As a prophetic intercessor, my regular prayer time usually involves listening to the Holy Spirit and praying what is on His agenda moment by moment; however, there are a few things I’ve chosen to pray for every single day. I start my mornings with them and often return to them again before I close my eyes at night.
This list has grown over the years, as I have learned and grown. I hope these prayers will encourage you and impact your heart the way they continue to impact mine.
Psalm 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust”‘ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall find protection; His faithfulness shall be your shield and wall. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day; nor of the pestilence that pursues in darkness, nor of the destruction that strikes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling, there shall be no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your tent; for He shall give His angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, and I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation (Ps. 91:1-16).
Many years ago, as I was writing my book, Possessing the Gates of the Enemy, I studied about the power of praying Psalm 91. I was particularly struck by outstanding stories I read of God’s supernatural protection over soldiers as they recited this psalm on the battlefields of World War I and II.
According to a few commentators, some Jewish rabbis believe that this psalm was intended to be read in case of demonic attacks. I have embraced their insight and find myself turning to these words every time it feels like the enemy’s activity is increasing.
Each day, I pray this psalm over my family members by name, over our home and over our GI staff and their families. I include other people whenever the Lord leads and even extend it to geographic areas at times.
Last fall, I was preaching during a time of pretty intense spiritual warfare, but I had become slack in claiming these promises. I ended up falling in Jerusalem and fracturing my foot! It was a sobering reminder to be more diligent, especially in seasons of very important spiritual assignments.
The Peace of Jerusalem
We are scripturally commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps. 122:6). In fact, there is a promise that those who do so will be blessed and those who do not will be cursed. The Lord loves this important city and wants all of its inhabitants to be safe and blessed.
Power for Miracles and Souls
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
This passage promises the power of the Holy Spirit. One day, it occurred to me that, since I long to see a new level of anointing as I minister, I should pray this verse daily.
I definitely saw an increase in power as I was faithful to declare these words. In fact, shortly after I started aggressively pursuing the promise, I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, ministering to the sick, and powerful creative miracles broke out. Metal rods, pins and screws were turning to bone, or God was healing people’s bodies so they didn’t even need the metal anymore. For instance, people with rods down their backs could suddenly bend and touch their toes. You should have seen the look of joy on their faces!
The Prayer of Jabez
“Then Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh, that You would indeed bless me and enlarge my territory, that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that it may not bring me hardship!” So God granted what he asked” (1 Chr. 4:10).
Years ago, after I read The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkerson, I decided to do my own study on this passage. At first, I had a bit of a hard time praying that God would bless me. It seemed rather self-serving and not very humble, but gradually, I realized that if I was blessed, then I could bless many other people.
Perhaps the most noticeable shift in my life from this prayer is the amount of favor I have received. Many doors of influence opened for me worldwide, including significant doors with heads of state.
The Power to Get Wealth
“But you must remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to get wealth, so that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is today” (Deut. 8:18).
Theologically, I always believed this verse was for me; I knew that if I had wealth, then I would be able to help establish God’s covenant in the earth. But I had never systematically decreed for Mike and me to receive the power to get wealth.
Since this is a promise given to God’s people under the Abrahamic covenant, I realized I needed to claim it for my life. I started doing this around six months ago, both personally and for the ministry. Since that time, our staff has been moving on a new level of ideas to release blessings to us. I also believe that those who give to Generals International will be blessed as well.
These five prayers are not merely ritual or routine. They have become daily bread—God’s promises to sustain me through all times and seasons.
I am encouraging you to ask God for your own daily bread. What are the promises of God that you need to claim each and every day? You will be delighted at the new level of authority, favor, protection and answers you will receive from Him as you faithfully decree His word over your life. {eoa}
Cindy Jacobs is an author, speaker and teacher with a heart for discipling nations in the areas of prayer and prophetic gifts. She and Mike—her husband of 43 years—co-founded Generals International in 1985.
This article originally appeared at generals.org.
