Prayer for a breakthrough in spiritual warfare
By Jaime Hampton
Bible poems:
“So David asked the Lord, “Will I attack the Philistines? Will you bring them to my hands?” The Lord answered him. So David went to Baal Perazim, where he defeated them. The place was called Baal Perazim. -2 Samuel 5:19-21 (NIV)
Listen or read:
Is there a continuous battle in your life where you need to see a breakthrough? King David knew exactly how you felt. At the time of his Cornership, Israel had been involved in a decades-long war with the Philistines. 1 Samuel 13:19-22 tells us that Israel is forbidden from having a blacksmith anywhere on their land, because the Philistines feared building weapons. The Israelites had to actually travel to the Philistines and even sharpen the blades of farming and everyday tools. The Philistines had an advantage in all respects.
As you probably know, King David was not guilty. In fact, his list of sins was long, including adultery and cold-blooded murder. But he loved God strongly, lamented his sins deeply, and had unwavering faith in the power of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He believed that God’s territory was his claim, regardless of the obstacles before him.
2 Samuel 5:19-21 draws a picture of faith that will not let me breathe. I long for such an unwavering belief that the God of the universe will break as if it will run through the water to discard into any obstacles between me and the territory he has already wagered to assert. I think Israel is safely across the Red Sea, but Pharaoh’s troops and tanks were wiped out as powerful waters rushed over them.
Baal Perazim literally means “owner of the violation” or “lord of the breakthrough.” Where in your life do you need a breakthrough master to oppose your enemies? Does the obstacles that are currently hindering you seem hopeless? Think of Israel: no weapons. Vulnerable. The numbers are rising and the match is overmatched. But they serve an unparalleled God, what do they guess? So too. Trust him and invite him to your battle.
Let’s pray:
Almighty God, we praise you and acknowledge you as Lord of the breakthrough. There is no problem. We bring you a fight before you that appears to be hopeless for longer than we want to admit. We place them like offerings at your feet and confess our wrong ideas about who you are and who we are. Like David, we ask: Do you give us victory? And like David, we believe that when you are for us, there is no one in all creation that can go against us. We look at spiritual territory already claimed as ours, but what we have been made to think is beyond our grasp. As we work with God, which is not impossible, we increase our faith when we pray outside the boundaries of what we think is possible. Help us pray in accordance with your will to bring success and victory not to human words, not to yours, but to raise your will, to your will, to your passion, to boldness and to bring glory to you and your kingdom. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©getTyimages/dedmityay
Jaime Hampton is Christian author and co-host of the Christian Women’s Podcast of Prayer with Alana Terry. She camps with her family, drinks coffee, drinks coffee, and enjoys the crazy life that comes with being a hockey mom. You can find encouragement in a prayer life at PrayingchristianWomen.com or @prayingchristianwomen on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
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