This is such a strange thing to say. If you don’t have an in-depth understanding of the power of prayer, you may miss this one. When I first heard it, I just thought it was another thing Nigerian Christians say. If you are familiar with African Christianity, you know one thing they don’t play about is prayer. And not that steady voice group reciting of prayer. They do fire on the mountain prayer, casting down their enemies, shaking the devil, and open out the windows of heaven to pour me out blessings prayer. It is passionate, often loud, shocking, and authoritative. There are many valid critiques you can give about religion on the African continent, but there is no lack of prayer.
So initially, I dismissed my mom saying,“Pray so you don’t have to pray.” But the phrase would not dismiss me. It held on to me refusing to let go until I understood and it became a part of me. As I grew in faith and studied prayer more deeply, a book I read by Dr. Myles Munroe, revealed the spiritual intelligence behind my mom’s words.
In his book Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer, Dr. Myles Munroe defines prayer as “man giving God the legal right and permission to interfere in Earth’s affairs.”
When I first read that, I paused. I thought, Does God need our permission to do anything? Isn’t He sovereign?
The answer, like most things in the kingdom, lives in the tension of both/and. On one hand, of course not, God is omnipotent. He can do whatever He wants, however He wants, whenever He wants. But on the other hand, absolutely, because God, in His divine order, chose to give humanity dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). With that dominion came free will.
Prayer, then, becomes the legal and relational mechanism by which we invite Heaven’s authority into Earth’s activity. It’s how we align divine sovereignty with human stewardship. Dr. Munroe explains that prayer isn’t just about asking for things, it’s about activating alignment. It is the spiritual transaction where the physical and supernatural intersect. When we pray, we’re not just releasing words into the atmosphere, we’re shifting atmospheres, authorizing divine movement, and positioning ourselves in agreement with God’s will.
So when my mommy said, “Pray so you don’t have to pray,” she wasn’t saying don’t pray when trouble comes. She was saying: Pray now. Build up spiritual equity. So when the storm hits, you’re already anchored. When life starts to shake, your prayers don’t have to start, they just have to activate.
A lot of people shy away from prayer because they don’t know what to say or they feel like God isn’t listening. But trust me: He hears you.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing.” I used to think that was an excessive instruction, until I realized life is more spiritual than I knew. Now I teach my Bible study students: There is always something to pray about.
We live so caught up in our own experience, many of us have no idea how much God is protecting us from, seen and unseen. I also teach that many people are living off the prayers of family members who came before them, still reaping the favor those loved ones gained with God. That is spiritual equity at work. The divine thing about spiritual equity is: it doesn’t just activate for you. It can cover the people around you. It can reach forward into the lives of those who come after you.
Think about it like this: When you pray, you’re not just asking God to move. You are building a storehouse. A spiritual vault. And when the time comes, you or someone connected to you can draw from what you’ve deposited.
If I could draw you a picture to help you understand this, I’d ask you to imagine yourself standing alone in the center of a massive football stadium. Or so you think you’re alone.
You’re standing on the field, exposed. Suddenly, the stands begin to fill. Section by section, people take their seats, only they didn’t come to cheer. They came to attack. One section is full of people booing. Another has tomatoes. Another is holding heavy balls to throw at you. It gets worse when you see some have bows and arrows. Others sit casually with guns, locked and loaded, with what looks like an endless supply of ammunition.
And all of them? Focused on you.
You look around. There’s no escape. The exits are blocked by even more people, ready to cause harm. You feel cornered. Helpless. on. Looking at their angry faces, arrogant smirks, their confidence in getting you is making you nervous as you determine there is no where to go.
Then, it starts.
The first tomato is thrown, and the others follow. You brace yourself. You know it’s coming. But… nothing lands. You see them flying toward you, but they fall short. A few come close, but not one touches you.
That frustrates the crowd. Now the heavy objects are launched. Arrows are shot in your direction. Still, nothing. You watch in confusion as each one misses, gliding over you or falling to the ground. Then come the bullets. You hear faint shots. You see tens of thousands of projectiles coming your way. It should be over.
Yet still, nothing touches you. Now you’re standing there asking yourself: How am I still here? How am I untouched? What happened? It’s just you standing there. Or is it?
What you do not see is that in the spirit realm it’s not just you. You are surrounded by protection:
- Your prayers
- The prayers of your family and friends
- The whispered “God bless you” from the homeless man you gave food to
- The silent tears of a stranger you smiled at when they were deciding whether to keep going
- The intercession of generations you’ve never met
All of it, spiritual equity activated.
Even when those blocking the exits charge toward you, they trip. They fall. Their own plans collapse in frustration. As you look around the stadium, you notice something else: Some of the people who aimed to destroy you have been destroyed by their own weapons. The arrows they meant for you came back to pierce them. The bullets they fired boomeranged and hit their own camp.
That came from a day you didn’t feel like praying so all you did was whisper,“God, I love You. Protect me.”
That’s spiritual equity. It doesn’t always feel loud. You may not be able to see it. But it is always there and position to work.
Pray scared.
Pray doubtful.
Pray confused.
Pray when you feel unworthy.
Pray for forgiveness.
Pray when you’ve had a strange dream or a nightmare.
Pray when everything is going great.
Pray when you’re angry with God.
Pray when you feel like you’re the reason the devil came to sit down for dinner.
Pray when you’re walking strong.
Pray when you realize you’re a sinner.
Pray broke.
Pray rich.
Pray happy.
Pray sad.
Pray for protection.
Pray for direction.
Pray for yourself.
Pray for your friends, your family, your leaders.
Pray over your house, the spaces you enter, your city, your state, your country.
Whatever it is—please, pray.
Because when you don’t, you leave yourself and your generation open. Not like a door left unlocked. Like a door left wide open.
And here’s the thing: If you do not activate your God-given dominion, you are living under someone—or something—else’s.
That door you’ve left open?
You have no idea what can walk through it.
And because there’s no forced entry, you might not even notice when it arrives.
But eventually, you will feel its influence.
You will see its fingerprints.
In your most private places.
So please, I beg you:
Pray so you don’t have to pray.
If you’ve never prayed, it’s not too late.
Start today.
