Standing in the Gap: How Believers Fight Through Prayer, Not Presumption

“The earnest prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available.” — James 5:16

Spiritual warfare can manifest in various forms throughout a person's life, with the primary goal of hindering growth and opposing God's plan for the individual. Many have endured significant hardships as a result of spiritual attacks, sometimes leading to the sabotage of their destinies or even leading to death. However, it is important to note that not all hardships are the result of spiritual warfare. Life's challenges can arise from various causes, but when spiritual attacks are involved, their primary purpose is to disrupt God’s plan for His people.

Now, let us talk more about the power of prayer. There is immense power in coming before the Lord with heartfelt, humble, and sincere prayers, not vague or empty words, but intentional, engaged, articulate, and grounded in Scripture. Joshua’s victory over the enemy relied on Moses’ fervent prayer. James 5:16 perfectly encapsulates what Moses demonstrates in the story of Exodus 17: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much.” He exemplifies this in a profound way. His helplessness, paired with deep intimacy with God, paints a striking picture of reliance on God and grace during a time of crisis. He stands before God, fully aware of his limitations, and yet in his brokenness, God meets him with grace and power.  From the outside, he appears weak and weary, with two men—Aaron and Hur—holding his hands up. But as his hands remain lifted in prayer, something remarkable happens simultaneously on the battlefield: Joshua is winning. Though he’s physically exhausted, prayer was the true source of victory.

The prayers of a righteous pastor, parent, leader, or mentor can have a profound impact.  

I once heard the story of a God-fearing pastor who faced a particularly challenging moment in his life when his teenage daughter became rebellious and left home. He and his wife were heartbroken and unsure of what to do. Every night, the pastor would stand before God in fervent prayer, pleading and interceding for his daughter to come home. The situation felt much like spiritual warfare, keeping him awake and on his knees, begging God to intervene. One night, after a particularly intense session of prayer, he turned off the lights and went to bed. Shortly after, there was a knock at the door. He and his wife rushed to answer it and found their daughter, drenched in tears, asking for forgiveness. She explained that she had been in bed with a man, about to engage in something she would regret, when a strong conviction overcame her. She immediately left, picked up her belongings, and ran straight home.

Joshua was a strong leader, chosen by God to lead the children of Israel. However, to Moses he was much like a son. Raising his hands in prayer wasn’t just a symbol of reliance on God but also of spiritual covering. Moses was there to stand in the gap, just as parents, mentors, and pastors do in the lives of those they lead or care for.  Fathers, your children need you to stand in the gap for them, lifting your hands in prayer before God. Same goes with pastors and leaders. Schools, workplaces, and marriages are spiritual battlegrounds, and your intercession is crucial. The prayers of those in right standing with God can change the course of events and spare many lives.  A powerful biblical example of this is found in Genesis 18 when Abraham learned that God was on His way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Knowing his nephew Lot lived in Sodom, Abraham immediately pleaded with God, standing in the gap, and petitioning for mercy. Abraham's prayers spared Lot's life.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them – Psalm 34:7

God's angels play a crucial role in guarding and protecting us (2 Kings 6), comforting, and strengthening us (Luke 22:43), guiding, and ministering to us (Hebrews 1:14) throughout our daily lives. They do all of this at God's command, not ours. This means we don’t need to direct the angels—God does. They are at work whether we are awake or asleep. The Bible is filled with references that describe their roles, abilities, and limitations.

 One example is found in Daniel 10, which illustrates the connection between prayer and angelic intervention. In that chapter, we see the angel Gabriel engaged in spiritual warfare. As Daniel persisted in prayer, God sent angelic reinforcements to assist Gabriel, ultimately leading to victory. Gabriel was finally able to deliver the message to Daniel and explain the spiritual battle that had occurred. This victory was made possible because Daniel continued to pray and wait expectantly on God. As believers, it's important to understand that in spiritual warfare, it is the Lord who fights for us, commanding His angels on our behalf. While angels operate under God's authority, fighting for us in realms we don’t have access to, Christ has granted us power and authority in the earthly realm to cast out and rebuke evil spirits in His name. (Mark 16:17)

Unfortunately, many Christians misunderstand this. I've often heard believers pray as if they can engage directly with demons and principalities in heavenly realms. They refer to terms like "second heaven warfare" or engaging in battles in the spiritual world. However, the Bible does not teach that we have access to those heavenly realms or that we should engage in spiritual warfare there. That domain belongs to God and His angels.  Our authority as redeemed believers is on earth. Christ has given us authority here on earth to cast out unclean spirits in His name. Again, this authority is exercised here on earth, just as Jesus did when He walked among us. Our role is to stand firm in the authority given to us, not to overstep into spiritual realms that God alone commands. we are empowered through Christ to stand firm, rebuke, and resist evil, but only within the boundaries set by Scripture. It’s one thing to understand your authority, and another to know how to effectively exercise it.

When we pray, we are exercising our priestly role.  

Prayer is taking matters before the throne of God and bringing our petitions and sacrifices before Him, just as priests in the Old Testament did. Prophets, on the other hand, listen for God's word and deliver it to the people. As believers, we are called to both roles. 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us of our identity: "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."  Moreover, Revelation 5:9-10 says that Christ has "redeemed us to God by His blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and has made us kings and priests to our God."

When you pray, you stand before God as a priest. Revelation speaks of a golden bowl filled with incense, which symbolizes your prayers, presented before God's throne. Your time in prayer matters greatly to God. He takes it seriously, so should you!