We love our church and we know we should be praying for it. But often, we find ourselves at a loss for how to pray more than, ‘Dear God, bless my church and our pastor. Amen.’

In fact, we get so familiar that we almost forget its deep and rich purpose in our city as a lighthouse; consequently, we forget there is a very real enemy on the prowl, looking to devour that purpose and replace it with insignificance and chaos. But we are not defenseless.

Here are ten ways to pray over your church, pray against the plans of the enemy, and invite God to do extraordinary work in and through your church. 

1. Ask that God would provide protection:

Firstly, I ask that you would protect our church, surrounding it with guardian angels, and preventing darkness to have its way in the doors of our lobby. Subsequently, I pray protection for the minds of the leadership– guard them against gossip, slander, insecurity, and discord. Lord, I pray there would be holy gatekeepers spiritually covering our steps. In Jesus Name, Amen.

2. Ask that every piece of furniture be dedicated to the Lord and His service. 

Jesus, we know that you came to redeem the hearts of men, and in doing so you provided the Holy Spirit to come and live amongst us. Therefore I pray, Holy Spirit, that you would find a home in our church– make yourself comfortable in our furniture, at the coffee urn, and everywhere a person comes in contact. Allow our church to be a thin place, a space where heaven and Earth come close. Lastly, we dedicate our inanimate objects to you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

3. Ask God’s anointing on these physical facilities.

Jesus, I ask that you would give our church leadership team wisdom and divine insight into the physical facilities on our church campus. In like fashion, I pray that plumbing, electricity, kids’ areas, production equipment, gas, and irrigation would be functioning and working together to serve our community. Anoint our facilities team, that they would hear from you on simple or complex tasks, reducing overhead costs so we can contribute to the needs of the community even better. We thank you for your anointing of the building. In Jesus Name, Amen.

4. Ask that the Holy Spirit’s presence would strongly affect and stir the hearts of every individual that comes into the room (for which you are praying).

Lord, I pray that you would begin working on the hearts of those who will be in attendance at church this week. Markedly, stir their hearts during worship, and complete work in them in worship that you are stirring in them even now. I pray every individual who joins us this weekend would be strongly affected by your closeness, and holy revelation would engage them in scripture like never before. We ask this in your Holy son’s Name, Jesus, Amen

5. In Jesus’ name, smash the enemy’s strategies, footholds or strongholds developed for those who would enter the room.

Lord, I come against the enemy’s strategies against every person in the room. Likewise, I pray against strongholds, distractions, insecurities, mental and physical illness, and any life-controlling problem that would prevent a person from encountering you in our worship service this weekend. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen

6. Bind the enemy in the name of Jesus from each room and the entire church campus.

I bind the enemy in the lobby, bathrooms, and main auditorium. The enemy’s schemes in every kids and youth area have no foothold, in every office, and every parking lot space. Finally, I proclaim that Satan is restrained from our church’s property in the name of Jesus.

7. Give full agreement to the Holy Spirit for what He desires to accomplish in the lives of those who would come on to the church campus.

Holy Spirit, I welcome you to our church’s plans. I welcome you to change our plans and anoint our steps as we desire to seek and find the living God as a community of believers. In addition, reveal Yourself from your Word, bring wholeness of our hearts, and nearness to our Father God. Finally, we are in full agreement with what you want to accomplish in us this weekend, oh God.

8. Prohibit any of the enemy’s strategies from being successful.

I prohibit the enemy’s strategies from being successful. Take captive our thoughts, and I ask that God you would guard my heart, as I know many of the enemy’s strategies begin inside of Your people’s minds. Similarly, I dedicate myself to you mind, body, and soul, and we prohibit any visitation of the enemy, in Jesus’ name.

9. Ask for God’s forgiveness and release from any sin or wrongful words that transpired in this place.

Lord, I plead forgiveness for the times I used your house of prayer as a place of gossip and strife. In contrast, use my words to encourage fellow believers, and build up the saints as a safe house in a community filled with darkness and chaos. God, I pray you would help us to communicate, with integrity, and in your Holy name alone.

10. Ask that God’s presence would inhabit and consume this place.

And finally Lord, I ask you to come. Thank you for your promise to transform me and renew my mind when I come to you with an open heart. In the same way, I declare Your words into our broken places, and I exchange my brokenness for my adopted sonship in your presence. Holy Spirit, where I’ve lost sight of you, please realign me and consume my worship and prayers. Come and live in this place. I embrace your fullness in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Adapted from Biltmore Baptist Church, Ashville, North Carolina.  Used with permission.

About the blogger

Cheryl Sacks is the best-selling author of The Prayer Saturated book series: The Prayer Saturated Church, Prayer-Saturated Kids, and The Prayer Saturated Family—How to Change the Atmosphere in Your Home through Prayer. Her newest book, Reclaim a Generation, 21 Days of Prayer for Schools, will be available soon at ReclaimAGeneration.com

Finally, you can learn more about Cheryl and her husband Hal’s work at PrayerSaturated.life and BridgeBuilders.net.