What Is A "Prayer Warrior"?

* * * I need to make a statement clarifying a false image of me that some have.

This morning, someone asked me to pray for a situation ....because I'm a "prayer warrior."
I'm not. And I felt conviction letting the person think something of myself that I'm not. Which led me to investigate why I felt conviction.

Let me explain...

What is a "prayer warrior"? I've been mulling this over in my mind all morning.

Well, when you hear the word "warrior," you have to think of an armed enemy that you go out against. I learn from the Old Testament stories that Israel was to go out armed against their enemies ONLY when the Lord told them to. That means if you tackle an enemy without God sending you, you will be defeated or painfully wounded in the battle.

Just yesterday my Bible reading happened to be the battle at Ai which Joshua took upon himself to wage, and Israel was soundly defeated. There was a reason for that. Joshua didn't know that there was sin in the camp, and that fact led him and his army to a stinging defeat. But worse than that, he did not ask the Lord before going out. He was greatly emboldened by his previous victory at Jericho, so he just ran out against Ai. And he was soundly defeated.

I see two principles here:

1. If there's sin in the camp, you risk a sound defeat and possible deep wounding.

2. Joshua didn't wait on the Lord, he went out rashly. That brought devastation upon the Israeli army.

I think we need to pay strict attention before we rashly call ourselves, or allow ourselves to be called, "prayer warriors." I pray. But I do not move against the enemy except in the rarest of instances when the Lord leads me to. Therefore, I do not call myself a prayer "warrior."

Two people asked for prayer this morning and in both cases I prayed. I did NOT address or confront the enemy, because I've learned through very painful experiences, and I mean dangerously painful experiences, not EVER to do that unless the Lord himself leads me to.

So please do not call upon me as a "prayer warrior," because I'm not. I pray, I intercede, but I do not confront the enemy.