Written by Lori Seed, Legacy Coalition Board Member – This post first appeared here and is used with permission.
A spiritual battle rages for the hearts and minds of your children and grandchildren. But you can fight for them in prayer using this warfare prayer.
I know I shouldn’t worry, but Ephesians 6:12 worries me:
“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.”
A spiritual battle is raging, and just because we can’t see it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist, or that we don’t need to be aware and prayerful.
1 Peter 5:8 makes it more personal and more worrisome when you think about your grandkids:
“Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”
What are Grandparents Supposed to Do?
What are grandparents supposed to do about the spiritual battle raging around our grandchildren?
1 Peter 5:9 tells us to: “Resist him, firm in the faith.”
Paul ends the passage in Ephesians 6:18 with this admonition to pray:
“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 Lord’s people.”
A spiritual battle rages and the Bible tells us to pray and resist.
Why Pray the Believer’s Warfare Prayer?
We found the Believer’s Warfare Prayer many years ago when our children were young, tucked near the back of a book on Christian Education.
The prayer was written by Victor Matthews, an Emeritus Professor of Theology at Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary.
Every time life felt heavy, when we caught a glimpse of the spiritual battle around us, we would pull this prayer out, pray it out loud, sometimes every day for weeks, until the darkness retreated and the burden lightened.
We posted it several years ago on our sister site, PastorMentor, and it’s been downloaded over 130,000 times by church leaders around the world. People feel the need.
We want it here, on Grams & Pops, so that you can find it and pray it in your life and over your kids and grandkids.
Go ahead and pray it out loud right now. Feel free to pray it for your family members, too.
Then use the link at the end to get the download and keep it handy. This might be the most important thing you do for your family.
How to Pray the Warfare Prayer Over Your Extended Family
To be read aloud:
Heavenly Father, I bow in worship and praise before You. I cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as my protection. I surrender myself completely and unreservedly in every area of my life to You. I take a stand against all the workings of Satan that would hinder me in my prayer life. I address myself only to the True and Living God and refuse any involvement of Satan in my prayer.
(I command Satan, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to leave my presence with all of his demons. I bring the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ between Satan and myself.)
Heavenly Father, I worship You and give You praise. I recognize that You are worthy to receive all glory and honor and praise. I renew my allegiance to You and pray that the Blessed Holy Spirit would enable me in this time of prayer. I am thankful, Heavenly Father, that You have loved me from past eternity and that You sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the world to die as my substitute. I am thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ came as my representative and that through Him You have completely forgiven me. You have adopted me into Your family; You have assumed all responsibility for me; You have given me eternal life; You have given me the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ so I am now justified. I am thankful that in Him You have made me complete, and that You have offered Yourself to me to be my daily help and strength.
Heavenly Father, open my eyes that I might see how great You are and how complete Your provision is for this day. I am thankful that the victory the Lord Jesus Christ won for me on the Cross and in His Resurrection has been given to me and that I am seated with the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavens. I take my place with Him in the heavens and recognize by faith that all wicked spirits and Satan himself are under my feet. I declare, therefore, that Satan and his wicked spirits are subject to me in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am thankful for the Armor You have provided. I put on the Girdle of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Sandals of Peace, and the Helmet of Salvation. I lift up the Shield of Faith against all the fiery darts of the enemy; and take in my hand the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. I choose to use Your Word against all the forces of evil in my life. I put on this Armor and live and pray in complete dependence upon You, Blessed Holy Spirit.
I am grateful, Heavenly Father, that the Lord Jesus Christ spoiled all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly and triumphed over them in Himself. I claim all that victory for my life today. I reject all the insinuations, and accusations, and the temptations of Satan. I affirm that the Word of God is true and I choose to live today in the light of God’s Word. I choose, Heavenly Father, to live in obedience to You and in fellowship with Yourself. Open my eyes and show me the areas of my life that do not please You. Work in me to cleanse me from all ground that would give Satan a foothold against me. I do in every way stand into all that it means to be Your adopted child and I welcome all the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
By faith and in dependence upon You I put off the old man and stand into all the victory of the Crucifixion where the Lord Jesus Christ provided cleansing from the old nature. I put on the new man and stand into all the victory of the Resurrection and the provision He has made for me to live above sin.
Therefore, today I put off the old nature with its selfishness and I put on the new nature with its love. I put off the old nature with its fear and I put on the new nature with its courage. I put off the old nature with its weakness and I put on the new nature with its strength. I put off the old nature with all its deceitful lusts and I put on the new nature with its righteousness, purity, and honesty.
In every way, I stand into the victory of the ascension and glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ, whereby all the principalities and powers were made subject to Him. I claim my place in Christ as victorious with Him over all the enemies of my soul. Blessed Holy Spirit, I pray that You would fill me. Come into my life, break down every idol, and cast out every foe.
I am thankful, Heavenly Father, for the expression of Your will for my daily life as You have shown me in Your Word. I, therefore, claim all the will of God for today. I am thankful that You have blessed me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I am thankful that You have begotten me unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I am thankful that You have made a provision so that today I can live filled with the Spirit of God with love and joy and peace, with longsuffering, gentleness, and goodness, with meekness, faithfulness, and self-control in my life. I recognize that this is Your will for me and I therefore reject and resist all the endeavors of Satan and his wicked spirits to rob me of the will of God. I refuse in this day to believe my feelings and I hold up the shield of faith against all the accusations and distortion and insinuations that Satan would put into my mind. I claim the fullness of the will of God for my life today.
In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I completely surrender myself to You, Heavenly Father, as a living sacrifice. I choose not to be conformed to this world. I choose to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, and I pray that You would show me Your will and enable me to walk in all the fullness of Your will today.
I am thankful, Heavenly Father, that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, to the casting down of imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and to bring every thought into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, in my own life today I tear down the strongholds of Satan and smash the plans of Satan that have been formed against me. I tear down the strongholds of Satan against my mind, and I surrender my mind to You, Blessed Holy Spirit. I affirm, Heavenly Father, that You have not given me the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I break and smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my emotions today and I give my emotions to You. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my will today, I give my will to You and choose to make the right decisions of faith. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my body today, I give my body to You recognizing that I am Your temple. I rejoice in Your mercy and goodness.
Heavenly Father, I pray that now and through this day You would strengthen and enlighten me, show me the way Satan is hindering and tempting and lying and distorting the truth in my life. Enable me to be the kind of person that would please You. Enable me to be aggressive in prayer and faith. Enable me to be aggressive mentally, to think about and practice Your Word, and to give You Your rightful place in my life.
Again, I cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that You, Blessed Holy Spirit, would bring all the work of the Crucifixion, all the work of the Resurrection, all the work of the Glorification, and all the work of Pentecost into my life today. I surrender myself to You. I refuse to be discouraged. You are the God of all hope. You have proven Your power by resurrecting Jesus Christ from the dead, and I claim in every way this victory over all Satanic forces in my life. I pray in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ with thanksgiving. Amen.
© Victor Matthews, Emeritus Professor of Theology at Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary.
Conclusion
To recap, here’s how to pray the warfare prayer over your extended family:
- Recognize that a spiritual battle rages for the hearts and minds of your children and grandchildren.
- Decide to fight for them in prayer.
- Use this warfare prayer as a tool to guide your prayers.
Download the Believers Warfare Prayer, and we encourage you to keep it handy with you, share it with a friend, and share it on your social media.
51 thoughts on “How to Pray the Warfare Prayer Over Your Extended Family”
Thank for this beautiful prayer. Brings peace elven thou I’m a single mom I am not alone God is with me. Jesus is our everything.
Joanne I was once a single mom I’m 58 years old I made many mistakes with my children if I could do it again I would have surrendered my life to Christ and raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord unfortunately I knew the Lord but I was a worldly woman I’m now serving the lord full-time my heart is with him my children have gotten saved but they’ve been through a very dark journey because of my sin so I give you a lot of credit as a single mom raising your children in the Lord may God bless you and continue to give you supernatural strength perseverance of an eagle I pray for you as a single mom I applaud every single mom and Jesus name
Thank you for this mighty prayer against Satan and his evil workers.
Father I am so sorry I did not bring my 3 children to know you as I was raising them. I am now fully committed to God through His precious son Jesus Christ. I constantly am praying for each of my children and 2 grandchildren to accept Jesus Christ into their lives, Father God I pray that you will put Your Holy Spirit into their souls and move each of my children to claim you as their God and that they will walk all the days of their lives with Jesus Christ in their hearts. Amen
May God answer your prayers!
Father God I come unto you asking that this wafare belongs to you.
This is your fight, not ours
We need you you every day of ours Life because we can’t do this alone, So I ask u Lord God to Help me right now forever more in Life, that you take this war fare I’m going through with the enemy.. fight for your people your children I ask this in the mighty name of Lord Jesus Christ n jehovah-jireh the most high God the Creator and Lord Jesus Christ name amen..
GOD has made your stronger educate your children in GODS WORD N PRAY TOGETHER each NIGHT N you will instill a Christ Like minded attitude in them I PRAY that GOD CONTINUES TO HEAL N BLESS YOU MOVING U CLOSER TO CHRIST OUR SAVIOR KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT IN JESUS NAME AMEN SISTER U R CHOSEN IN JESUS NAME ❗🙏😇
I pray God will protect me and my family all my five children my two grandchildren my friend Dave my family members me my church families I pray for everybody all over the world I pray that Satan will go away in Jesus name I pray that we will all have good bondage with you Lord God and that no weapon formed against the shall prosper and then mighty name of Jesus protect us all father God because we love you your children always your daughter Denise
I had a massive stroke almost a year ago and it has put a strain on my family and ma and my daughter’s relationship. My prayer everyday is the lord helps her with her anger and reveal to her her worth and blessings. I have 3 amazing children and I’m a single parent as well. It’s truly tough raising kids while you’re learning how to be and becoming a woman. Having this stroke and rehabilitation on my own has been the hardest thing I have ever done but thank God for his grace and mercy I pray this prayer for my children and their future in this world.
Praying that you continue to regain your strength and mobility.
Prayers for my daughter and grandsons
Pray for my son and daughter-n-law and my grandchildren. Their family is under attack.
Pray for me for continued guidance and obedience to the Lord my God as I surrender my whole self to his will. I thank God for this prayer of protection from Satan and all his demons. And for this prayer of courage and strength and
Love and peace. Thank you Lord.
AMEN U R A CHOSEN ONE FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME IN JESUS NAME DO WHAT GOD HAS MADE YOU FOR, IN JESUS NAME AMEN
I think GOD that GOD allow you to post this for me its personal for this morning I’m going to read These words at all time I’m in a spiritual battle look for the peace of GOD THANK YOU GOD
thank you for posting these words of life for me
I need prayers for my extended family, my children, my grandchildren and Great grandchildren, and the generation to come, my brothers and sisters, their families, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and everyone we all come in contact with, please pray for us, for all situations, and circumstances of our lives. I feel attacked just watching what they are going through. I need help with praying for all of us, in the mighty powerful name of Jesus. Amen
Praying that you feel the presence and power of God surrounding you and your family.
I pray for my husband as he is being attacked with his job and some decisions that have to be made,I ask that you protect him with truth on his side and that he will prevail.
Amen and Amen 🙏
My son is being attacked by the enemy. he’s in prison and has falsely been accused of something that happened in prison that he did not do. I’m commanding Satan to take his hold away from my son. Praying and commanding through the blood of Jesus that God show favor to my baby through Warden Pope and the contra band team to make everything good for him. his name is Robert Freeman.
Praying that God will uncover the truth and protect the innocent.
You N YOUR SON R in my PRAYERS in JESUS NAME PROTECT THIS SON N HIS FAMILY JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINNS WITH DEPENDENCE WE CAN BE BLESSED YOUR SON IS MADE FOR BETTER THINGS IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME I DECLARE A HEALING N A NEW BEGINNING THREW CHRIST OUR LORD AND SAVIOR PRAISE GOD AMEN 🙏
Praying with you!
Yes heavenly father God I thank you for another morning that GOD woke me up cloth in my right mind I thank GOD, father God for a new beginning, and a fresh start this morning. My son took off in my car last night like he’s go somewhere with his friends. I went out to my garage and my car was gone. I was angry I was upset and i read the warfare prayer the word of God God gave me a piece of my mind because I placed Joshua Isaiah in the hand of God. God said that vengeance belong to God and God only so God keep me in my right now that I may please you(GOD) today when I see Joshua Isaiah it is 8:35 am in Fresno California strengthen me my GOD in my my my body and my soul
🙏🏾 🙏🏾 🙏🏾 Amen
Pray for my Son and my granddaughters that they be saved!And Pray for me too to always serve God and I continue to stay Prayed up.Teach my grandchildren the right way to live and my Son.Thanks and God Bless
Praise the Lord for finding this prayer. I have a burden for the mind of my children and grandchildren. After reading in Ephesians that we war not against flesh and blood but against the unseen evil forces of this world I knew that I had to act forcefully. I began to pray in the spirit and also began to research prayers to pray when in warfare. I came across this prayer and wow! God is so good. I have now passed it on to my daughter who has been waging a war against Satan in her life. I challenged her to pray it daily and see if she noticed a difference. God is wanting his people to rise up and be strong in prayer. We must be able to renew our minds in him and have power over the evil forces in order to contend for the faith and do the things he is calling us to in this hour! Thank you for sharing this. God bless you!
Very powerful prayer .This prayer helped me through my deliverance just when i got born again.Did a 40days fast and prayed it once daily.Got ride of sexual immorality , alcohol , smoking got alot of breakthroughs generally in finances among others… The prayer generally keeps you alert about your flesh vs spirit battles and enables you stand with the holy spirit throughout …
Am excited to find it and recite it once again ……. God bless and deliver your families
I Pray for my son nd hes wife specialy my son whu is under atack bt i b lieve the devil nd all hes kroonies is a liar i pray for ther mariage tht God mus restore thm back whr they was as a young couple in the name of Jesus. i b liev wht God has put together no man can seperate it. Whr it seems so imposible by man all things is posible by God. God is good all the time we no as hes mom nd dad we bliev tht God is goin to restore thm so we pray for each nd every mariage tht is in turmoil now tht God must touch thr mariage frm the crown of thr head tu the very soles of thr feet in Jesus name thts y its so important tht husband nd wife needs to pray together nd as parents shud u pray for ur child or children say thr names in front of God. I pray for u nd u pray for me. Amen.
Check-out Legacy Coalition’s most popular Prayer Resource: Prayers for My Grandchildren Desk Pad and Placemat https://legacy.churchgrowth.org/product/prayers-for-my-grandchildren-desk-pad-9781570524950/
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I am extremely troubled by the wording regarding “declaring” and commanding Satan to do whatever etc. WE do not tell God what to do or Satan. We are prayer warriors but it’s in petitioning God with our prayers. We are in no position to fight these battles other than on our knees and in God’s Word. This kind of language is used by those in the New Apostolic Reformation aka Bethel church in Redding or the prosperity preachers. Its another gospel.. a false one.
We agree that this a done through prayer, as it is a spiritual battle. This whole blog is a prayer addressed to God.
I asķ please pray for me
May God answer the needs of your heart and life.
Amen Ms Judy! I agree with you about this. It was so odd to see those words because I am not use to reading prayers like that. I felt like someone was telling me to Stop reading this. So I started praying to God myself and asked him for his help and his guidance to a more peaceful way to pray 🙏 with my family. So I have been searching the Bible and trying to be as close to his son, Jesus Christ. I’m doing the very best I can to keep my family together and I found out one thing about the words of the Lord, and that is we should love one another as he loves us. Love is a powerful tool to comprehend. We should express it more with first our family and then to the world. Smile more often is another way of expressing love. You don’t have to say anything! Just smile and see how many smiles back will be given back to you.
Prayer for my son for 0pen doors for i job
We are praying for your son.
Prayer for my children salvation
Bays family
My grandson is held and possessed by Satan!! He needs help and to cast out the demons immediately! Thank you! Praise God! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
We join you in praying for your grandson.
Prayer for my children salvation
Bays family
I REBUKE ANY & ALL INFIRMITIES tryna bind themselves to ur loved ones and tryna take strong holds over them and in their lives. I know that Gods in control of ALL things in our lives and by each moment and I hold strong to my faith and trust in Him that He will trample Satan under our feet for us all we have to do is merely BELIEVE HIM FOR it and claim it in Jesus name and trust that He already is Workin it out for the favor of ALL .. BY FAITH WE ARE HEALED AND WELL GOD GAVE ME THAT CRAZY KINDA FAITH FOR REASONS SUCH AS THIS AND FOR DAYS SUCH AS TODAY!! THIS VERY MOMENT SAY ALOUD NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER FATHER GOD THATS ONE OF UR MANY PROMISES!! AND TELL URSELF ITS ALREADY BEEN DONE AND JUST BE STILL, PRAY AND WAIT !! HE IS ALWAYS AN ON TIME GOD EACH AND EVERY MOMENT OF EACH AND EVERY DAY AND HE WANTS NOT 1 OF HIS LITTLE ONES LOST THAT INCLUDES U AND I AND ALL OTHERS TOO!! LET GO AN LET GOD AND SURRENDER TO HIS AUTHORITY, U CANT GO WRONG AND HE KNOWS WHAT HE is doin and He will always WIN!! PEACE, LOVE & PRAYERS TODAY AND ALL DAYS AFTER TO COME
Please pray for me and my son he is under Spiritual attack and doesn’t recognize it but I do. When I try to tell him or pray or anything He start shouting and talking loud . He had started going to Church and was so kind and pleasant and happy It just flipped . I know it’s warfare please prayer for Patrick
so very hard, please know we arejoining you in prayer.
Amazing how HIS word works today ,tomorrow and forever.
I see you posted in July and here it is Nov.8th at 5 in the morning and God used your prayer for confirmation.
I’ve been praying since 3:30a.m for my son and daughter-in-law,and believe by the blood of the Lamb that there marriage is healed.
Thank you for your diligence and prayers in Jesus name.
Amen 🙏🏽
Prayer for my daughter that God open doors for her and that her senior sign her performance papers for her hardworking in order to get her performance bonus for this year.
Thank you for the Warfare Prayer, I downloaded it, and then put it in a .doc file.
I would appreciate the prayers of faith and agreement of born-again, Ruach-filled believers for ‘ALL’ my families…
For ‘Household Salvation’, Healing for all the families; spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
[Acts 16:31-31, 2 Peter 3:9, Isaiah 54:13, Psalm 91]
…for my wife, daughters, sons-in-law, ‘all’ grandchildren, siblings, niblings, cousins, in-laws and all other relatives.
Thank you, in advance for your prayers of faith and agreement for ‘all’ my families’ salvation, healing and my own physical healing.
Thank you! and God bless you all and all your families, God protect you all, and provide all you need, so that you can be a blessing to others.
God use you all for His purposes and glory. In Yeshusa’s Name. Amen.
Praise Yahweh Almighty for this prayer, please pray for me and with me. For my daughters Tamreeka and Matia Salvation. And for Yahweh Almighty to remove my reproaches.
I truly need this with everything going on
Please pray for my daughter Lisa.
Her search foe employment has not been successful & weighs heavily on us all
We join you in praying for Lisa. May God lead her to a job.
Praise God, and thank you for this powerful prayer that gave me the privelege to speak out in the atmosphere and over myself and family. Praise God, for this powerful spiritual resource to use in the time of need.
God Bless Legacy foundation