CSPAR

Command

Versus Petition

Once a prayer warrior starts moving with the power of Christ, it will be necessary to discern when it is appropriate to use the prayer of command and when it is necessary to use a prayer of petition. According to John 12:31, Satan is the ruler of this world. The devil and his vast army of fallen angels have the God-given right to test people’s hearts by tempting them to sin. If a prayer warrior tried to take authority over the entire world and command all evil into the lake of fire, then his command would not be effective, because evil has the right to prowl around looking for the ruin of souls.

Saint Paul had the right to cast a spirit of divination out of the slave girl because she
was interfering with his ministry. Saint Paul could have commanded all demonic
spirits of divination to be cast into the lake of fire, but his command would
not have been effective, because Saint Paul didn’t have authority over the
entire world. The devil has the right to tempt psychics in every generation, and
when one of them accepts a spirit of divination, then that spirit has the right
to enter and remain in that person’s life.

Saint Paul only had authority over his own life, sphere of influence, and ministry
assignments. Once the slave girl crossed the line and started interfering with
his ability to proclaim the Gospel message, then Paul was able to use his
authority in Christ to cast the demonic spirit out of the girl. If the slave
girl had kept to herself and was minding her own business, then Paul would not
have had the right or the ability to cast an evil spirit out of her.

In the same way, a modern-day prayer warrior can take authority over evil only when it has violated his own sphere of influence. When evil attacks a person’s health, livelihood, and ministry endeavors, he can take authority over the attack by
commanding the evil spirit to depart in Jesus’ name. When the demonic influence is outside of a prayer warrior’s sphere of influence, then he cannot take authority over it by using a command, but only by praying for God’s
intervention through a petition.