explain it away. Comparing ourselves with others is how we usually do this. We say, “I’m not like ISIS, or people who riot, or…”

When God brings up the truth of my sin, I have two choices: I can repent or I can harden my heart. Repentance is a powerful prayer weapon in the war room, because our hearts are hard and need to be soft towards God.

When I pray the “repent” part of my prayers, I talk to God saying:

Lord, forgive me for my anger and how I treated my friend yesterday. I was thinking selfishly and pushing my agenda. I hurt her, and I am sorry. I could tell you were displeased and you have convicted me several times since then, but I haven’t cared and have hardened my heart. Please forgive me and help me as I apologize to my friend today. Soften my heart towards you and her. I repent of my sin.

Your prayer will be different, but I wanted to provide an example. Here is an example of the hand motion I use in the repent part of prayer:

After spending time repenting of your sins and softening your heart before God, move to the third weapon of powerful prayer: asking.

Ask

God shapes the world by prayer. The more prayer there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil … — E.M. Bounds

The third powerful prayer weapon is asking. For many people, asking is what they think about when they think of prayer. Jesus said in Luke 11:9:

So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (HCSB)

Keep asking. Keep searching. Keep knocking. Jesus gave us specific commands about how to pray.

Asking is important, but as we have learned, not the only part in powerful prayers. People run into trouble in their prayer lives when they only ask. They start their prayers asking and they finish their prayers asking.

Think about someone who begins their prayer asking and not praising. It’s a bit rude. You have been ushered before the King of the Universe, and your first response is to start asking for blessings. Give me. Give me. I don’t know about you, but that attitude doesn’t seem fitting. Praising God and repenting of our sins puts our hearts at a much better place when we begin to ask God for the help we need.

Having said that, I don’t want you to think that God is stingy and waiting for you to mess up in prayer so he can deny your request. God is not like that at all. Surely the Father who gave his only begotten Son will also give us everything else we need.

Many people wonder if it is OK to ask God for the things they need. With people throughout the world in dire poverty and close to starvation, what gives us the right to ask for what we need? But God is not limited as we are. He wants us to pray for ourselves and others, asking Him like a child asks a loving mother.

The problem is I focus on myself when I pray – I have a selfish heart. I pray against the storms buffeting my life and for success in my life. I live in a fantasy world – a world where God concerns himself with my every whim and no one else’s.

The Spirit speaks to me about how Jesus approached life. He asked God to meet His needs, and He asked God for the needs of others, too. Spending time in prayer with His Father gave Him the heart of a servant.

Rather than being selfish, asking for my dreams and hopes alone, God is looking for me to deny myself and depend on Him. Becoming a servant in prayer heals my selfish heart.

When I pray the “ask” part of my prayers, it sounds something like this:

Holy Father, I know you are the giver of every good and perfect gift. I ask today that you will give my son wisdom in his new job. Fill him with your Spirit. I pray for our friends in Southeast Asia who have little food. Please provide for their needs. Help them face persecution and be a testimony to your power. Lord, would you help with the medical bills we are facing now. Please provide out of your abundance.

Notice the asking part of my prayer includes petitions for others and me. Here is the hand motion I use when asking in prayer:

After spending time asking God for the items you and others need, move to the fourth weapon of powerful prayer: yielding.

Yield

Prayer does not mean that I am to bring God down to my thoughts and my purposes, and bend his government according to my foolish, silly, and sometimes sinful notions. Prayer means that I am to be raised up into feeling, into union and design with him; that I am to enter into his counsel and carry out his purpose fully. — D.L. Moody

The fourth weapon of powerful prayer is yielding. You probably have noticed already the four parts of prayer spell out the word “P.R.A.Y.” A powerful prayer warrior wields all four weapons. I’ve noticed in my prayer life over the years that I’m decent at PRAing, but not as good at “PRAYing.” The problem is, “yielding” is the key to answered prayer, so don’t neglect this important weapon!

With the third weapon of powerful prayer, we asked God for what we needed. In the fourth part, God asks us to do something He wishes. I think we enter fully into prayer when we are willing to hear and obey God’s will. Jesus gave us an example of yielding to follow in Luke 22:42:

Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me – nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done. (HCSB)

When God sees a person surrendered to His will, He know he can bless that person and opens the floodgates of heaven. Interestingly, prayer warriors from the past have said yielding should be the starting place in prayer – a heart yielded and obedient to God.

Which brings us to today, right now. We praise God and he opens our small heart and makes it bigger. We repent and God replaces our stubborn, hard heart with a soft one. We ask and God gives us a servant’s heart when we pray for our needs and the needs of others.

Why is yielding an important weapon of powerful prayer?

My heart is self-sufficient, so I tend to approach life believing I can pick myself up by the bootstraps. If I just learn enough, work hard enough, love well enough, or am perfect enough, everything is going to turn out. I am the captain of my soul and can choose whatever I like.

But that’s not how Jesus walked. His plan was to look where God was working and join Him there. He knew God loved Him and would show Him. He was God-dependent, not self-sufficient.

I have two choices: God’s way or my way. When I depend on myself, I worry, when I depend on God I find confidence. When I yield to God, I love Him and others easier. Suddenly, my poor self-image gives way to genuine self-worth.

I use this hand motion during the yield part of my war room prayers:

When I pray the “yield” part of my prayers, they sound something like this:

Heavenly Father, I yield to you. What you say I will do. Where you say to go, I will go. What do you want me to do today? (Pause to listen) What do you want me to say today? (Pause to listen). I am your servant. Lead me and I will follow. (Pause to listen) I submit to your agenda and not mine. What is Your Will for my life today? (Pause to listen) Yes, I will do it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Four simple weapons of prayer that make all the difference — based on how Jesus prayed or what He taught about prayer. Don’t let the simplicity of following Jesus cause you to stumble or not practice the four weapons of powerful prayer. I have found that Jesus makes the complex simple. People tend to make the simple complex.

Next, we turn to a practical way to pray through the Lord’s Prayer in the War Room.

Seven Powerful Prayer Topics

Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees. — William Cowper

In the last section, I talked about four weapons of powerful prayer: praise, repent, ask, and yield. In this section, we look at how to pray the Lord’s Prayer in the War Room. You will notice, as we work through the Lord’s Prayer, the four parts of powerful prayer are present.

The Lord’s Prayer is found in Matthew 6:9-13:

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts [trespasses], as we also have forgiven our debtors [those who trespass against us]. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’] (NASB)

Jesus taught the disciples to pray through seven topics. We will look at each of those topics, one-by-one, and I want to give you some pointers on how to use the Lord’s Prayer as a powerful weapon against Satan.

Before we look at the topics, though, I want you to know I usually pray through the whole prayer one time before I spend time on each topic. Doing so prepares my heart and mind in prayer. I’ve noticed after doing this for many years that my spirit snaps to attention and is ready to pray when I say the whole prayer first.

You should know too that I believe the Lord used this prayer in my life to further His kingdom in the country where we were living after a family crisis forced us to move to neighboring Thailand. Although we no longer lived in that particular country, and I could only travel into the country once a month, discipleship groups and churches continued to spring up everywhere. A contributing factor, I believe, was the special grace God gave me to pray through the Lord’s Prayer topically every day for almost a year.

So, let’s look at each of the prayer topics Jesus gave us in the Lord’s Prayer.

Worship

Time spent in prayer is never wasted time. — Francis Fenelon

The first topic in prayer is worship. We pray, “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” Not surprisingly, we start our prayer time praising God.

God is the Creator and the most-high God. Worship is the true response for someone who has come before the living God.

As you praise God, many times you will find yourself moving into thanksgiving too. Praise and thanksgiving bless the Lord. I’ve noticed it is not unusual for me to move back and forth between praise to thanksgiving several times.

Worship God yourself and stand in His presence for others who don’t know God yet. Intercede on their behalf. Maybe you have a friend who isn’t following Jesus. You bow in prayer before God and say something like, “Lord, I stand before you in behalf of my friend and worship you. You are worthy to be praised. I pray for the day when my friend will join me in worshipping before Your throne.”

I talked about hand motions earlier, and in this part of prayer I raise my hands in worship to the Lord. In faith, I also raise my hands for family and friends, the community, and the nation. I pray and look forward to the day that every knee will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord.

Salvation for Others

In the conflict between Satan and the Believer, God’s child can conquer EVERYTHING by prayer. Is it any wonder that Satan does his utmost to snatch that weapon from the Christian, or to hinder him in the use of it? — Andrew Murray

The second topic in prayer is praying that unbelievers will place their trust in Christ. We pray, “Your kingdom come.” God’s kingdom comes to this earth as people leave the kingdom of darkness and enter the kingdom of light at salvation.

As you pray, ask God to save five people you know who are not believers. We know that God wants people to receive salvation, so you can know you are praying God’s will when you ask for their salvation. I heard someone say one time that “the reason we don’t talk to people about God is we don’t talk to God about people.” As each of your five people receive the gift of salvation in Jesus, replace them on the list, and continue to ask God to increase His kingdom.

Pray aloud with your hands cupped to receive God’s blessing. Pray for unreached people groups throughout the world. Pray that God’s kingdom will come to them and they will receive salvation. Pray for people where you work. Pray for students at your children or grandchildren’s school. Ask God to give you five people to pray into his Kingdom – may His kingdom come!

Obeying God’s Word

The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. —Charles Stanley

The third topic in prayer is obeying God’s word. We pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Obeying God’s word brings life. Not following His word brings death. Many times, we find ourselves in a bad place because we are not obeying what God has told us to do.

During this topic of prayer, we search our hearts and confess any time we have not obeyed God’s word. Pray for the strength to follow his word whatever the cost. As God convicts your heart about times you haven’t followed His will, be sure to repent and ask forgiveness.

Pray aloud with your hands in the classic praying hands pose above your head. Doing so will remind you to surrender your life to God’s will. Focus your heart’s desire on God’s word performing all that God has sent it to do on earth.

Pray that your family and friends will also follow God’s word and will faithfully. Pray they will find the wonderful treasure of God’s word in their life. Ask God to give them a need for His word, even if they aren’t believers yet. God will hear your prayer and answer it for the other person.

Daily Needs

I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk about, when I lie down and when I rise up. And the answers are always coming. Thousands and tens of thousands of times have my prayers been answered. When once I am persuaded that a thing is right and for the glory of God, I go on praying for it until the answer comes. George Mueller never gives up! — George Mueller

The fourth powerful prayer topic is our daily needs. We pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” God cares about our needs and wants to meet them. He wants us to talk to him about them so he can guide us and provide what we need.

During this topic of prayer, we ask God for what we need unashamedly. We know that he is the provider of every good and perfect gift. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and we need his help in our lives. If God gave us His Son freely, how much more will He give us everything else we need!

Pray aloud with your hands cupped to receive God’s blessing. Pray for your needs and the needs of others. There is special joy when you see God answer your prayer for the needs of another. So, pray for the spiritual, emotional, social, and physical needs of your friends and your enemies.

Forgiveness

The Prince of the power of the air seems to bend all the force of his attack against the spirit of prayer. — Andrew Bonar

The fifth topic in prayer is forgiveness. We pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Everyone needs forgiveness. In a fallen world, all of us wrong God and other people. Without forgiveness, our sins would continue to mount and we would have no hope of freedom. Forgiveness, therefore, is an essential topic in prayer.

Jesus taught the disciples their willingness to forgive others had a direct effect on God’s willingness to forgive them. When we pray for forgiveness, we think of everyone who has wronged us whom we have not forgiven. When we have our list, we forgive them. Then, we ask God to forgive our own list of sins. Unforgiveness leads to bitterness which leads to bondage.

Pray with your hands crossed, pushed away to the side, and head turned away as if you are turning away from your sin. As times you have been hurt by others surface, forgive those who hurt you, and then ask God to forgive you of your sin. At first, you may have a long list of sins you have not forgiven others for, but as you make forgiveness a habit in your prayer life, the list will grow shorter. As the list grows shorter, your freedom and healing in Christ will deepen.

Temptation

Prayer delights God’s ear; it melts His heart; and opens His hand. God cannot deny a praying soul. — Thomas Watson

The sixth topic in prayer is temptation. We pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Satan roams the earth as a roaring lion, seeking anyone he can devour. He most often devours people by tempting them to sin and watching with satisfaction when they fall.

Satan tempts some people with glory, so they want people to focus on them and their accomplishments. Satan tempts others with gold, so they want to control as much money as possible, thinking this will give them security. Satan tempts some people with guys or gals, so they spend time fantasizing about the opposite sex. Finally, Satan tempts others with gadgets, so they obsess over the latest technology, resulting in a cluttered rather than simple life.

Whatever the temptation, during this prayer topic, ask God to lead you away from temptation and deliver you from evil. Pray silently with your hands crossed, pushed away to the side, and head turned away as if you are turning away from your sin. You may also find yourself at times with your hands cupped and raised upward, begging God for His protection and power against Satan’s evil schemes.

Surrender

When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don’t, they don’t. — William Temple

The seventh topic in prayer is surrender. We pray, “For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” We confess that our compass is set on God’s kingdom; we rely on His power, and seek His glory forever.

We surrender to God and seek His kingdom first, knowing He will give us everything we need and more. We surrender to God and depend on His power, knowing that without Him we can do nothing. We surrender to God and want Him to be glorified, knowing that is the reason He created us.

During the surrender topic of prayer, concentrate on surrendering everything to God. Not building your own kingdom, but seeking and serving his kingdom alone. Not depending on your power, but resting in the power of the Holy Spirit. Not seeking reputation and status, but pursuing His glory now and forever.

Pray silently with your hands raised in a classic praying hands pose above your head. This physical act of worship will give you spiritual muscle memory. God will use this simple act to remind you of your need to surrender during your daily activities.

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Jesus gave us seven specific topics to pray through each day. Wherever you find yourself, you can take time to pray and connect with God using the Lord’s Prayer. When I was a young Christian, I was excited about the Lord’s Prayer and prayed it often. As time went on, praying just the words of the Lord’s Prayer became an empty ritual for me. Then, I learned that Jesus had given us topics to pray, and my prayer life has never been the same.

Now, let’s talk about the four ways God answers prayers – probably one of the most helpful things I am going to share with you.

Four Ways God Answers Prayer

He who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy and happy life. — William Law

Prayer can be frustrating, especially if you feel like God isn’t listening. Too many times, I have felt like my prayers were bouncing off the ceiling, if they were even getting that high. Prayer is hard enough and thinking it doesn’t make a difference makes it almost impossible. Hope you haven’t faced my experience, but I know from being a pastor and missionary that many people do.

You should know God always answers our prayers, often we just don’t want to hear His answer. Sometimes we know what He has said and can’t believe He would say what He did. Other times we don’t like His answer. I have found myself wondering at points if it was God or my imagination. Since prayer is a conversation, nothing can hurt the war room more than garbled communication with the High Command.

In this chapter, we will explore how God answers prayer. I wish someone had taught me “How God answers prayer” early in my Christian life. It would have saved a lot of heartache and questioning the love of God. Sometimes I would go weeks without talking to God because I didn’t understand what He had said and why. This section will help you not make the same mistake.

I originally heard these four answers in a sermon by Bill Hybels, pastor of Willowcreek Church. In the sermon, Bill gave credit to someone else. Unfortunately, I heard the sermon about twenty-five years ago and have been unable to source the outline after so long. If you read this chapter and know who first shared these truths, please email me so I can give proper credit.

So, let’s look at the four ways that God answers prayer.

No

When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles, when he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devils shouts for joy. — Corrie Ten Boom

Let’s get the hardest answer out of the way first. Sometimes God says “no” when we ask Him for something in prayer. Jesus gave us an example of this in Matthew 20:20-22:

Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. “What is your request?” he asked. She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” (NLT)

The mother of James and John asked Jesus to give her sons the most privileged positions in Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus tells her she doesn’t know what she is asking. Then He asks James and John if they are ready to suffer as He is. Of course, they say yes. Of course, they have no idea what they are talking about.

It’s obvious that pride and power motivated the mother of James and John. The other disciples didn’t take her request well. Before we are too hard on her, though, we should remember times we have asked God for something with selfish motives. Let’s be honest with ourselves and confess we would have asked Jesus for something like she did, given the opportunity.

This story gives us an important insight into prayer – God says “no” when we ask for something with the wrong motives. God does not answer selfish prayers based on our whims and not our real needs. We do mental gymnastics to prove that our prayer is not selfish. But if you hear God say “no” it is because you have asked for something to please your flesh.

God says “no” when something we ask is outside His will, as well. Jesus told them the Father alone would decide who would sit at Jesus’ right and left hand. It’s important to remember that God’s will for you is the best plan for your life. Though it can be difficult to hear “no,” rest in the fact that God has your best interest in mind and continue the conversation.

Slow

We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties. — Oswald Chambers

If you are like me, sometimes you have asked God for something and He didn’t say “no.” Instead, He said “wait” or “slow.” I’m not sure which is harder, hearing “no,” or hearing “slow.” Jesus showed us the reason God sometimes says “slow” in John 11:11-15:

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Jesus knew that Lazarus was sick, and he could have arrived much earlier and healed him. However, Jesus waited until Lazarus had passed away before going to his home. Mary ran to Jesus as he approached crying, “If only you had been here! Lazarus would not have died.”

Life is full of moments like Mary and Martha experienced. If only Jesus had been here! She wouldn’t have gotten cancer, or he wouldn’t have broken up with me, or we wouldn’t have fallen into financial ruin. In times like these, it feels like God moves far too slowly.

Why did Jesus wait to go to the house of Lazarus? Because He knew the resurrection of Lazarus would bring people closer to God. Mary and Martha thought God didn’t care about them, but the truth was Jesus wanted to bring them and others closer to the God who cares very much.

Jesus knew it would strengthen their faith and bring greater glory to God when Lazarus rose from the grave. Waiting on the answer to a prayer allows us the opportunity to bring greater glory to God in our lives.

Grow

To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees. — Billy Graham

Other times, God answers our prayers saying we need to “grow.” We aren’t spiritually mature enough to handle what we have asked Him for in our lives. James and John give a good example of the need to grow in Luke 9:51-56:

As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. But the people of the village did not want Jesus to stay there. When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. So they went on to another village. (NLT)

When the Samaritan village did not welcome Jesus, James and John wanted Him to destroy the entire village with fire. The disciples did not understand Jesus’ mission – He came to save people, not to destroy them. The disciples had some growing up to do!

Here’s a slightly apocryphal story that shows the need to grow.

One afternoon, my daughter brought a wedding magazine to me and said,

“Look dad, this is the wedding dress I’m going to wear when I get married.”

“It looks beautiful,” I said.

She flipped a few pages over and said,

“And this is the suit my husband is going to wear!”

I smiled and said, “He will look so handsome.”

She turned a few more pages and exclaimed,

“Look at this beautiful cake. I’m going to have one just like this.”

“It is amazing,” I said.

“I just can’t wait,” she said.

“You’re going to have to wait,” I said, “You’re only twelve years old!”

Sometimes we aren’t ready for what we are asking God to give us. He is a loving Father and grants our prayers when we can handle them.

Go

I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach. — Charles Spurgeon

The best times in the war room of prayer are when God answers “yes” or “go!” John 15:7 gives the conditions for answers to prayer:

But if you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! (NLT)

When we follow Jesus and live by His words, we can ask God for what we need and be confident He will give them. God says, “Yes! Go! You can have it!” In the next chapter, we will talk about praying scripture as a war room tactic.

You should know that God wants to say “Yes” more than we believe. I won’t be surprised when we get to heaven if we find storerooms of blessings God wanted to give us in this life. He didn’t give them to us because we never asked. Be a believer who asks God to do impossible.

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We trained 5,000 people while we were overseas as missionaries. Christians would attend our trainings, but sometimes Buddhists came to learn about Christianity. This lesson – how God answers either no, slow, grow, or go – was always the favorite of the Buddhist attenders. They were excited to hear that the Christian God actually answered prayers and would surround me asking questions after the session. Praying to their idols had not given them this assurance.

My prayer is this section has helped you understand how and why God has answered your prayers in the past. I have counseled many believers over the years who have given up on prayer because they did not understand God’s answer. If you are one of them, start praying again! Start believing again! Your best days in the war room are yet to come.

I have mentioned our time as missionaries in Southeast Asia several times and you may be wondering how we applied prayer and the war room when we were overseas. We turn to that subject in the next chapter.

Three War Room Prayer Strategies

In this chapter, I want to share three war room prayer strategies that missionaries are using all over the world to further the Kingdom of God. Prayer changes lives and these strategies take prayer “to the streets.” As you gain confidence in prayer and your faith grows, let me encourage you to find a prayer partner and practice the three war room strategies of prayer evangelism, prayer discipleship, and prayer-walking. I earnestly believe the battle against Satan is won by prayer, and these strategies will give you victory on the spiritual battlefield.

Prayer Evangelism

One strategy for defeating Satan that missionaries employ is prayer evangelism. I like this approach to evangelism because it depends on God’s power and shows unbelievers how to do the same. Prayer evangelism is also non-confrontational, so any believer (extrovert or introvert) can use this strategy.

Basically, you approach a person and start a conversation. If you have a sense that God is moving in their life, ask them if you can pray for them. People will share someone they know who is sick, or has a money problem, or is in bondage to Satan in some way.

Thank them for sharing their prayer request and pray for them. Call on the name of the Lord Jesus to answer their need. Thank God for His love for the person and their family. At the end of your prayer, say a special prayer of blessing over the person who shared the prayer request.

Before you end the conversation, ask them to tell you in the future when God answers their prayer. Write down the prayer request and continue to pray that God will answer. The next time you see the person, ask them how they are doing and give them an opportunity to share whether God has answered their prayer yet.

What you will find many times is God answers the prayer, and this creates spiritual interest. They may share another prayer request with you. Pray for them again and continue the spiritual conversation.

As God opens the door, share the gospel with them and how they can pray to God and He will answer them, too.

This approach has works well in areas where confrontational evangelism has been overused and unbelievers have hardened their hearts. It also works well in places where people know little about God. A power encounter with the Living God shakes their confidence in their handmade gods. They begin to ask questions and seek the God who answered their prayers.

If you have family members who are not following Jesus, I encourage you to ask them how you can pray for them. Pray for their request and end the time saying a blessing prayer over them. Hard hearts often open to a personal, loving Heavenly Father who wants to talk to His children.

Prayer Discipleship

If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me. — Robert Murray McCheyne

Prayer discipleship is another strategy used by missionaries to defeat Satan and his schemes. The benefit of prayer discipleship is believers learn how to pray and deepen their obedience to God’s word at the same time.

The key to this approach is using God’s Word in prayer. Prayer discipleship teaches disciples how to pray to God using the words of God, especially the Psalms. Jesus promised if we prayed according to the will of God, we would have whatever we asked for. Praying the words of God helps us learn the will of God.

How do you pray using the Word of God?

Here is an example taken from the first part of Psalm 86. First, read a verse, or part of a verse, aloud. Then, use God’s word to pray to God, as the Spirit prompts you.

1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. (NIV)

You might pray something like this:

Father, I come to you in Jesus Name. I know I am poor and needy, but you have brought me near by the blood of Jesus. Hear me Father. Answer my prayer.

I feel like my spiritual life is poor and needy. Everywhere I turn, I feel downcast, and need your help, Oh God.

I also come to you on behalf of my brothers and sisters in Southeast Asia. Many of them are close to starving and don’t have the basics of life. Here my prayer, Oh Lord, on their behalf. Answer me, God, for your Name’s sake and to show your love to your children in Southeast Asia.

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2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you.

Using this verse as a prayer prompt, you might pray to God like this:

You alone God are strong enough to guard my life. You are strong and mighty. By your grace, help me be faithful to you. Save me, Father, from the work of the evil one. I trust in you.

You are trustworthy, Oh God. From everlasting to everlasting, you have always kept your word. I trust in you. You are my light and my strong salvation.

You are our salvation. You alone are the hope of salvation for this world. So, Father, guard us, save us, help us, we look to you and you alone.

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3 You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long.

A prayer based on verse 3 might sound like:

You are my God. You are the true God. Lord, I repent of the times I have chased idols and not placed you first in my heart. So many times I have gone my own way and not listened to your still, quiet voice. Forgive, loving Father, and have mercy on me.

Give me a heart that calls to you all day. Give me a prayer warrior’s heart to pray for my city, country, and the nations. Let your praise and prayer be continually on my mind and on my lips. May your Spirit give me strength and encouragement to press forward, even in times when I fail and am cast down.

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From this short example, you can see how using the Word of God to talk to God will deepen your walk with God. This method allows you to internalize and apply God’s Word faster than typical Bible study. As you work through Psalms, your prayer life will be fresh and you will cover the important topics of a surrendered spiritual life.

Prayer Walking

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. — Brother Lawrence

The last war room prayer strategy in this section is prayer-walking. Prayer-walking is simply walking through a community and praying for the needs you see. I strongly recommend using this strategy if you are going on a short-term mission trip, starting a new church, or working with other believers in an area known to be a demonic stronghold.

When we were starting our second church in America, our team prayer-walked the neighborhoods in the area. As we walked and prayed, we asked God to provide a drummer for our worship band. We shouldn’t have been surprised when a young couple came to our first service and he was an excellent drummer. God opened many doors in the community for the gospel. Most open doors could be traced to prayer-walks we did before and after starting the church.

My wife’s father and mother visited us in the oppressed country where we were living in Southeast Asia. They prayer-walked with us. We visited a town known for its demonic strongholds and spent time at the local temple prayer-walking. Within a year, God had brought revival to that city, several churches were planted, and local Christians united in prayer and worship like never before. We believe that our prayer-walks and the prayer-walks of others made a significant spiritual impact.

So, how do you prayer-walk?

Prepare yourself beforehand by confessing any known sins, pleading the blood of Jesus over your life, and intentionally imagining putting on each piece of armor Paul describes in Ephesians 6.

I suggest going with a partner – that way you can agree together on the items you pray. Jesus said when two agree about anything on earth, their prayer will be answered in heaven. Ask God to show you what He wants you to pray about as you walk through the community or around the spiritual stronghold.

What does God see when He looks at these people? What does God feel? Let those thoughts lead your prayer time.

Pray aloud unless doing so would make you appear crazy to those around you.

Pray for the people you see. Pray for places promoting Satan’s agenda. Pray for places of healing and salvation to grow and flourish. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and show you where to turn as you come to each intersection.

Prepare scripture cards beforehand that you can pray as you walk with your partner. Ask God to bless the people and places you see. Ask to pray for people you meet, as the Lord leads.

Explain what you are doing to people who ask. Say something like, “We’re praying God’s blessing on the neighborhood. How can we pray for you, your family, or friends?”

Last, plan to prayer-walk the area again. Be persistent in your prayers. God will answer. Don’t be surprised to discover you alone are praying for some people in that neighborhood.

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Prayer evangelism, prayer discipleship, and prayer-walking are three strategies missionaries use to penetrate the darkness. God is blessing these strategies throughout the world and in America, as well. If you find yourself in a community besieged by the Evil One, gather believers in your war room and fight the spiritual forces of wickedness together. Nothing sets Satan’s plans back quicker than brothers and sisters in Christ coming together in unity and calling down strongholds in the name of Jesus.

In the next chapter, I’ll share nine tips to increase the power of your prayers in the war room.

Nine War Room Prayer Tips

This section outlines nine prayer tips I have used through the years to rejuvenate my prayer life. I hope they help you as much as they have helped me.

Listen more than you talk when you pray

Prayer is a conversation, so you should not only speak but listen for God’s voice. If you were talking to a friend who wouldn’t let you get a word in edgewise, what would you do the next time you saw that friend? You probably would be hesitant to strike up a conversation! The good news is God never hesitates to talk with us, but I think it must be difficult for Him sometimes to do all the listening! Try to listen more than you talk when you pray.

Write out your prayers in a journal

I have found this especially helpful if I’m amid a big crisis and having trouble focusing when I pray. Writing my prayers down helps me concentrate, but also gives tangible evidence of my conversation with God. It also slows my thoughts and allows me to hear God’s voice more clearly. Over time, you will develop your own prayer book composed of prayers you have written down and found effective.

Use hand motions when you pray

Hand motions help me remember what part of my prayer I am doing. You probably aren’t surprised to hear your mind can wander while you are praying. With hand motions, you have a reminder that helps you get back on track. Hand motions also give me spiritual “muscle memory.” After many years of praying this way, I notice now that I automatically enter a spirit of repentance when I use that hand motion.

For example, when you are in the “praise” part of prayer, lift your hands to the Lord. When you are in the “repent” part, place your hands with your palms down and turn your face away as if you are looking away from your sin. When you are in the “ask” part, cup your hands as if you are receiving a gift. Put your hands in the classic prayer pose and place them on your forehead for the “yield” part.

Whether you write down your prayers or use hand motions, remember to include each of the four parts of powerful prayer when you are in the War Room. God will strengthen you and give you victory as you pray. Jesus will be with you, guiding you, as He has so many saints before.

Start your time in prayer saying the entire Lord’s Prayer

Praying the Lord’s Prayer from start to finish primes the pump and places me in an atmosphere of prayer. Farmers used to save a cup of water to pour back into their hand water pump at a future time. If they didn’t add a little water to prime the pump, it took several cranks to get the water to surface. If the farmer poured just a little water into the pump, after a few cranks, water gushed out. Saying all the Lord’s Prayer before you go through the seven topics is like the farmer priming the pump with a little water.

Pray in concentric circles of concern

After praying the Lord’s Prayer topically for several months, I noticed my prayers started to get repetitive. The Spirit of God led me into praying in widening circles of concern at that point. The first circle was my family, then my extended family, followed by friends, neighborhood, city, state, nation, and finally the world. I have noticed that praying for groups of people, rather than individuals alone, has been much more effective for me. We in the West are far too individualistic and lonely as a result. Praying for groups causes us to engage with the community and kingdom Jesus is bringing to this earth.

Sometimes I pray through each of the concentric circles of concern for each prayer topic. Other times, I pray through the Lord’s Prayer topics for one circle of concern, rinse, and repeat with the next circle of concern. As God leads, this makes praying for long extended times easy. I never could imagine how people could pray for an hour, but I now know it isn’t difficult if you follow the plan I mentioned above.

Pray aloud

As you are praying the Lord’s Prayer in the war room, I want to encourage you to pray aloud. I understand God knows everything, even before you say it, but conversations don’t occur through mind reading. God talked to Adam and Eve in the garden, they didn’t communicate through ESP. Jesus talked to people and they talked to him, too. Pray aloud and see if it doesn’t help you stay focused and connected with God more.

Create a quiet, worshipful place to pray

Find a place that you can go every day and you don’t have to prepare for prayer once you arrive. Some people section off part of their office, or use a closet, or an outdoor room as their war room. Churches dedicate a room for prayer. Sometimes believers find a place in a park or the forest works best. The main point is to decide on a place where you easily connect with God and your soul knows it is time to pray when you arrive there.

Pray with a friend, as much as possible

The Bible says that one can put a thousand to flight, but two can put ten thousand running. I have seen this principle at work in my life countless times through the years. Praying with a friend deepens your relationship with them and with God. When you don’t feel like praying, they do. When they don’t, you do. God will strengthen your prayer life when you find a friend you can pray with regularly.

Make a habit of writing down the date and your prayer request

As God answers your prayers (which He will), write down the date answered to the right of the prayer request. George Mueller kept several notebooks of prayer requests this way. Sometimes, his prayer would be answered before lunch time. You can imagine how those recorded answers built his faith, and will build yours too. If your request is important enough to talk to God about, why not write it down, record the date you asked, and the day your prayer is answered? Then, on those down days everyone has, take out your journal and spend time thanking God and rejoicing over the answered prayers you have recorded.

Conclusion

O, let the place of secret prayer become to me the most beloved spot on earth. — Andrew Murray

You have learned some important lessons in this simple book on prayer.

First, we talked about the four keys to powerful prayer: praise, repentance, asking, and yielding. Healthy spiritual growth comes from all four of these working together. Take one away and your spiritual life will begin to falter. Most problems in my prayer life have come when I ignored or forgot one of these areas. I recommended you use hand motions to remember these four parts of prayer and help focus your prayer time.

Second, you learned how to pray through the Lord’s Prayer using the seven topics of prayer Jesus gave his disciples. The seven key topics for prayer: worship and adoration, salvation for others, obeying God’s Word, our daily needs, forgiveness, overcoming temptation, and surrender to God’s will. Saying the Lord’s Prayer through one time “primes the pump” and causes spiritual muscle memory. Then, pray through each prayer topic in concentric circles of concern: family, friends, neighborhood, city, country, and the world. This is especially helpful if God calls you to extended times of prayer.

Third, I shared with you the four ways that God answers prayer. Sometimes He says “no” because our motives are not right and we are asking for the wrong thing. Other times He says “slow” because waiting will cause people to glorify God and be a testimony. Sometimes God says “grow” because we ask for something we don’t have the spiritual, physical, or emotional maturity to handle. He doesn’t say “no” but encourages us to continue “growing” in Christ before we receive our petition. When we pray according to God’s will and Word, He says “go” (yes, you can have it). What joy to pray for God’s best for ourselves and others and then see Him grant our request!

Fourth, we looked at three prayer strategies that missionaries are using all over the world to engage Satan in spiritual warfare and defeat him. Walking from house-to-house or conversation-to-conversation asking people how we can pray for them and their family is prayer evangelism. As God answers our prayers, the people we pray for become more receptive to talking about spiritual matters. God opens a door to share the gospel by showing unbelievers that He cares about them first.

Prayer discipleship combines praying and reading God’s Word to strengthen our prayers and faith at the same time. Teaching believers to pray in this way helps them experience God’s word and learn how to abide in Jesus. Prayer discipleship plants seeds for future growth and gives strong weapons to fight the fiery darts of the evil one. Encourage disciples to apply God’s Word to their lives and learn God’s heart for the nations by praying scripture together. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Stronger faith causes stronger prayers and more frequent answers.

Prayer-walking takes everything a prayer warrior has learned in the war room to the streets. Multitudes live in places of despair with no hope. By God’s grace, prayer-walking brings light and the power of God to those places. We pray onsite with insight. We are more than conquerors through Jesus, so we help others come to the Prince of Peace and break Satan’s bondage. We don’t struggle against flesh and blood, but war against spiritual principalities in high places. Prayer-walking places us in the heat of the battle.

Last, I shared nine tips to empower your prayer life in the war room. Employing the nine tips will develop your prayer life into a powerful habit. These tips are born of my own successes and failures as a prayer warrior. A wise person learns from the mistakes of others!

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My prayer is that you will take what you have learned and enter the war room with confidence, boldly coming before the throne of God. May God fill you with His Spirit and give you great courage as you fight against the rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness. May He protect you and cover you with His presence. May He give you a hunger to pray like never before and send other prayer warriors to stand with you in this great struggle! May God raise up millions of prayer warriors all over the world to fight the good fight. May His glory fill the earth and bring revival to every land, every people, until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and King. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

Thanks!

I want to thank you taking the time to check out my book. I know that your time is precious, so I appreciate that you chose to spend a few hours with my content.

As a way showing “thanks,” I want to tell you about another free offer. Over a twelve-year period as missionaries in Southeast Asia, we developed a multiplying discipleship training system that resulted in 1,200 new discipleship groups and 200 new churches. We have translated these materials into 25 languages, so no matter where your next mission trip is scheduled, we probably have the language your students will be speaking.

These translations are yours… completely for free… with no opt-in required. Simply tap this link and you will go to a page where you can download them right now:

TAP HERE TO DOWNLOAD “MAKING RADICAL DISCIPLES” IN 25 LANGUAGES

Thank You

Before you go, I’d like to say “thank you” again for purchasing this prayer guide.

I know you could have picked from dozens of books on prayer, but you took a chance with mine.

So a big thanks for downloading this book and reading all the way to the end.

Now I’d like ask for a *small* favor. Could you please take a minute or two and leave a review for this book on Amazon?

This feedback will help me continue to write the kind of Kindle books that help people grow in their relationship with Jesus. And if you loved it, then please let me know :-)

More Books by Dan Lancaster

Making Radical Disciples: Multiply Disciples Making Disciples in a Discipleship Movement Using Ten Radical Discipleship Lessons

Training Radical Leaders: Christ-Centered Missional Leadership Formation Using Ten Leadership Bible Studies

Simple Church Planting: Start a House Church like Jesus Using 10 Church Planting Movement Bible Studies

Follow Jesus Bible Study for Kids: Teaching the Bible to Children Using Nineteen Jesus-Centered Bible Studies

Formando Discípulos Radicales

Entrenando Lideres Radicales

Ausbildung Entschiedener Nachfolger

How to Write Faster and Publish on Kindle: Write Better Faster and Publish Your Book on Amazon Using a Step-by-Step Book Writing Outline

Outlining a Book Made Easy: How to Outline Your Book Quickly and Write Faster Using 15 Book Writing Outline Templates

About the Author

Daniel B. Lancaster PhD enjoys training others to become passionate, spiritual followers of Christ. He has planted two churches in America, coached church planters, and trained over 5,000 people in Southeast Asia. He is currently Assistant Vice-President for University Ministries at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He and his wife live in Jackson and have four grown children.

Dan is available for speaking and coaching engagements. Contact him at  lanfam@followjesustraining.com  if you are interested in him speaking to your group.