United in Prayer: Day 18

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

Ephesians 6:10-20

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In places where our global workers serve, the spiritual forces of darkness still prevail. The people they long to reach have been blinded to the gospel by false religions, and many people openly worship demons. These false religions, traditions, and demonic forces have strongholds that must be broken. Our global workers are on the frontlines facing the difficult task of preaching the gospel in these environments on a daily basis. They see the reality of the spiritual warfare we face every day. 

They are surrounded by statues of pagan gods. They live near voodoo temples. They see evidence of satanic rituals. They, in some cases, are putting their lives at risk to share the gospel with people who have never heard it before. In order to combat the oppressiveness of their environments, they need the armor of God for protection. Our prayers help strengthen the shield of protection our global workers and their families need so that after they have withstood the enemy’s attacks, they will still be able to stand. We need to pray that the enemy’s attacks would not hinder the work our global workers do sharing the gospel with the least-reached people!

As you gather for prayer today, make a point of praying together with other believers as we pray against the powers of darkness that are holding millions and millions of people prisoner. Pray for the missionaries who are in dark and dangerous places and ask God to give them discernment in their ministry. Pray that our global workers would be united as one in the midst of these spiritual forces of darkness and that the gospel would prevail in these areas. 

Prayer for Those Who Are Sent: 
Mighty God, we come before you today to do battle on behalf of those you have called to go to the ends of the earth to bring the light of the gospel to those people who are living in darkness. We rejoice in the knowledge that they do not go into battle alone or unprotected, but you clothe them with holy armor to defend and strengthen them as they war in the power of the Holy Spirit.

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If you've enjoyed this excerpt from our United in Prayer guide and would like to join us for our 21 Days of Prayer, we invite you, your church leaders, pastors, staff and congregation to unite with us. To access all of our resources and let us know that you are praying with us, click here: converge.org/21-days-united-in-prayer