(Perhaps you, too, have been concerned about the state of our state, nation, and world and have struggled to know how to pray. Evangelist Mario Murillo wrote the following article I lightly edited, and I wrote the prayer. I invite you use this to pray fervently for our world.)
Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation]. (Isaiah 41:10 AMP)
For although we live in the natural realm, we don’t wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide. We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 TPT)
The truth is this: Jehovah has designated prayer—fervent prayer as the weapon to push back evil. There is more in our hands than we realize…
Here are our key verses: 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, “For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)” Those verses say we have authority to tear down their hedge of protection [around evil]. As soon as I realized this a strange confidence came over me. Faith rose up within me.
I began asking and declaring specific things. I raised my hands to heaven declaring, “The weapons I am using now will tear down strongholds!” The power of God will move through prayer—mighty prayer.
Will this kind of prayer work? In Exodus 17, we see that it works. Joshua went down to the battle, while Moses went up to the heights over the battle and raised the rod of God. Aaron and Hur helped to hold up his arms, until the battle was won. Moses was cutting off the demonic power of the Amalekites, just as cutting off the hedge of protection of the ongoing evil is how my prayer is now targeted.
This is no time to cave in to fear and anger. This is not time to fret about the future of our nation. This is the time to remember an old familiar friend: fervent prayer. And not only that, but to see anew the power that resides in prayer. Let us unlock the power of this old friend to tear down impossible strongholds. We must funnel all the energy that you used to expend worrying and being angry over the evil in our nation, into a new way to pray for America. Join me in prayer and, together with Lord of the Armies of Heaven, let’s tear down these strongholds!
When evil is exalted, God looks for deliverers. He scans the nation to see who will cleanse themselves from the carnal church and the intoxicated preachers. He looks for those who will allow God to make them indestructible voices to restore righteousness to America. Be the person God is looking for in this crisis.*
[You are invited to use these prayer points and declarations; that God will…]
Confuse the media. Just as God came down and confused the languages at the tower of Babel, I declare that confusion and division will come between the [evil] powers in the media and government.
Derail the agenda of [evil people and organizations]. According to 2 Chronicles 20:22-23, “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.”
Bring greater fire into the hearts of vessels of God as well as terrifying conviction upon lukewarm preachers, until the church rises as one voice to rebuke the workers of iniquity for their depravity.
King of the Universe,
You are the Lord who created the heavens, the God who formed the earth. You are the Lord and there is no one else. You have not spoken in secret or darkness; you call us to your love, mercy, peace, righteousness, truth, and justice. And you call us to pray for our nation, our world and our enemies. Stoke the fire in our spiritual bellies to pray fervently as you’ve taught us. Forgive us when we’ve strayed from your Kingdom purposes. Today we pray that Holy Spirit would strongly convict those whose lives are committed to unrighteousness, injustice, and evil. We pray your protection over your children, but that your justice will be poured out on those who refuse to repent and turn from evil. We pray that you will confuse communication, dry up resources, and derail ungodly agendas in systems invaded by evildoers. We pray that Holy Spirit will build a great fire in the prayer lives of believers to pray fervently against iniquity and depravity until the battle is won. We declare that the Church of Jesus Christ will RISE UP with no fear, but with holy boldness to proclaim the Word of the Lord and the Day of Salvation. And we declare that power of the wicked forces in this world will be broken, in the name of the Lord Jesus, AMEN.
18 For the Lord, who created the heavens (He is God, who formed the earth and made it; He established it and did not create it to be a wasteland, but formed it to be inhabited) says this,
“I am the Lord, and there is no one else.
19 “I have not spoken in secret,
In a corner of a land of darkness;
I did not say to the descendants of Jacob,
‘Seek Me in vain [with no benefit for yourselves].’
I, the Lord, speak righteousness [the truth—trustworthy, a straightforward correlation between deeds and words],
Declaring things that are upright.
20 “Assemble yourselves and come;
Come together, you survivors of the nations!
They are ignorant,
Who carry around their wooden idols [in religious processions or into battle]
And keep on praying to a god that cannot save them.
21 “Declare and present your defense of idols;
Indeed, let them consult together.
Who announced this [rise of Cyrus and his conquests] long before it happened?
Who declared it long ago?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other God besides Me,
A [consistently and uncompromisingly] just and righteous God and a Savior;
There is none except Me.
22 “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 “I have sworn [an oath] by Myself,
The word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness
And shall not return,
That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear [allegiance].
24 “It shall be said of Me, ‘Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’
To Him people will come,
And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
25 “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
Will be justified (declared free of guilt) and will glory [in God].” (Isaiah 45:18-25 AMP)
Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous. (Psalm 37:16-17 NIV)
*https://mariomurillo.org/2024/04/01/why-we-must-change-the-way-we-pray-for-america/