The Burning Altar - 14 Days of Calling the Church to PraySample

Tearing Down Strongholds Through Prayer

“Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness.”- John Piper

Every believer is engaged in a spiritual battle. The enemy builds strongholds—patterns of thinking, cycles of sin, and systems of oppression that seek to keep God’s people bound. These strongholds may appear unshakable, but they cannot withstand the weapons God has placed in our hands. Especially the powerful weapon of prayer.

Prayer is not weak words cast into the air; it is spiritual warfare ordered with heavenly authority. When we pray, we do not fight in our own strength, but in the power of the risen Savior and the power of His name—Jesus! In prayer, lies are dismantled by truth, fear is shattered by faith, and darkness is driven back by the power of God’s Word.

Strongholds are not only personal; they can grip families, confuse individuals, and distort the direction of a church. Generational bondage, cycles of violence, and spiritual blindness are all strongholds the enemy uses to resist God’s purposes and to hold His people captive. Yet, when the people of God rise in united, fervent prayer, these strongholds begin to crumble. Just as Jericho’s walls fell at the sound of obedience and the shout of faith, so every wall of resistance must fall before the outcry of a praying church!

Do not underestimate the power of your prayers and communion with God. In the unseen realm, your intercession uproots lies, breaks chains, and clears the way for God’s kingdom to advance. Where strongholds have stood for years, prayer can bring a sudden breakthrough in seconds. Where the enemy has built fortresses of deception, prayer tears them down brick by brick until nothing remains but the victory of Christ Jesus!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I thank You that You have given us mighty weapons through prayer. By the authority of Jesus’ name, I tear down every stronghold of fear, doubt, addiction, and unbelief in my life and in the lives of those around me. Break the chains the enemy has forged, and let Your truth set captives free. Teach me to pray with boldness, persistence, and faith, until every stronghold falls and Your kingdom reigns in power. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. What strongholds in my own life need to be confronted and torn down through prayer?
2. Are there generational or community strongholds I need to intercede against?
3. How can I grow in persistence so that I do not stop praying until the walls fall?