Companion to booklet ‘Spiritual Protection for Home and Family’
Based on the armour of God, these truths are applied in a selection of daily prayers.
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Contents
A Consistent Approach to Prayer
Why Use Written Prayers?
Prayers for Spiritual Protection
Armour Prayer
Alternate Armour Prayer
Daily Prayers for Spiritual Protection
How it Works on the Ground
– Sunday Prayers
– Monday Prayers
– Tuesday Prayers
– Wednesday Prayers
– Thursday Prayers
– Friday Prayers
– Saturday Prayers
The Strength of Daily Prayer
Praying a Piece of the Armour Each Day
Day 1 – Belt of Truth
Day 2 – Breastplate of Righteousness
Day 3 – Shoes of Peace
Day 4 – Shield of Faith
Day 5 – Helmet of Salvation
Day 6 – Sword of the Spirit
Prayer for Standing in Spiritual Battle
Armour Prayer Meditation
Repentance
Introduction
“Spread your protection over them; that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield.” Psalm 5: 11,12.
The truths about our role in spiritual protection, explored in our first booklet, ‘Spiritual Protection for Home and Family’, are to help you experience the love, peace and joy of the Christian life each day. They provide the Biblical framework, Scriptural understanding and rationale for the daily prayers provided in this companion booklet. These truths have the power to shift your thinking toward a more Biblical understanding of our role in daily spiritual protection. However, on its own this is not enough.
In this booklet we give you a way to maintain the fullness of life we have in relationship with Christ, in the form of various daily prayers. Prayer is powerful. Above all, its purpose is to foster relationship with our Heavenly Father. These prayers are designed as aids and a base from which you can guard that place of intimacy, learning to use your authority in spiritual protection as you grow in relating with your Heavenly Father.
Neither our renewed life in Christ, nor His benefits will do you much good without a third ingredient: your faith. It’s your Holy Spirit inspired faith that will empower you to live out your own walk with God. In other words these truths and prayers need to be applied, used and lived out daily.
There are many examples of prayers provided in these pages, compiled by Peter from various sources. They are not magic, but coupled with your faith, use them as they are or as a launching pad for your own prayers. Some provide a seven-day focus; others can be used each day. Still others focus specifically on spiritual protection. There are enough options so you can alternate what you use, keeping you fresh. We have found these prayers an invaluable help to us over many years.
It is our prayer that these tools will be used by the Lord to help your faith grow, increase your daily dependence on Him and help you discern the deception of the enemy, as you take a stand for the spiritual protection of yourself and home. Peter and Kathryn Yaxley
A Consistent Approach to Prayer
I watched my friend pause at the kerb side, as she commanded her dog to ‘heel’. Each time we went to cross the road she did the same thing. She was consistently instructing her dog to practice the appropriate behavior. I remarked on her patience. She laughingly acknowledged that this patient daily practice of teaching her dog to cross the road appropriately was essential in order to train her dog.
Daily training, pausing at the kerb side each day in prayer, helps us draw near to the Father, encountering Him, as we learn to ‘heel’ (kneel) next to Him. Such a daily practice trains us to live this life in God’s power. It teaches us to live as spiritual people, reliant upon our unseen Father for His daily care, protection and provision. Consistent daily prayer is the connection (like the lead) that links us to our Heavenly Father, reminding us to look up to God for help to ‘cross the roads’ we encounter each day.
Relationship with God, which is the prime purpose of prayer, takes time to cultivate. If we want the rich rewards of intimate relationship with God then regular attention and a consistent approach to prayer is needed. A daily time apart will nourish our relationship as we embrace a practice of daily prayer and time with the Lord in the Word. Without it the full benefits of walking with the Lord are denied us, and our growth is stunted. We remain ‘untrained’ and at risk of running onto the roads of life in our own strength.
Our relationship with the Lord could also be described perhaps like a bulb. Well nourished in prayer, in fellowship with the Holy Spirit and time in the Word, God’s LIFE empowers the growth of the bulb. As hidden, quiet disciplines are practiced daily, the bulb grows foliage and fruit, which all the world can see. The FRUIT of the hidden life produces acts of kindness, ministry and service. These are the deeds (or works) of our faith. Without the daily water of prayer and time in the Word, the bulb will dry out and shrink in size.
John 15 talks of this truth in Jesus’ illustration about the vine and branches bearing much fruit. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourself to be my disciples.” John 15:8 The secret of such fruitfulness, including our spiritual protection, comes in learning to abide in Christ and enjoy the place of daily communion in prayer.
Why use Written Prayers?
Simply stated, they help train us to ‘cross the road’. This especially applies to learning new ways to pray, like instructing us to use our spiritual authority over unseen forces.
Learning to pray prayers for spiritual protection is new territory for some of us. When something is a little foreign to us at first, written prayers can provide a safe stepping stone to stand on, as part of charting this new path. They can help us get started. A template such as these prayers provides guard rails as we find our feet, then provide a base and pattern from which we can launch out into our own prayers.
Written prayers also help keep us accountable in the long term so we don’t neglect praying about our spiritual protection. It is easy to fall back into what we are most comfortable to pray. Using a model such as these prayers grows us into new arenas in prayer, and ensures that such a vital area as spiritual protection remains at the forefront of our daily prayer patterns.
For couples, daily prayers provide a tangible means, an excuse, to begin or end the day together in prayer. They can provide a way to establish a daily habit. Once used regularly this habit becomes an established practice. They can also provide a starting point to pray together about other things. Your home and family will reap the benefit.
Our own testimony is that using written prayers (as part of our daily devotional practice) helps keep us praying together in a regular, consistent way. They provide direction when we feel empty of our own ideas. They give us the impetus to continue to walk through the day with the Lord.
Praying prayers of daily spiritual protection has provided much stronger defenses around our home. As one who is sensitive to the spiritual realm, Kathryn in particular coped much better when elements of prayers for spiritual protection were added by Peter into our daily routine. As we prayed this new way regularly (daily) Kathryn’s function was enhanced and we felt strengthened in our walk with God together. We also grew in alertness, watching over our home and marriage in prayer.
Using written prayers can be mundane and repetitive BUT it keeps us doing it day after day which is the most important aspect.
Prayers for Spiritual Protection
Our note: ‘We’ has been used throughout the following prayers. Where you use these prayers on your own, please change it to ‘I’.
Armour Prayer
We come to You, Lord Jesus Christ in praise, honour and thanksgiving for who You are. You are the Lord, the King of Glory, our Mighty God and we worship You by giving our lives afresh to You.
We recognise that we live in a fallen and corrupt world that brings pressure to conform each day. We recognise we have an adversary in Satan who wants to undermine Your work in our lives. We now come against him and the pressures of society in Jesus’ powerful Name. We put on the armour of God as Your protection.
Please help us tightly place around our waists the Belt of Truth to keep our armour in place. You Lord Jesus are the Way, TRUTH and Life. (John 14:6). Please help us to discern and walk in your Truth today in all circumstances. Protect us from errors, lies and deceptions. We bind the power of the enemy’s lies in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord, that Your truth sets us free. Help us to live in this freedom today.
We put on the Breastplate of Your Righteousness to protect our hearts from all unrighteousness. Thank You for Your righteousness purchased for us on the Cross of Calvary. Please guard us from evil and sinful desires. Protect our hearts from: unforgiveness, shame, guilt, fear, doubt, anger, bitterness, rebellion, resentment, rejection, pride, self-righteousness and judgementalism. Help us to glorify You because You have purchased our righteousness. Please help us to live in this precious righteousness today.
We place on our feet the shoes of the Gospel of Peace as firm footing and a clear pathway. (Rom.10:15) Please help us to stand fast against the schemes of the devil at all times. Help us to walk in victory and enter Your peace that passes all understanding. Guard us from attempting to forge our peace by works or achievements.
Help us raise up before us the Shield of Faith to stop the flaming arrows of the enemy causing us hindrances or distractions. We place the Shield over our bellies of sensitivity to guard us from those things that would harm us bodily, emotionally or spiritually. Help us to have an ever-growing faith in You, Lord Jesus Christ.
We place on us the Helmet of Salvation over our minds. We thank You, Lord Jesus for Your glorious gift of salvation. We bind all spirits that would try to destroy our minds: spirits of mind-control, anti-Christ, control and manipulations, death and hell, condemnation, oppression, depression, unbelief, confusion, occult and mental anguish. In the mighty Name of Jesus Christ, we bind all these spirits and by the power of the Holy Spirit render them powerless. Please Lord Jesus renew our minds and help us to have the mind of Christ filled with joy, peace and love. We ask that Your purity and holiness fill our minds. Please guard our tongues that we would only speak what You would have us speak and we would give You praise and honour at all times.
Please help us take the Sword of the Spirit and thank You for Your Word. With the Sword of the Spirit we cut off all unhelpful sensitivity, all shame and wounding from a wounded spirit and bruising from verbal abuse in Jesus’ name. (Heb 4:12) We pray for wisdom and discretion in how to use Your Word well. Please help us remember and apply Your Word. Holy Spirit please bring relevant Scriptures to mind, as we need them through this day.
Father please inspire and empower our prayers this day, reminding us to pray instead of worrying, criticising or feeling ineffective. Help us to pray for those you bring to mind. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen
Alternate Armour Prayer
Heavenly Father, we praise you for a new day and that we have new life in Christ Jesus. Lord Jesus, we acknowledge that you are the Way, the TRUTH and the Life. Please help us to discern and walk in Your Truth today in all circumstances. Protect us from errors, lies and deceptions. We bind the power of the enemy’s lies over us in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord, that Your truth sets us free. Help us live in freedom today.
Please help us to stand in Your Righteousness today which is given to us through Jesus’ sacrifice in our place. Help us accept this ‘right standing’ we have with God, knowing we are forgiven and washed clean. Protect our hearts from evil and sinful desires and keep our heart relating with You, discerning Your will for us this day. In Jesus’ name we bind all spirits of condemnation and accusation through the power of the shed blood of Jesus.
Lord God please help us walk in Your Peace and enabling this day, standing on the sure Rock of Christ. Help us stand fast against the schemes of the devil at all times this day. Please help us to let your peace rule in our hearts and minds today, guiding all our decisions.
Lord, please equip us with faith and help us use our faith as a shield this day so we might be protected from the fiery darts of the devil. Protect us from over-sensitivity, shame, wounding and bruising from verbal abuse against us in Jesus’ name. Help us to have an ever-growing faith in you today.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your Salvation purchased by Christ’s shed blood. We put on the helmet of salvation to protect our minds from the evil forces that will come against us this day. We ask for the clear, sound mind of Christ to fill our minds. In Jesus name and under His authority we bind those spirits that would try to hinder our minds: spirits of mind control, fear, anti-Christ, rebellion, death and hell, oppression and negativity. Grant us Your wisdom and discernment. Keep our minds firm in trusting Your ways and promises.
Please help us to remember and apply Your precious Scriptures this day. By the power of Your Word help us to resist the devil and all his pressures, attacks, deceptions, every instrument or agent he would use against us and our home and family. Help us to bring glory to You, Heavenly Father, in all we do and are this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Prayers for Spiritual Protection
Following is a sample of our daily prayers which we have found helpful. Peter leads these as part of his spiritual headship in our relationship. They involve praise and thanksgiving, aspects of putting on God’s armour, reminding us of what God doesn’t want in our lives as well as taking our stand against Satan’s schemes. They vary for each day of the week keeping us praying in fresh ways. We follow this with a time of prayer for specific people in need and our own special needs of that day. You may prefer to make up your own prayers.
How it All Works on the Ground
Peter writes: A few years ago a friend told me about olive leaf extract being a good way to build up my immune system. So each day for the last three years I’ve had a little in my fruit juice each morning. Over that time I haven’t had the traditional winter cold. Whether it’s the olive leaf or it’s just in my head the bottom line is I haven’t had a cold for three years, when previously every year I would get one.
These prayers are like the olive leaf extract. They need to be taken daily, consistently (faithfully). It is pointless waiting till I get a cold then drinking the whole bottle thinking it will give me immunity. I have observed people over the years treating spiritual protection like this. They live out their Christian lives ignoring daily protection. When the crisis hits, the call for intense prayer goes out, wanting the “whole bottle” to be poured out, rather than the small daily dose. Do these prayers work? Our testimony is we are still serving God in a full-time capacity after 12 years. There may be other reasons for that but daily prayers of protection have kept us focused.
These prayers are not magic words. They are a daily discipline. The more I don’t want to read them, the more I persist. The thoughts: ‘are they making any difference in our lives’ or ‘God will cover us anyway,’ are constant. I’ve even thought of doing a test to see if we stop, what will happen. But it’s not about testing God. It’s about doing it because I want to be my best for Him. When the devil’s “infection or virus” arrives I want to have my immunity up so I don’t need a spiritual crisis to wake me up to the need for protection time after time. I want my spiritual protection maintained DAILY, so I press on and DO IT, DAILY, FAITHFULLY AND FOR GOD’S GLORY TO REIGN IN MY HOME, LIFE & MARRIAGE.
Sunday
Heavenly Father, our hearts overflow with thanks to You this day for all the blessings and good gifts You have given us: for friends and family who share their love with us; for a future filled with hope; for peace of mind which goes beyond all understanding. We thank You for a place to live, for our transport needs, for food, clothing and finances.
We pray for a day of refreshment today that You might revitalise us with the Holy Spirit to equip us for the works You have prepared for us to do this week. Please fill us with the knowledge of Your will for us this week as we praise and worship You today. Father, today we recommit our lives to You, totally; spirit, soul and body. We ask that You do Your work in us this week.
We praise you Father for the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that heals the weakness of our spirits, heals the weakness of our souls and heals the weakness of our bodies. Thank You for its cleansing, renewing and protective power; that it covers all our sins; has power to free us from all bondages and remoulds us into Your image, making us new creatures in Christ. Please cover us afresh, our home and all that pertains to us today with the blood of Jesus Christ, for the coming week. I cover _____(wife), myself, family and friends, totally, spirit, soul, and body.
We pray that You would help us stand in your mighty armour this week. Please help us rest in Your Truth, Righteousness, Salvation, Peace and grant us wise discernment to use our faith as a shield and the sword of Your Word well. Please keep us sensitive to Your Holy Spirit.
Create in us a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit in us. We will trust in You to provide an escape from all temptation and we ask You to protect us from the evil one. Please help us to trust in You alone and to abide in Your presence for our strength and everything that we need. Thank You that You have given us authority over the enemy.
We pray that we might live a life pleasing to You, being fruitful in every good work that You set before us this week. Help us, we pray, to walk in Your all sufficient grace. Thank You that You have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. All this we pray and ask in the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Saviour. To God be all the glory, Amen.
Monday
Lord God, as we begin this new week we give You praise and honour. We proclaim You as Lord in our lives. Thank You that You are all loving and totally just. We confess that we need You and we ask that You fill us afresh with the Holy Spirit. You are Truth. Help us conduct ourselves in ways that show You as Truth in our lives today.
Lord, we ask that You help us to stop our inherent evil and sinful desires having a stronghold in our conduct and attitudes. Please protect our hearts from all unforgiveness, shame, guilt, fear, doubt, anger, bitterness, rebellion, resentment, rejection, pride, self-righteousness and judgementalism. Help us to always glorify You in all we do and say.
Thank You that You give us Your peace that passes all understanding. Please help us to walk in victory and protect us from passivity, lethargy and a lazy life. Please show us where You want us to be and what You want us to do today. Thank You for the gift of faith. Help us to grow in faith in You today so that we will not fall into disobedience. Help us to walk by faith and not by what we see around us.
We ask that You renew our minds today. In the powerful name of Jesus Christ we bind all the forces of evil affecting our minds: spirits of mind control, anti-Christ, death and hell, control and manipulation, condemnation, oppression, depression. We pray for sound minds and ask for Your discernment, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and holiness to fill our minds. Lord, help us to guard our tongues, so we only speak what is honouring to You. Help us to remember and apply Your precious Scriptures to our lives today.
We ask you Heavenly Father to place a hedge of protection and Your angels of protection around us. We bind in Jesus’ name all pain, infection, inflammation, malignancies, allergies, viruses, injury and re-injury. Help us to live life to the fullest, according to Your intention. Help us to remember that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, therefore the devil has no place in us and no power over us.
Please Lord, help us to be light and salt that we might bring Your life and presence wherever we go. We pray for divine appointments and courage to do Your will today. In Jesus Christ name, Amen.
Tuesday
Lord God, today we thank You that we are Your children and co-heirs of the Kingdom, Your friends who desire to serve You. Thank You that You hear our prayers. Thank You that there is no weapon formed against us that will prosper and every tongue that rises against us in wrong or false judgements shall be shown to be wrong. (Is 54:17) You, Lord God are our Banner and Shield of Protection. Our position is to praise, thank and glorify You.
We thank You that we live in the blessings of the New Covenant. We are reminded today that these blessings are God’s favour (as His children and heirs), exaltation (every spiritual blessing in heavenly places), health (healing), reproductiveness (in fruitfulness), prosperity (every spiritual and material need, Matt 7:7) and victory (we win).
Please forgive us for our active sin choices where we have chosen: worldly mindedness, pride, envy, a critical spirit, slander, lack of seriousness, lying, cheating, robbing God, bad temper and hindering others from being useful.
Please help us to put off what belongs to the earthly nature: impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, falsehood, anger, stealing and unwholesome talk. Please help us to put on that which belongs to our Heavenly nature: meaningful activity, generosity, encouragement, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, obedience, humility, gentleness and patience.
We acknowledge that only the righteousness of the Lord Jesus can protect our hearts from all unrighteousness. Thank You Jesus for this free sacrificial gift. Please help us to have faith to guard ourselves from Satan’s craftiness and deception. To those who would desire harm to come upon us, we ask Your forgiveness and return the curse with a blessing in Jesus Christ’s name.
In making a fresh conscious decision to accept Your wonderful free gift of salvation, Lord Jesus, we need Your help and protection for our minds. We bind all spirits that would try to destroy our minds. We thank You that Your Word tells us who You are and who we are in You. Holy Spirit please remind us of the truth found in Scripture throughout this day.
Help us with our conduct and attitudes so Your Name is glorified. We ask for every spiritual and material need in accordance with the promises in Your Word. In Jesus Christ’s powerful name, Amen.
Wednesday
Today we acknowledge that You, Lord Jesus, are the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE – the Son of God – the Messiah. Help us to remember this truth today. Thank You that Your truth sets us free. Please protect us from errors, lies and deceptions. Help us to walk in victory as we enter into Your peace that passes all understanding.
Thank You that through faith in You we have your righteousness as a free gift. Help us to live in Your righteousness today and protect our hearts and minds from all unrighteousness in attitude and actions.
Please Lord, guard our sensitivity, emotionally (what we feel), mentally (what we think), and spiritually (our communion with You). In Jesus Christ’s name we cut off from us all unhelpful sensitivity, all shame, wounding of a wounded spirit and bruising from verbal abuse. Please protect and renew our minds. In Jesus’ name we bind all spirits that would try to destroy our minds. We also ask that our minds be filled with: the clear sound mind of Christ: of joy, peace and love. We pray for the gifts of discernment, wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
Please Lord help us to guard what we speak, that we would only speak what is helpful. Enable us to give You praise and honour wherever we are today. We ask for freedom to speak Your Words of love, peace and hope this day.
We pray that You would cover us and our material assets with the Blood of Jesus. In Jesus’ name we cut off from us and our family all demonic spirits and their activity in our lives: all watcher and listener spirits, all retaliatory spirits, all hindering spirits, principalities and powers, all rulers in high places and all their strongmen.
Please equip us with Your mighty armour so we can stand this day. Help us wield the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, using it well. Please give us strength to take our stand, firm in the Gospel and trusting in You. Please give us faith to overcome all fiery darts of the enemy and to reach out to those who don’t know You. Please restore us when we are wounded.
Please Lord, extend our tent (1 Chron 4:10, Isaiah 54:2) and increase our love for You for the extension of Your Kingdom and the glory of Your Name, Amen.
Thursday
Lord God, we bless Your holy name today. Our desire Lord is to stand in faith on You the Solid Rock, obedient to Your will. We recognise that You need to be our foundation. We must not be moved by the roar of the enemy, nor by negative circumstances. Help us to stand valiant and strong. With You by our sides, who can triumph against us? Thank You that we are more than conquerors in Christ.
Please Lord, forgive us for all our sins and help us to live a life of obedience. Please show us where we need to change. (Pause to reflect.) We confess our dependence on You today. Help us to die to ourselves and be alive to Your purposes at all times. Please fill us afresh with the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit please guide, lead and equip us for today as we pray so that we can walk in humility and victory under Your guidance, equipped in the armour of God. Help us to be sensitive to Your leading at all times, that we might do what is right and honourable for You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Help us put to death: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, falsehood, anger, stealing and unwholesome talk, all that belongs to the earthly nature. Please cloth us with truth, meaningful activity, generosity, encouragement, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, obedience, humility gentleness and patience. Help us to grow in faith and victory as we walk by faith and not by what we see around us. Help us to bring every thought and imagination into the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Jesus’ name, we bind up and break off all sources of evil intent against us and our home – coming from witchcraft, New Age practices, occult, sorcery, voodoo, Satanism, and all prayers prayed that are not of You. Help us to have the victory in Jesus’ name. In Jesus Christ’s name, we bind and break all generational bondage and wrong soul ties affecting us and our family. We cover ourselves and our family, properties, cars and material assets with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and ask you, Heavenly Father, to place a hedge of protection (Job 1:10) and Your angels of protection (Ps 34:7) around us all.
We ask that we might be able to live free from heaviness today. Lord Jesus, help us to give You thanks, praise and honour throughout this day. We pray that the Holy Spirit would bring words of Scripture and songs of praise to our minds especially when times are tough. Amen.
Friday
As we come before You this day, Lord, we acknowledge Your power and intervention. We thank You that You are present with us through Your precious Holy Spirit. Help us to walk in Your ways, Your truth and with the Life purchased for us on the cross of Calvary.
We pray for the covering of the blood of Jesus over the physical, spiritual, emotional, soul and will areas of our lives. We pray that they would be under the Lordship of Jesus Christ at all times. Please protect us from errors, lies and deceptions. Thank You that Your truth sets us free.
Help us to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit at all times, that we might do what is right and honourable for You. In Jesus Christ’s name, we cut off all unhelpful sensitivity, shame and wounding of a wounded spirit and bruising from verbal abuse.
Please Lord, help us to stand fast against the schemes of the devil at all times in our lives. Place on us Your protective armour and help us to walk in Your grace. Help us to rest in Your peace at all times. Please Lord, protect our hearts from all unrighteousness, shame, guilt, fear, doubt, anger, bitterness, all rebellion, pride, rejection, self-righteousness and judgementalism.
We pray for the areas You have given us responsibility for in the home, workplace and areas of Christian service. Please protect and guide our efforts so these may glorify You. Please provide everything we need to accomplish all our God-given tasks, including financial resources and people support, so we can do the work unhindered. Please help us to bear fruit that will last. We pray for unity with Your people, in spirit and purpose as we work side by side, focussing on Your Kingdom.
Please Lord, help us to be light and salt that we might bring Your presence wherever we go. Help us with our conduct and attitudes so that we love people with Your enabling today. We pray for Your divine appointments and the wisdom and courage to do Your will. Please Lord, extend our territory this day for the extension of Your Kingdom and the glory of Your Name. Amen.
Saturday
Lord God, we thank You that Your mercies are new every morning. Thank You for each new day. We praise, honour and worship You, our God. You are Lord, King of the Universe, able to do all things, all loving, totally just, the King of Glory. Thank You, Father God, for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to save us and the Holy Spirit to help us. We thank You that we are Your children and co-heirs of the Kingdom, Your servants and friends. Thank You, Lord for the glorious gift of salvation.
Lord, please renew our minds today. We ask that our minds be filled with a clear sound mind, (2 Tim 1:7) the mind of Christ; of joy, peace and love. We pray for the gifts of discernment; wisdom, knowledge and understanding (Eph1:17). In Jesus’ name we bind all forces that would seek to destroy our minds, rob us of peace and divide our home and family: spirits of mind-control, anti-Christ, death and hell, condemnation, oppression, depression, shame, guilt, unbelief, confusion, fear and mental anguish.
Please guard our rest and recreation, giving us wisdom and balance in our daily rhythm and activities. Please help us maintain our health and develop wise habits regarding diet and exercise.
We thank You Lord for Your powerful Word. Please help us to remember and apply Your precious Scriptures throughout this day. We now cut off from us and our family, by the Power of Your powerful Word, all demonic spirits and their activities from our lives in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
We pray for the covering of the blood of Jesus over all areas of our lives. Please protect our home, marriage, children and family life and grow us all to love, follow and serve You.
Lord we thank You that You hear our prayers. Help us to be shining lights. We do pray for Your divine appointments and the courage to be Your people. Please Lord, grant us increase and favour this day for the extension of Your Kingdom and the glory of Your Name. Amen.
The Strength of Daily Prayer
Kathryn writes: Daily prayer builds. It helps build relationship. It fosters intimacy with our Heavenly Father. It builds perseverance in us. If it is shared with a spouse it can build relationship and provide opportunities for open sharing together on a new plane.
I believe that we build much more through our daily commitment to praying prayers for spiritual protection. Imagine a woman knitting a garment. As she perseveres, row by row, knitting day after day, a jumper emerges. She doesn’t achieve her goal in one day. She doesn’t expect to. However, as she persists with her knitting, this garment takes shape and in time she will be rewarded for her efforts. Often I have a picture in my mind that our daily prayer builds something like that. As we come to the Lord in prayer for spiritual protection, day by day, row by row, a covering garment emerges. It will not be complete in one day, or a week, but as we persist in prayer for protection we are rewarded with a covering garment growing over our home.
Or imagine a home owner erecting a picket fence around his land. One picket is a stake in the ground, his ground, but one picket does not equal a complete fence. He too, like the lady knitting her garment, needs to persist, banging in picket after picket around his boundary line (which is already legally his). As we pray daily about our spiritual protection we are banging in another marker, another picket around the boundary of our home and family. These have already been given us by the Lord but like the boundary in the story, our ground needs our enforcing and maintenance. Day by day, prayer after prayer, the number of pickets increase and a spiritual fence around our home boundary comes into being.
Praying a Piece of the Armour Each Day
To discern the work of Satan here are some of the ways he may come against us:
Undermining God’s character and credibility
Persecution
Peer pressure
Confusing the believer with false doctrine
Hindering the believer’s service to Christ
Causing division in the Body of Christ
Urging believers to trust their own resources
Causing the believer to be over-critical
Making believers worldly
Causing believers to disobey God’s Word
Although it is very important to be aware of the devices of Satan, our defence against them is not simply our knowledge of them. The armour has been provided for this daily battle we are in. We can be equipped with this armour through the power of prayer.
Day 1 Belt of Truth
Lord, help us to put on the belt of truth. Your Word says, “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Father, sanctify us according to Your Word and remind us through the Holy Spirit of the truth that destroys the lies of sin and Satan. Help us to choose a lifestyle of honesty and integrity. Show us the truths we so desperately need today. Help us to welcome all truth no matter how hard it is to hear or upsetting it might feel. Expose the lies we’re not even aware of, that we believe. Without truth there is no discernment of right and wrong. Only truth will make everything else hold together.
Lord Jesus, You are Truth and with You walking with us today everything will be connected and in the right place for every step we take. Please help us with every conversation that we participate in, every group we are around and every task given us to perform today. We commit ourselves to walking with You and those around us in full integrity this day.
Help us to be truthful, no matter what the personal cost may be. Fill us with Your truth; wrap Yourself around us. Let truth keep us from lies and error. We bind the lies and deceptions of the enemy’s intent against us this day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Envision the belt of truth being wrapped around your body. Everything is kept in place and in right order, enabling you to run your race this day.
Day 2 Breastplate of Righteousness
Please Lord, help us to put on the breastplate of Your righteousness, which covers our heart with the righteousness of Christ. Thank you, Lord Jesus that You are our righteousness. You are perfect and no weapon can penetrate You. Thank you that You protect our hearts and our souls and all our emotions with Your perfect righteousness.
In You, every foothold of evil can be washed away as we put on and live in Your righteousness. We claim the righteous cleansing blood of Jesus Christ to wash away every sin, make us right before God and protect us this day. We bind Satan’s accusation and condemnation of our hearts through the blood of Jesus, and in His precious name.
Please God filter everything that comes into or out of our heart, through Your righteousness. We ask for Your help to do the right and godly thing in every situation we encounter today.
Please help us shed our own robes of righteousness and put on the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. We repent of all sin and any trust we have placed in getting right by being good enough.
Please Lord Jesus continue to make us into Your likeness. Fill us afresh with Your Spirit and Your ways, so that our flesh life might be removed. To Your glory, In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Envision Jesus filling your body with light and placing radiant armour around your chest, covering your heart and helping you discern right motives and good conduct in your life.
Day 3 Shoes of Peace
Lord Jesus Christ, please help us put on our feet the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. Please help us to choose to live in and for the Gospel every moment of this day. Show us where You are working and lead us to it. Do not let us become slack in our walk with You. Please make our feet ready to go wherever You send us with the Good News. Allow the joy of the news of Your love to be ever on our lips, and as the constant motivator for all we do.
Thank You for the peace we have with God through the precious shed blood of Jesus. Thank You that we can have favour with God and with man through You. Help us walk in our full inheritance as an adopted child of God and in the authority over evil in Jesus’ name. Everywhere we walk, we desire to bring Your peace and be Your witnesses in all that we do. Lord, help us to be peacemakers to those around us today. Lord, guide our feet and guard them. Please set our feet in safe places that enable us to walk in hostile, alien and enemy territory with Christ’s victory in each step we take.
“Allow the peace of God to rule in your hearts” (Col.3:15)
“Be still and know that I AM God.” (Ps 46:10)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4:6-7)
We reject in Jesus Christ’s name, all false guilt that would take our peace and we take hold of Christ’s forgiveness for restoration. Please help us to offer forgiveness to those who sin against us, that we might be forgiven. Help us to be quick to ask for forgiveness from others that we might live in peace with them. “Happy are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons and daughters of God.” (Matt.5:9) We pray all this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Envision Jesus giving you new shoes that enfold your feet perfectly. These help you stand solidly and also run swiftly so you can meet others in peace. Put these shoes on your feet.
Day 4 Shield of Faith
Please Lord, help us take up the Shield of Faith this day. Help our faith to grow stronger, because You are its Author and Perfector. Please Lord Jesus, train us to use our shields well. We desire to partner with You to help advance Your kingdom.
Please help us to have faith in You to help us quench all the fiery arrows of the enemy. The arrows with which we are assaulted are temptations, anger, fear, and doubts about God and ourselves. Please help us when we do not understand what is happening. We pray for assistance over the hurdles to our faith.
Let our faith be firm in You, for You are faithful and strong to provide in all our situations and needs. A strong defence is the beginning of great offense. With faith all things are possible. Lord, we know You fight for us.
Shield us from the strongholds of sin in life and please grant us faith to accept Your view of us. Grow us to grasp how wide and high and deep and present, is Your love and supply for us this day. Help us to walk by faith in Your promises and Word this day, rather than outward circumstances. Help us to position our hearts to hear the whispers of Your Holy Spirit. Please strengthen faith for the tasks at hand. We thank You Father, for the gift of faith and for Your great faithfulness. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Envision yourself holding a large shield with which you can stop any burning arrows shot towards you. That shield is faith in Jesus Christ, who let Satan do his worst to him on the cross, and rose up in victory! (1Cor. 15:57)
You might like to reflect on this: Faith pleases God and He responds to faith (Heb 11:6). Our faith in God can cover our weaknesses like a shield provides cover.
Day 5 Helmet of Salvation
Please Lord, help us to put on the Helmet of Salvation that protects our mind, eyes, ears and mouth. Please help us to think thoughts that are pleasing to You. Help us to see with Your eyes and hear with Your ears, and speak Your words of life. Help us to remember that You have already won the battle for our souls, and we live in Your victory this day. Keep our minds, eyes and ears focused on You.
We re-claim and celebrate our salvation. We accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour of our lives afresh today. We declare according to Your word, that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Thank You, Lord Jesus for saving us and we claim Your protection, healing and power in our lives this day.
We ask for the mind of Christ to fill our minds. (1Cor.2:16b) Please, by Your Spirit, replace our thoughts with Your thoughts. (Phil.2:5) Help us to have Christlike attitudes in our life today.
Please keep us steady and certain in our decisions, conduct and attitudes. Please protect our minds from the evil one and all his schemes that attack us in our thoughts, teaching us to apply the helmet of Salvation to our lives. Thank You for the preciousness of Your thoughts. Help us become increasingly aware of Your insights and wisdom. Thank You for these great gifts. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Envision a helmet placed over your head to cleanse and protect your thoughts. Envision a filter for your eyes, ears and mouth that purifies what is seen, heard and spoken.
Day 6 Sword of the Spirit
Lord Jesus, please help us to take up the Sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Living Word. Lord, guide us in the proper use of the Word of God today. Help us to imitate Jesus Christ as we wield Your Word to resist the devil.
Holy Spirit, show us specifically today the truths of the Word of God that we will need to embrace to demonstrate Your love, as well as counter the assaults and the snares of the enemy. Bring Scriptures to mind throughout the day. Anoint the Word in our hands and hearts. Let us be channels through which the Word can flow. Lead and guide us that we may be effective in all we do. Let Your Living Word do a work in and through us today.
Lord Jesus please free us from any unhealthy family or cultural traditions, habits or addictions, promises we have made, rules that others (not God) have written on our hearts. Help us be released from: fear, anger, desire, and all kinds of spiritual forces in this world that hold us in bondage.
Please Holy Spirit help us to read and study the Bible, and commit it to memory that we will have God’s Word in our heart and be ready when tested. Help us to listen to God’s living Word at all times that we might receive the inner nudging of the Holy Spirit day or night. Thank You, Heavenly Father, that You are a communicating God and fill Your Word with life for us. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
Envision Jesus giving you the powerful Sword of the Spirit, His Living Word, full of His Spirit’s power and authority. Take it and ask His help to stand on His promises and live in the power of His Living Word ( so that the bonds that have imprisoned you, that restrict you from living in faith and health, will break).
Prayer for Standing in Spiritual Battle
Our note: This prayer is especially helpful for those feeling like they are under spiritual attack, intercessors, those in front-line or public ministry and those stepping out into new areas of service or particularly sensitive to the spiritual realm.
As we come before You this day, Lord, we acknowledge Your power and intervention. We thank You that You are present with us through Your precious Holy Spirit. Help us to walk in Your ways, Your truth and with the Life You have purchased for us on the cross.
In Jesus Christ’s name and for His purposes in our community, region, State and country, we bind, rebuke and bring to no effect: all division, discord and disunity, all rebellion and disobedience, confusion and disorder, all strife, anger and wrath, murder, hatred and violence. Please stop all wrong criticism, slander, evil speaking and gossip. Clean up all filthy communications out of people’s mouths. Remove all hindering spirits, all retaliatory spirits, all deceiving and scorning spirits. End all poverty, lack or want, and fear of lack.
To all spirits that would try to destroy our minds, we bind in Jesus Christ’s name: spirits of control, anti-Christ, death and hell, fear, condemnation, oppression, depression, shame, guilt, unbelief, confusion and mental anguish. In their place, we pray for the gifts of discernment, wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
Please Lord, protect our hearts from all unrighteousness, shame, guilt, fear, doubt, anger, bitterness, all rebellion, pride, rejection, self-righteousness and judgementalism. Please Lord, help us to walk in Your truth today. Please protect us from errors, lies and deceptions. Thank You that Your truth sets us free.
Please Lord, help us to stand fast against the schemes of the devil. Deliver us from the evil one. Help us to rest in Your peace at all times. To those who would wish harm upon us we ask for forgiveness and blessing in Jesus Christ’s name.
In Jesus’ name and in accord with Your will, we bind and bring to no effect all prayers prayed that are not of You. We pray that You would undermine all psychic and witchcraft prayers, all curses, all spoken words and even thoughts over us and our family; we do not receive them! We declare in Jesus Christ’s powerful name, that they are null and void. We cut off their assignments, and return them to their senders with a blessing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Jesus Christ’s name, we cut off all unhelpful sensitivity, shame and wounding of a wounded spirit and bruising from verbal abuse. Help us to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit at all times, that we might do what is right and honourable for You, Lord Jesus.
We pray for the covering of the blood of Jesus over the physical, spiritual, emotional, soul and will areas of our lives. We pray that they would be under the Lordship of Jesus Christ at all times.
We pray for the ministries that You have called us to be part of. We humbly ask for financial support so we can do the work unhindered by lack of money. We pray for others to assist us in the work of the Kingdom. We pray that You would raise up intercessors to uphold the work at all times. We pray for unity in spirit and purpose, working side by side, focussing on the Gospel.
In Jesus Christ’s powerful name, we command all demons and spirits ruling or otherwise associated with such, who are causing us hindrances, to leave and go to the place as directed by the Lord Jesus. We ask you Heavenly Father to place a hedge of protection and Your angels of protection around us all. We reject and repel in the Name of Jesus Christ all: infirmity, pain, infection, inflammation, malignancies, allergies, viruses, injury and re-injury.
Please Lord, help us to be light and salt that we might bring Your presence wherever we are. Help us with our conduct and attitudes so that we love people with Your enabling today. We pray for Your divine appointments and the wisdom and courage to do Your will. Please Lord, extend our territory (1 Chron 4:10) this day for the extension of Your Kingdom and the glory of Your Name. Amen
Armour Prayer Meditation
This is an opportunity to sit with the Armour of God and allow God to interact with you. Instead of reading and asking, you can give Him time to speak to you about your life, your protection and your relationship with Him. You could use this in conjunction with the daily individual pieces of armour prayers.
Picture yourself putting on:
1. The Belt of Truth
Ask Jesus to show you the truth about yourself.
Ask for discernment to differentiate between God’s leading and that of the Evil One.
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness
Get right with God by confessing any sin. (See next page.)
Invite Jesus to make you into His likeness .
Ask Him for a fresh revelation of how He sees you. Listen to Him.
3. The Shoes of Peace
Invite the Holy Spirit to show you anyone with whom you need to be reconciled. Forgive them and ask God to forgive you.
4. The Shield of Faith
Where do you currently need fresh faith? Envision Jesus polishing up your shield of faith, standing next to you to help you. Ask Jesus to grant you fresh perspective over the doubts, frustrations and temptations facing you.
5. The Helmet of Salvation
Re-claim and celebrate your salvation.
Pause after each aspect as you invite the Holy Spirit to fill you with His thoughts….., His vision……, His whispers……. and His message to share.
6. The Sword of the Spirit
What Scripture does God bring to mind to encourage you today? Listen.
Praise God for His Living Word.
7. Prayer
Let the Holy Spirit lead you in worshipping God and interceding for others.
Repentance
Sometimes we know that we need to repent of our sins. But when we come to think what they are we can’t think in what areas we have sinned. Here is a list against which you can measure your conduct and attitudes to help you confess your sins to God and ask His help to change:
Our neglect
Ingratitude to God for all He has done
Lack of love for God and not obeying Him
Neglect of Bible reading
Specific instances of unbelief
Neglect of prayer
Our poor spiritual attitude
Lack of love for the souls of family and friends
Lack of
concern for unbelievers
Our sin of hypocrisy
Unwilling to subject ourselves to inconvenience for the lost
Neglect of family duties
Praying with an incorrect attitude
Not agonising over the lost
Not watching our conduct and attitudes
Our responsibilities
Not watching over and loving fellow Christians
Not denying ourselves for the sake of others
Our active sin choices
Worldly mindedness, pride, envy, a critical spirit, slander, lack of seriousness, lying, cheating, robbing God, bad temper, hindering others from being useful. (Taken from ‘How to Experience Revival’ by Charles G Finney)