19 Characteristics of a Prayer Warrior

19 Characteristics of a Prayer Warrior: List of Traits, Biblical Examples, Scriptures, Quotes, & Sermons

What is a Prayer Warrior?

A prayer warrior is a person who is devoted to prayer. They pray for others, and they choose to respond to life situations (positive and negative) by praying. They use prayer to fight the spiritual battles that are going on in their lives and in other people’s lives.

Is there a Difference Between a Prayer Warrior and an Intercessor?

No, they can be called the same thing. An intercessor is simply someone who prays on behalf of someone else, an event, or resolution – oftentimes when someone else is going through a crisis.

What are the Traits / Qualities of a Prayer Warrior?

Below is a list of the characteristics of a prayer warrior. No one does all of these things perfectly, these are just some of the traits that a prayer warrior could display.

They have a heart for prayer, they are very devoted to it. They pray on behalf of others when there is an opportunity.
They serve others – they look out for their needs and put them first.
They are able to identify the lies of Satan, who is the father of lies (see John 8:44).
They are intentional about taking negative thoughts captive (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).
They recognize that many battles are spiritual and that there is a very real adversary behind them (see Ephesians 6:12). They know that the best way to fight the spiritual war is by getting down on their knees.
They have a strong faith and a strong conviction in what they are praying.
They spend time reading the Bible (because they know what God’s Word says, they are better able to pray for His will to be done).
They take the time to meditate on scripture (they make a space where they can be still and hear God speak).
They praise the Lord continually, even in the midst of life’s difficulties.
They speak words that give life. Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” They often quote scripture when they pray.
They are intentional about putting on the full armor of God (see Ephesians 6:10-18).
They pray fervently, passionately. They are constantly looking for opportunities to pray.
They are consistent, persistent and relentless. They don’t consider giving up.
They don’t let their feelings or circumstances drive their decisions.
They know it’s important to be humble and obedient so their prayers won’t be hindered.
They are quick to admit a mistake so they can continue on with God’s plan.
They are patient. They know that all things happen in God’s perfect timing (Ecclesiastes 3:1) and that God will work everything out for their good (see Romans 8:28).
They have hope and joy, and they look forward to seeing God’s will come about.
They aren’t attention-seekers. They want to give God the glory.

Silhouette prayer warrior kneeling and praying outside

Who Could be Considered a Prayer Warrior?

We can all be prayer warriors if we choose to be. Prayer is a spiritual weapon, and we are all called to pray.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you can be called a prayer warrior (the term prayer warrior is a label).

You don’t have to concern yourself with “becoming” a prayer warrior because you are one already (you may just need to grow more in the area of prayer).

Our relationship with God determines how powerful of a prayer warrior we are. The more time, effort, and energy we put into the relationship, the stronger it will be.

God doesn’t judge our prayers by how long they are, if we use fancy words, or how “good” our prayer sounds.

Even if you think that you aren’t very good at praying, rest assured that it’s okay because the Holy Spirit intercedes on your behalf (see Romans 8:26-27).

Strengthening your prayer life is a journey, and none of us will ever get to the point of having perfected it.

It takes practice, but by making it a priority and by being intentional, you can surely display the characteristics of a prayer warrior!

The only reason prayer is powerful is because of Who we are praying to.

Some Biblical Prayer Warrior Examples

Jesus the Christ: The Ultimate Prayer Warrior – Jesus is the only one who displayed all of the characteristics of a prayer warrior while on earth. Prayer was incredibly important to Him.

There are many instances in the Bible where we read about Him going off somewhere to pray. Being in constant communication with His Father was the way He lived.

He gave us the model prayer (see Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4). He said prayers fervently and with a great sense of urgency.
Moses: The Bible says that Moses was very meek (see Numbers 12:3). As a leader of Israel, Moses’ desire was to to see the presence of God with him and his people. When Moses prayed, he listened for God’s voice.

He often prayed intercessor prayers in order to bridge the gap between God and Israel or a person.

Quick to forgive, Moses prayed for his sister Miriam to be healed immediately after she became leprous for speaking ill against him (see Numbers 12:1-13).
Paul the Apostle: We see many instances in scripture where Paul emphasized the importance of praying. He often mentions in his letters that he is praying for others.

Even when he was wrongly imprisoned, he was thinking of others and saying prayers for them. He was very committed to prayer.

He wrote the following to the Ephesians: “I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.”
Job: He was a very wealthy man, a man of prayer with complete integrity. Satan asked God if he could test Job in order to prove that Job’s devotion was only due to his wealth.

Job experienced many great losses (all of his possessions, his family, and ultimately his health”. Job’s friends tried to tell him that there had to be a reason these things happened and that it must be related to Job’s “guilt.”

In the end, Job chose not to curse God and to pray for his friends. After that, God blessed Job by doubling his belongings and giving him a new family.
King David: A warrior and called a man after God’s own heart (see Acts 13:22), there are many instances in scripture where we see David ask God for guidance before making a decision.

We also see him praying for forgiveness. He wrote many of the Psalms, which are also prayers, because he had a desire to grow closer to God.
Hannah: She was unable to have a child for years. After being insulted by her husband’s other wife, she went to a temple to sacrifice and pray.

1 Samuel 1:10 says, “Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord.” Feeling very distressed, she chose to be vulnerable and pour her heart out to God.

She is well-known as being blessed with the prophet Samuel, along with other children.
Daniel the Prophet: He made sure that he prayed to God three times a day, even when he knew that doing so put him at risk of being thrown into the lion’s den. He was also a prayer warrior for God’s people.

When he became aware of the 70 years of captivity in store for the Israelites and the bleakness of Jerusalem, he promptly chose to pray.
Deborah – Judge and Prophetess: She encouraged the warrior Barak to summon his troops to go to battle against one of Israel’s foes. After Israel won the war, Deborah prayed a praise song (see Judges Chapter 5).

Many of us often pray for the things we want, but here we see Deborah saying a prayer of worship.
Anna the Prophetess: Luke 2:36-37 says, “She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.”

She was very dedicated!
Queen Esther: She is an excellent example of the power of communal prayer. In Esther Chapter 4, we see her choose to go before the king even though he hadn’t requested it (she risked her life by doing this!).

She did this to ask that he reverse his command to have the Jewish people murdered. She didn’t decide to immediately go before the king – we instead see her call on her uncle (Mordecai) to summon the other Jewish people for them all to pray and fast.

She knew it was of the utmost importance to pray as a group before doing anything else.
Elijah the Prophet: He leaned wholly on God, and he prayed with boldness and tenacity. He prayed fervently and expectantly – he prayed to bring glory to God.

He asked for requests to be granted so his relationship with God would be proclaimed, and he prayed because he wanted the people’s hearts to be turned back to God.
King Jehoshaphat: When the king learns that a huge army is marching against him, he immediately turns to the Lord for guidance. Because of this, they have success in defeating the foes.

When we are faced with a problem, we can be in the habit of first thinking about what “we” can do about it. How much better off we would be if we promptly talked to God about it!
Jeremiah the Prophet: He was persistent and prayed for many years on behalf of his people. He could have given up, but he never stopped trying to make reparation for the people.

Each of these examples show one or more characteristics of a prayer warrior, and there are more examples to be found in the Bible.

Prayer warrior girl praying with hands folded and eyes closed

Prayer-Related Bible Verses

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 1 Timothy 2:1
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18
I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. Mark 11:24-25
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Philippians 4:6
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2
But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26

Prayer Quotes

If you want that splendid power in prayer, you must remain in loving, abiding union with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Charles Spurgeon

As prayer warriors, we must remember that no matter how hopeless a situation may appear to us, God gives us power in prayer to do something about it.
Stormie Omartian

If you long to be a mighty warrior, to do great things for the Lord, and to win the world for Him, then remember that your power is in your prayer life.
Sunday Adelaja

Prayer is the portal that brings the power of heaven down to earth. It is kryptonite to the enemy and to all his ploys against you.
Priscilla Shirer

I know of no better thermometer to your spiritual temperature than this, the measure of the intensity of your prayer.
Charles Spurgeon

In prayer you gain your strength – the power to gird yourself with armor that extinguishes every weapon your enemy wields.
Priscilla Shirer

Prayer Warrior Sermons

To watch “The Secret to Powerful Prayer” by Tony Evans, click here: YouTube.com

To watch “God Hears Your Prayers” by Priscilla Shirer, click here: YouTube.com

Characteristics of a Prayer Warrior

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Thank you, and may you show the characteristics of a prayer warrior! ❤

19 Characteristics of a Prayer Warrior