The following is an excerpt from The Armor of God, by Priscilla Shirer, a 7-session Bible study for women that focuses on utilizing prayer as a weapon divinely authorized by God as a defense against the enemy’s forces of destruction. The Armor of God is available to purchase on August 1 from lifeway.com. For more information, visit lifeway.com/armorofgod.
Prayer Strategies
Below you’ll find some broad guidelines and a framework for your prayer strategies. As you craft your prayers, be authentic, personal, and intentional. You can always come back to this framework for inspiration and help as you seek to remain anchored and strong in your prayers.
My hope is that you’ll not only emerge from this Bible study with six strategies locked in place but also with a habit for intentional prayer that reverberates throughout the rest of your life.
P—Praise: Gratitude to God for who He is and what He’s already done should thread throughout every prayer, because ultimately His name and His fame are the only reasons any of this matters.
R—Repentance: Expect prayer to expose where you’re still resisting Him—not only resisting His commands, but resisting the manifold blessings and benefits He gives to those who follow. Line your strategies with repentance: the courage to trust, and turn, and walk His way.
A—Asking: Make your requests known. Be personal and specific. Include details of your own issues and difficulties as they relate to the broader issue we discussed in that week of study, as well as how you perhaps see the enemy’s hand at work in them or where you suspect he might be aiming next.
Y—Yes: “All of God’s promises,” the Bible says, “have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’” (2 Cor. 1:20, NLT). You may not understand everything that is happening in your life right now, but any possible explanation pales in comparison to what you do know because of your faith in God’s goodness and assurances. So allow your prayer to be accentuated with His own words from Scripture, His promises to you that correspond to your need. There is nothing more powerful than praying God’s own Word. Because even at the mention of His name, the enemy buckles in certain defeat.
Excerpted from Priscilla Shirer, The Armor of God © 2015 LifeWay Press®. Used by permission.
My Grandmother was also the prayer warrior in our home…I miss her guidance dailey…
Hi… I am involved in facilitating the Armor of God Bible study and simply wondered if Priscilla could send an example of a prayer strategy written out…. There may be a good example in the book that exists in addition to the PRAY guidelines… just wondered. Thank you so much for your investment in so many for His purposes, and His glory!
Hi, Patty–
If you have a copy of The Armor of God, we recommend that you take a look at the following pages:
pp. 34-36: The first challenge to actually write down your prayers and spend time praying
p. 91: A good example of each week’s dive into prayer strategy (see Day 5 of each week)
pp. 148-149: Another example of strategically writing out Scripture
p. 192: The suggested key plan to follow
Many of the prayer strategies are left open-ended so that a woman can develop a plan that works best for her. The goal is for women to gather their list of things and/or people to prayer for and about, to pray Scripture, and to keep praying throughout the time of the Bible study and beyond.
Hope this helps!