Praying defensively to get OUT of trouble isn’t as effective as praying offensively IN the trouble.
Praying Defensively
Defensive prayer is asking God to get me out of the trouble asap. It’s like rubbing a genie and expecting instant deliverance out of every tough spot we get into. Like praying for a parking spot because it’s raining outside.
Praying defensively fires up the fear circuit of my brain, adding to my stress and hampering my ability to love others and think clearly. It’s like cowering under a rock and denying the power of the Holy Spirit in me.
We are encouraged to pray consistently and pray believing in miracles. But along with that prayer, offensive prayer is so powerful.
Praying Offensively
Praying offensively fires up the love circuit of my brain, reducing my stress and enhancing my ability to love others and think clearly.
Instead of: “God please stop the bully from hurting my child,” pray “God please help me show my child that her identity in You is not Victim but Victor.”
Instead of: “God please miraculously remove all cancer from my body,” pray “God please miraculously empower me in my cancer battle.”
Instead of “God please stop my husband from being so selfish,” pray “God please let me see my husband as You see him so I can unselfishly love and respect him.”
Praying offensively is asking to join God in this battle which could have eternal purposes. Praying offensively is not begging to be let out of the battle.
An Offensive Prayer
Try praying this powerful offensive prayer, based on Colossians 1:9-12.
Abba, I don’t understand why this is happening to me. But in this mess I ask that I would receive the perfect knowledge of Your pleasure over my life, making me a reservoir of every kind of wisdom and spiritual understanding. I pray that You would help me walk in the ways of true righteousness, pleasing You in every good thing I do. Even in this hard thing I want to become a fruit-bearing branch, yielding to Your life, and maturing in the rich experience of knowing You in Your fullness! And I pray that I would be energized with all Your explosive power from the realm of Your magnificent glory, filling me with great hope. My heart is already soaring with joyful gratitude when I think of how You made me worthy to receive the glorious inheritance freely given to me just by living in the light.
based on Colossians 1:9-12 TPT
…because U count, deb