Prayer Warrior: An Oxymoron?

Like me, if you claim to be Christian, you have probably seen the term “prayer warrior” a lot in the past year or so—in church bulletins and newsletters, articles in religious publications, print or digital. I recently came across the term “spiritual warrior” in a story I was reading.

Although “spiritual warrior” doesn’t bother me quite as much as “prayer warrior,” I find both of these terms jarring and offensive.

How has prayer become about fighting and killing enemies?  Yes, I know there is much of that in the Old Testament.  I also know that American culture today has become all about fighting and dividing ourselves into good and evil camps with righteous and militant soldiers in each.

I also know that Christianity has been “militarized” for a long time.  As a teenager, I sang a high energy song with the words “Onward, Christian Soldiers, marching as to war, with the Cross of Jesus going on before.”

Holy militarized liturgy, Batman! What does this language say about our image of God or even the teachings of Jesus?  Remember Matt 26:52 in which Jesus said to Peter: “Put away your sword. . . Those who use the sword will die by the sword?” Then there is all that “love your enemies” and the “least shall be first” stuff in the gospels as well.

Sure, the “prayer warriors” will tell you that the term doesn’t refer to real killing, but only to “storming” (another military term) Heaven with our prayers.  Well, without questioning your good intentions, I would humbly submit to you that language matters!

When we ask God to help us fight our enemies (which is what prayer warriors do, I assume), we are once again, as we do so often, worshipping—if only in the language we use—a god of our own invention. And that is idolatry. God is a lover, not a fighter. Hence, the Cross, which we transform into a sword all too often.

So let’s take our “prayer warriors” off the front lines of conflict and return then to home and field, where they can say their prayers more lovingly without their uniforms on—and perhaps beat those swords into plowshares on the weekend.

Jesus would like that.