Warfare Praying: Biblical Strategies for Overcoming the Adversary | Book Review
Prayer is something where it is easy to get into a rut. Impossible situations come into one’s life that don’t seem to be moved by prayer. It is easy to become discouraged.
I have been confronted by several immovables and sensed the Lord wanted me to gain a fresh perspective on prayer. Then I had the opportunity to review this book. It was exactly what I needed!
Mark Bubeck’s book is divided into four parts:
- The Supremacy of Christ
- The Work of the Holy Spirit
- The Whole Armor of God
- The Weapon of Prayer
Each chapter presents powerful and fresh teaching to challenge the reader to go deeper in Bible study, to move deeper into relationship with the Lord Jesus, and to dive deeper into genuine heartfelt prayer that shakes the darkness and paves the way for Christ to draw individuals into a true relationship with Himself.
The Supremacy of Christ
The Work of the Holy Spirit
The Whole Armor of God
The Weapon of Prayer
Warfare Prayer
Bubeck models prayer for us. Included in the book are prayers of victory, of surrender to God’s sovereign plan, for claiming our union with Christ, and for being filled with the Spirit (this is not about speaking in tongues).
Also included are a series of prayers dealing with putting on the armor of Christ – including the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, taking up the shield and the sword.
Praying in the Spirit
There are times when though you have faithfully prayed for years, there is a block that refuses to be moved. Paul taught the Holy Spirit helps us when we don’t know what to pray for, interceding with “wordless groans” (Rom 8:26-27). While it is wonderful to know the Spirit is praying, I longed to be able to pray more effectively. As I read, I gained new insight on praying in the Spirit.
It is especially important to learn “to pray in harmony with the Holy Spirit”, being led by Him, so we pray according to His will. As we learn to pray in the Spirit, it moves us out of soulish prayers, into the realm of the spirit, where united with the Holy Spirit – we also pray in harmony with the truth of God’s Word.
Praying Scripture
Years ago, I read Bubeck’s book, The Adversary, on spiritual warfare. Through him, I learned the importance of praying Scripture, especially when under assault by the enemy.
In Warfare Praying, he also challenges us to pray Scriptures, so we come into accordance with the will of the Heavenly Father, and allow “the Holy Spirit to sovereignly oversee the words of [our] prayer.” (Pg 177).
It was encouraging to see this book went deep into the topic of prayer, focusing on the truth of Scriptures, and the importance of memorization of the Word. Bubeck shared some personal experiences as a minister of Christ, that helped to explain the struggle of an effective prayer life in a compassionate and realistic way.
If you feel the gates of heaven are closed when you pray, it is time to engage in “doctrinal prayer – praying the truth of God’s Word back to Him” (Pg 178). The Word is powerful; learning to pray the Word will bring hope into the most hopeless situation. It will enable you to take an invincible stance in the truth of your identity in Christ and the truth of the complete victory of Christ over all principalities and powers.
Grow in Christ
If you desire to grow in your prayer life and to delve deeper into the actual experience of effective prayer birthed out of relationship with the Lord, this is an excellent tool.
On November 6, 2017, Mark Bubeck went home to be with his beloved Lord. He has left us a powerful legacy in this book on warfare prayer. I encourage you to take the opportunity to obtain a copy for yourself to use during your prayer time.
May the Lord make you thirsty for Himself as you read this book.
Thanks to Moody Publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
May the Lord bless you my friend!
As I was reading your review, it suddenly clicked for me why praying the Scriptures is so important: because it’s prayer that is undoubtedly according to the will of the Lord! Thank you for modeling for us how to begin praying the Word. This is definitely an area I want to grow in during 2018. 🙂
Hi Joy, Thanks for your comment. Yes, I think warfare prayer is an area we all need to grow in and so 2018 is a wonderful opportunity to begin. There is something calming about speaking the Lord’s Word back to Him that leads us into worship. The enemy hates God’s Word and he especially hates worship of the Lord God.
Blessings!