Do You Have a War Room?

“The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve” (James 5:16, CEB).

This is one of my favorite promises from the Word of God—and you can take it to the bank. This is one of the most—if not THE most—amazing things about being in a relationship with Jesus. Any moment of the day can be turned from the ordinary into an extraordinary encounter with the Living God and Creator of the universe!

And this is the premise behind the film War Room, whose tagline is: “Prayer is a powerful weapon.”

Sometimes prayer is for requests, and sometimes it is for comfort or cheer. It can be for a time praise and petition; it can be for times of sadness and gladness.

But sometimes, and maybe oftentimes, we should shift our perspective to more of a military orientation.

The idea behind the War Room is simple. Pick a room in your apartment or house that can be designated as a war room, which is “a room at a military headquarters in which strategy is planned and current battle situations are monitored” (dictionary.com).

Each day, take time to go to God in prayer and ask your Commander-in-Chief to help you strategize, battle and be victorious in this cosmic war that rages all around us. Put up Bible verses that specifically relate to the strategy and claim them to be true in the name of Jesus!

Before long, I believe that you will see results. They may be earth shattering, or they may be as imperceptible as the spots on the sun—but either way, they represent victories that represent eternal impact.

But perhaps you are not feeling so confident about your prayer life—much less a war room? If so, be encouraged! If we go to God in our own strength and confidence or even an ounce of pride, we are doomed to fail. Just like a good General never underestimated his enemy, neither should we ever underestimate the most powerful being ever created—Satan!

Instead, focus on these powerful observations from godly men and women who have battled the devil in their war rooms:

• “To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.” —Billy Graham
• “Work, work, from morning until late at night. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer. ” —Martin Luther
• “Prayer lays hold of God’s plan and becomes the link between His will and its accomplishment on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit’s prayer. ” —Elisabeth Elliot
• “Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.” —Spurgeon
• “The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is pray. It is not the only thing; but it is the chief thing. The great people of the earth today are the people who pray.  I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time to pray.” —D. Gordon

Wow! These are people who knew how to design a war room and get after it! And because they did, God used them to bring about some of the most remarkable things ever accomplished for the glory of Jesus Christ.

So starting today, carve out a place and a space to be your war room. Be faithful to getting on your knees and fighting for the greatest King and the greatest cause in the universe—the souls of your friends and family who don’t know Jesus. Pray against the enemy, who seeks to “steal, kill, and destroy” everything in his path—which includes you!

And when the time seems fruitless or useless, or you feel time pressure or peer pressure to quit or compromise on your war room, let these words give you renewed commitment and strength:

“The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve” (James 5:16, CEB).

Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action

Prayer is a powerful weapon, so don’t let this opportunity go to waste.

Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause

Pray:  Jesus, thank You for the gift of prayer and the chance to be a world changer simply by praying. Draw us into conversations with You on a daily basis.

Read: 1 Chronicles 16:11. Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.

Get: The 5 P’s of Prayer.  Youth Leaders! Prayer is as essential as breathing! Make sure your students know how to do it well. Check out this Youth Group 2 Go lesson on the 5 p’s of prayer.