Danger of Soulish Prayer

Scripture: James 4 v 3: "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

John 14 v 13 :  "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."


Prayer is the heartbeat of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Our prayers are conveyed to Him by the Holy Spirit and the answers come the same way. So our prayers go forth in Jesus' name and must be in accordance with His will and nature.

Sometimes we miss the mark by praying "soulish prayers". These prayers are based on OUR will for people, situations, results of elections, or ourselves. We neglect to determine God's will before we pray and most often need to cancel this type of soulish prayer before it becomes an instrument of harm.

There is a need to pray for "crop failure" for ourselves as we may have sown many negative seeds at depressed or self-destructive times in our lives. How many times have we wished we were dead and an abundant crop of death has grown. Our enemy is only too delighted to encourage this negativity.

It may not result in physical death yet but it affects our lives by breathing death on our relationships, finances, careers, children, health, lifestyles. The desire for death grows with each failure. Jesus says in John 10 v 10: "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Abundant means full; more than enough; flourishing. Jesus wants every good thing for us. He died so we could live. So we need to pray that He would destroy our backlog of negative prayers that are a hindrance to this abundance.

Soulish prayers also consist with agreeing with the wrong opinions of worldly experts. Even doctors who only rely on carnal knowledge, no matter how sophisticated, when they diagnose ailments. They have no knowledge or understanding of the spiritual realm. 

The woman with the issue of blood had spent every penny she had on physicians for many years. In a single moment she was completely loosed of her infirmity when she put her faith in Jesus and just touched the hem of His garment. Jesus felt the healing power go out of Him and asked who had touched Him whilst He was in the middle of a crowd.

It was the touch of Faith He felt and wanted to see who had that much faith.  I once felt 'virtue go out from me' when a woman of Faith asked me to pray for her children dying of AIDS.  I asked for their names and as she gave me that information I felt this powerful anointing flowing away from me.  I knew without a shadow of doubt this formerly bedridden couple were healed.  When Anna reached home her son and daughter in law were totally healed and already applying for jobs.  

Jesus holds the keys to hell and death which means that He has the final decision to make on who goes where and when. He should have a say in every decision of our lives too. Where we live, work and play should be subject to His will and authority. When it is, we receive answers to our prayers that bless us even if the answer is NO.

Soulish prayers put restraints on God's dealing with us. We put out fleeces like Gideon. God if you make it rain I will know you want me to get divorced. There is no way God gets any glory out of choices like that. You cannot play spin the bottle concerning deep issues in your life.

Many years ago South Africa was in the grip of a severe drought while a neighbouring country was suffering cyclones and floods. There was a national day of prayer.  My 6 year old son prayed with me and said, Mom I see a vision of our country and in the sky above is a thick sheet of glass. Water is falling on the glass and running off the edge. 

He had no knowledge of the neighbouring cyclone over Mozambique.  We prayed for the glass to break over South Africa. The next day, without a cloud in the sky, there was a thundercrack and a sudden hailstorm but no rain. My son said, Mom the glass is broken now! And so it was because within days the rain started to fall.   This was a prayer initiated by God through a vision to a small boy, and which brought glory to Him.

Soulish prayers commonly have selfish intent "that you may spend it on your own lusts". So be careful what you pray concerning yourself. These selfish prayers become a barrier to true prayer as when they go unanswered you begin to believe God does not answer prayer.  

Perhaps there is a broken relationship and your ex is now with someone else leaving you feeling hurt, rejected, used and jealous.  Soulish feelings that may lead to prayers that could cause harm.  This is equivalent to invoking a curse upon that person and is definitely not sanctioned by God.  Our enemy can use it to create torment and pain, but you need to repent and take back those words as what you do to others will be done to you.

So to know your prayers are heard and answered first determine God's will for that person or situation before you pray about it. God may show you a vision or give you a verse of scripture or speak into your heart to show you what you need to pray. It will be heard and the answer will come.

Prayer: Heavenly Father forgive me if I have ever carelessly or deliberately prayed in a soulish way for anyone or any situation.  I take back my words and cancel every word.  Please blot them out with the Blood of Jesus.  Lord I pray for crop failure for any and every bad seed I may have sown that is causing me to pay a price in my spiritual, emotional, physical life that I have no memory of.  
I pray a blessing and full restoration on whomsoever has ever been hurt by any soulish prayer of mine.  I repent of these prayers and will never pray amiss again.  In Jesus' name. Amen.