Years ago an elderly woman in my church shared about how God answered the prayers she wrote in her war room. I can still remember rolling my naive teenage eyes about the idea of prayer being powerful. Nearly two decades later I finally get it.
Prayer is where the real power of Christianity can be harnessed. Today we will talk about powerful war room prayers and how to use them effectively.
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Having a Powerful War Room Strategy for Prayer
My obsession with prayer started in my early twenties. I had lost my 4th pregnancy, been divorced, bankrupt, and was re-married to an alcoholic. There I sat, at the bottom of a pit of despair.
Nothing in my life was going right and honestly, most of that was my fault. I kept making foolish choices that brought painful consequences. To top that off, God had finally convinced me that I couldn’t just ignore Him because Christianity was harder than I signed up for.
At the end of myself, newly re-committed to living for Christ, I found prayer. Prayer was like a lifeline while I was sinking in an emotional ocean, surrounded by hungry sharks. The value of powerful war room prayers can not fully be understood until you are in the thick of the war.
In that season, I learned that God is always listening, always answering and we can always come to Him with whatever we care about.
Why Do We Need Powerful War Room Prayers?
One reason I struggled with the sweet Sister’s testimony as a teenager was that I didn’t understand why we would need such prayers. Powerful war room prayers sounded a bit extra. I didn’t understand that we, as Christians, are at war.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 ESV
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV
To say I understand the Spiritual warfare the Bible describes so mysteriously would be a lie, but it is in the Bible so I believe it is true. I’ve also felt it’s messy fingers reach into my life.
Unexplainable hardship, Irrational conflicts, Indescribable fear, and anxiety have all come into my life at times when I was serving God or walking closely to Him. Prayer is the way through all of those things and more!
Why do we need war room prayers? We are at war. Prayer is our weapon. And let me be clear, if you are not fighting back in the battles, you are losing the war. We need Prayer Warriors willing to stand up and fight.
Related: How to Become a Strong Prayer Warrior and Why
Where Do I Create My War Room?
The question of where to create a war room is natural, but the answer is not cut and paste for everyone. Your life and your space look so different from mine that I can’t very well tell you what will work for you. Instead, I will share what I’ve tried and let you decide what might work for you.
My war room has changed with every season I’ve walked through. The transition looks like this:
- Physical prayer room
- Mobile prayer room
- War room closet
- A prayer garden
- Prayer bucket
When I had room and time (before babies) I had an entire room dedicated to prayer and quiet time.
As space changed and kids came I wrote my prayers in a certain room and took them with me.
At one point we dedicated a closet for prayer. Nowadays I keep my prayer supplies in a bucket in the front room where I have my morning quiet time.
Prayer is not something to be confined to one area during one time of day. Prayer is meant to be continual so make your war room make sense for you with that in mind.
Powerful War Room Prayers
We’ve talked about the what, why, and where of these powerful war room prayers, now let’s cover the how. How do you create powerful war room prayers? I go through a process in my prayer journal of asking questions and letting the answers guide my prayer strategy.
- Who are the people I care about?
- What are my priorities?
- Where has God called me to serve?
- When am I most tempted to sin?
From those questions, I move deeper into each area. Let me share an example.
- Who are the people I care about?
- Bud my husband
- What is he struggling with right now?
- Depression, his job, fear of failure, fear he’ll mess up as a dad, losing his temper.
- Where would I like to see him grow?
- Leadership, reading his bible and prayer, romance.
- What is he struggling with right now?
- My children
- What are they struggling with right now?
- Disrespect, laziness, Amber with reading, fear.
- Where would I like to see them grow?
- A desire to read the Bible and pray, a more teachable heart, obedience from the heart, considering others’ feelings.
- What are they struggling with right now?
- Bud my husband
From those prompts I find Bible verses to pray over each area. I’ll share some below to help get your thoughts stirring about writing your own powerful war room prayers.
Related: What is a Prayer Journal (and How do I Use it?)
War Room Prayers For My Family
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the enemy loves to target families. Yes, he hits me hard in a lot of areas, but one of the quickest ways to hurt me is to hurt my family.
Creating war room prayers for my family is an offensive measure I have learned to apply regularly, whether there is an active attack or not. I pray for love, unity, protection for our family regularly.
Gracious Father, You say that love covers a multitude of sins (1Peter 4:8) and displays You to those around us. Please keep Bud, Makalah, Amber, and me seeking You first (Matthew 6:33) so that our lives overflow with love to each other and to others.
Help us to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving of each other (Ephesians 4:32) showing the bond of unity and love. Teach us to always look to Your love that is deeper, wider, and higher than what we can ever understand (Ephesians 3:18) as an example of how to love each other.
You say a house divided can not stand (Matthew 12:22-28) unite us in You so we can stand for You together. As the enemy seeks ways to divide us or set us against each other, hedge us in before and behind to protect us (Job 1:10). Hide us under Your wings (Psalm 91:1) and stand over us as we humble ourselves before You (1 Peter 5:5).
In all these things I give You the glory. Amen.
War Room Prayers For Your Husband
In the same way that the enemy comes after families to attack us, he goes after your spouse. If there are inexplainable issues in my marriage I assume the enemy is at work.
A word of advice, take time to memorize Ephesians 6:10-19 if you are married. Never in my life have I needed more reminders that the person in front of me is not the enemy than in my marriage! It is too easy to fight my spouse when the enemy is not of flesh or blood!
Offensive prayer is key to heading off many attacks before they ever even begin. A few things I regularly pray for in my marriage are wisdom, discernment, and forgiveness.
Precious Jesus, I surrender my marriage to You today. Help me be a godly wife that glorifies You and honors You above everything else (Proverbs 31). Help me discern between real issues that come up and attacks of the enemy (James 1:5).
Give me strength to resist the temptation of expectations, irritability and selfishness (Phillipians 4:13). Set my priorities to be the things You desire so I stay in Your will (Psalm 37:4). When either of us stray and hurts the other, help us quickly forgive (Matthew 18:21-22). Make us people who repent, forgive and reconcile (Colossians 3:13) so our love grows stronger each day.
Thank You for protecting us and growing us as we journey with you. Amen.
Related: How to Create Prayers for Marriages in Trouble: War Room Prayer Strategy
Additional War Room Scripture
There are other powerful war room prayers I use to stay on the offensive in life. Think of the areas that come under attack most often in your life if you need help finding areas to cover preemptively for your own life.
My identity and my mouth are two areas that come under attack so regularly that over the years I’ve memorized the scriptures I pray over them. Let me share them to help if you also struggle in those areas.
War Room Prayers About My Identity In Christ
The proverbs are filled with Bible verses about our identity in Christ. Proverbs 31 and Proverbs 139 are entire chapters I read and re-read when I can’t remember who I am. Here is a prayer based on Proverbs 139:24.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. Mold me more into Your image this day. Help me never forget Whose I am, Father. Amen
War Room Prayers For Taming My Tongue
I wouldn’t say I am an angry person, but I am easily irritated. When I am not prayed up or when I am out of the Word too long my fuse gets shorter and you can tell by my words. I try to keep this area of my life prayed over in advance.
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need o the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 AMP
Holy Spirit, set a guard over my mouth so that what comes out of it is good for others, is gracious and loving. Keep me from words that hurt others or are needless. Remind me to praise you and pray more than I complain or correct. Amen
Will you be using the powerful War Room Prayers today?
Maybe you are in the midst of the war, drowning in all the theology surrounding prayer when you really just need practical tools.
Or, perhaps you heard someone talking about their powerful war room prayers and were curious about what they were. Either way, I want to challenge you today.
Do you believe you are in the midst of a great Spiritual War?
Have you felt it swarm around you, knocking you down?
Will you pick one area of your life and begin praying strategically over it today? It’s really not hard to get started. Honestly, it’s as easy as 1-2-3 to begin praying powerfully.
- Pick something you are struggling with.
- Find a Bible verse about that thing.
- Write it out as a prayer and commit to pray that prayer regularly.
Not sure you can find a verse or write a prayer? Drop a comment below and I’ll gladly help you get started!
Also, if you need a new prayer journal to keep track of everything, be sure to check out this Daily Prayer & Gratitude Journal.
Will you begin to fight – and win – the battles in your life today? God is for you. He is right there, waiting for you to engage in the battle. Prayer is the way to victory.
