When we worship, God is exalted, and heaven comes down. And, when heaven rules – hell flees.
In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-10
When Lord Jesus gave us a blueprint for praying effectively, He told us to begin by declaring who God is.
Our Father…
Our Abba-Daddy loves us beyond reason. When this truth becomes rock-solid heart knowledge for us, our faith is pretty much invincible. Yes. OUR Father. Yours and mine. You see, when we fully engage in worship of our King—with all our being—our preoccupation with ourselves diminishes, and we position ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit and not our flesh.
Hallowed be Your name…
And His Name—no other name—is HOLY. His name is exalted above all names—over every demonic spirit or anything our enemy would throw at us Philippians 2:9-11. Jesus invites us to begin all spiritual warfare and prayer by worshipping the holiness of His name and all that His name entails, represents, and for its sheer majesty and authority.
Your kingdom come…
Because our praise brings heaven down, asking for His will to be accomplished is not passive acquiescence but spiritual warfare at its most potent and dynamic. We are declaring God’s rule and reign, usurping any and every plan of the enemy or flesh that is waging war against us. Here we receive His invitation to partner with Him in battle prayer for our lives, our homes, our communities, and the nations 1 Corinthians 3:9.
All prayer and spiritual warfare should begin with worship and thanks. When we get that right, our prayer requests often take care of themselves. Should more specific instruction or discernment from the Holy Spirit be needed to smite specific tactics of demonic activity in the authority of Jesus’ name? In that case, the focus of our worship will release the clarity we need to pray more effectively.
His kingdom will come; His will—will be done.