How To Avoid Witchcraft Prayer
LIVE webinar: How to Hear God Prophetically For Yourself | May 10, 2024
LIVE webinar: What It Takes to Develop a $100,000 – $1,000,000 Income Blogging|May 18, 2024
Beloved, have you been participating in witchcraft prayer without even knowing it?
I’ve had people ask me lately to teach on spiritual protocol. Although the entirety of spiritual protocol is way too much for one blog post, I do want to delve into a subject today that is very, very important to anyone who wants to see God move in answer to prayer. That subject is witchcraft prayer.
Specifically: how do you avoid witchcraft prayer? And most importantly, how do you pray correctly such that your prayers actually get answered?
Get our free PDF Prayer to Reverse Unjust Situations when you sign up for our free email encouragement program!
we SEND OUT urgent PROPHETIC UPDATES AND ALL FREE GIFTS BY EMAIL ONLY, SO we HOPE YOU’LL LOVE our EMAIL program. BUT, YOU CAN UNSUBSCRIBE ANYTIME if not. no hard feelings.
Related: On Christian Witchcraft
First, what is witchcraft prayer?
Witchcraft prayer is any prayer that is prayed out of a desire to manipulate another person. Prayers prayed in an attempt to manipulate may sound innocent and even spiritual. But manipulation is never from God.
Some examples of manipulative prayers would be:
- “Dear God, I pray that Mr. Smith would give me that job.”
- “Father, I pray that the Jones family would give $1,000,000 to this cause. You know they have it to give.”
- “Lord, please make my husband start treating me right.”
Prayers like this are commonly referred to as witchcraft prayers becauseit’s like you’re trying to speak incantations over a person to conjure up the result you want.
Praying like this is dangerous.
It opens doors to the enemy to operate in your life, and God can’t honor a spirit of manipulation. (God honors freedom, not manipulation.) Therefore, we must avoid witchcraft prayers at all costs.
But here’s the thing: we all want results in our prayers. The entire purpose of praying is getting answers from God. So how do you pray properly so you can get the answers you desire, and that God so desperately wants to give?
The secret to effective, answered prayer is to pray in sympathy with the heart of Jesus.
[mv_video doNotAutoplayNorOptimizePlacement=”false” doNotOptimizePlacement=”false” jsonLd=”true” key=”wj6xhdymgggcxqwbhtwv” ratio=”16:9″ thumbnail=”https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/v1612382602/jyubudebce5k2sj8tl9r.jpg” title=”You’ve Been Fighting Witchcraft, And You Didn’t Even Know It” volume=”70″]
I learned this from one of my heroes, Charles Finney, the mighty revivalist of the Second Great Awakening. Finney teaches how to pray effectively in his book “Power, Passion & Prayer” (affiliate link; see details below).
Charles Finney was a mighty man of prayer. His entire ministry was fueled by prayer. Finney’s secret to answered prayer was that he prayed in sympathy with the heart of Christ.
Instead of praying just because he wanted something himself, Finney prayed for the things Jesus wanted. He looked at the heart of Jesus for a person or a situation, and he prayed for God’s will in that person/situation.
For example:
- If there was disunity in the Church, Finney prayed for unity because Christ bought and paid for unity in His Body when all His bones were ripped out of joint (Psalm 22:14).
- If a person needed salvation, Finney prayed for his salvation so that the inheritance of Christ would be fully realized (Isaiah 53:11).
- If someone needed healing, Finney prayed for their healing because Jesus bought and paid for their healing (Isaiah 53:5).
- If provision was needed, Finney prayed it in because God says His children shall not lack (Psalm 23:1).
So how would you translate this into praying for the situations you encounter every day?
1. Find out what God’s will is.
God’s will is not a mystery. It’s clearly laid out in the Bible. So find His promise, or the description of what Jesus paid for on the cross, or His admonition, and pray for that thing.
Related: How To Get Your Prayers Answered 100% of the Time
2. Pray because you want the Father’s heart to be satisfied by seeing His will accomplished on earth.
In other words:
- Pray because you want Jesus to receive His full inheritance.
- Pray because you want the Holy Spirit to not be grieved.
- Pray because you want the Father’s plan for your life to be fully manifest.
- Pray because you want God’s Kingdom and government to increase in your life and in the lives of others.
Pray the will of God, and pray the Word of God.
Here are some examples of praying the will and Word of God:
- For a husband who doesn’t treat you well: “Father, I pray that You would fill my husband with Your Spirit. Help him love righteousness and hate sin. Let him love like You love. I pray that you would give him all wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. Let him see You, love You, and honor You in everything.”
- If you need a job: “Father, I pray that You would direct my steps and bring me into the job You have for me. If this is the one, then Father, grant me favor. Be the answer of my tongue in this interview. Show me what to say and when to say it, and let me be a blessing to my employer. But if this job isn’t the one You desire for me, then I pray You’d protect me from it. No matter what, I know that it’s Your desire to bless me. Please perfect those things that concern me, and guard my steps so that Your plan will come into fruition.”
- For friends who are arguing: “Father, I pray that You would fill them with the fruit of the Spirit. Let them each exhibit Christ to one another. Let them love and prefer one another. Pour out a spirit of humility on each of them, and bring peace into this situation.”
Praying in sympathy with the Father’s heart –which is also the heart of Jesus and the Holy Spirit–is the opposite of witchcraft prayer.
Praying God’s will and God’s Word is holy praying. It will draw you closer to Christ. It will get results and effect change. It will give Papa the opportunity He needs to work His will on the earth.
Have you ever noticed the difference between praying God’s will and praying witchcraft prayers? If so, please leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
[mv_video doNotAutoplayNorOptimizePlacement=”false” doNotOptimizePlacement=”false” jsonLd=”true” key=”tc1ojopsmsjgfgr8e7nh” ratio=”16:9″ thumbnail=”https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/v1602476517/urweyko4u7fjd91prchy.jpg” title=”How to Take Communion at Home” volume=”70″]
Very good article. It changes my vision of prayer. We can’t pray out of selfishness, but pray that the Will of God may be done in our lives.
Exactly, Rafael-Olivier.
Thank you for this timely article. But I’m still kinda confused.
What 8f there is a colleague in office who is plotting against you and harnessing you. Then how do you pray??
Would really appreciate feedback on this.
God bless you
The very first thing I thought about when reading your comment (I have been there) is Matt 5:44 and then Rom 12:20. I’m sorry you are dealing with this. Stay strong in His Word.
Putting God first in our prayers and seeking His will and wish on our desires. Then He direct us. Thank you I have learnt alot
I found this article very interesting, I’ve always prayed the word over people. I have declared it over my life. Have I done everything right ? No! It occurred to me that a prayer someone prayed for me sounded a little like this, I know causeless curses don’t prosper but if that person was well meaning even if in error, do they draw attacks in your life? If so, I suppose we should cancel those words against us, they may have be spoken even if God didn’t answer. I always tell people to pray for God to show them His love.
Hi, Rebecca. Yes, even witchcraft prayers that were spoken with good intentions still carry a curse. Just speak out loud that you break those curses off yourself in Jesus’ name, and ask the Holy Spirit to cover those places with the blood of Jesus. And speak out loud that you renounce any agreement with those things, and then speak the Word of God over yourself. In my experience, you will feel the difference as you speak; you will feel that evil thing break off of you.
Wow. That’s powerful and little known of. I just broke these over myself and my family and I felt SUCH relief !! Jamie how about includzing Rebecca’s precious question and your powerful reply into the main body of the article…?
When I read Matthew 6: 1-13, I get the impression that the way one prays during ones quiet time has to be done quietly. The person living next door to me, plays loud gospel music on sunday “quiet time”, and when I complain she says she is having quiet time. Wow this is very confusing. She knows that I am a christian and is very put off when I complain saying that I of all people should understand. She refuses to read Mat 6. I call this Pseudo spiritual posturing.
Hi Norman. Thanks for reading and sharing. I would just say to that, to each his own. Romans 4:14 instructs us not to judge another’s servant, so we have to not judge their motives and let Papa deal with any wrong motives. Now if her loud music is disturbing your ability to pray, that’s a different subject, and of course it’s perfectly reasonable to ask a neighbor to turn it down in that case. But I encourage you to let God deal with her in any other areas. Sometimes people just aren’t receptive, and we can’t know their hearts anyway, so He’s the best One for the job. 🙂 Only He can convict people and truly bring about change. And until He does the work, people won’t change anyway.
Thank you for reading my blog!
Ms. Jaime’s response herein is on point from Abba Father wisdom. A question, do committed Christians want all people to experience favor, grace and the Kingdom salvation? If so we must pray as Ms. Jaime is suggesting!
Norman, there are different levels of “quiet time!” In the outer Court, it is LOUD and the flesh speaks a lot! But the closer to the Holy of Holies one gets, it gets quieter. I believe the Lord told me that “no flesh shall operate in My Presence.” 1Cor 1:29 suppprts that. All of our flesh will get burned up the closer we draw near to our Lord. When I first came to the Lord I was all about loud! Now as the seasons of my walk have matured, I am quieter. Listening to Him instead of me doing all the talking! Quiet time does not not mean necessarily to not be heard! It simply means “time with the Lord.”
Enjoy your “quiet time” too! And rejoice for the diversity of expression given to the Lord!
I love reading your blogs and I am truly blessed to have you in my life.thank you.
Anesha, thank you so much for reading! I pray Papa God would bless you exceedingly abundantly today. In Jesus’ name!
Thank you for sharing how God took you off the emotional rollercoaster. My family is going through a stressful time. My husband may be layed off, our home needs numerous repairs and we have financial problems. My emotions are very unstable right now. I am going to start praying these. Thank you!
Sorry I meant to post my comment on your post about 7 prayers to stabilize emotions. 😉
That’s ok. All good. 🙂
It helps, Marie. I still pray them myself. Last week was just an awful week for me and I was praying for help with my emotions every day. Hang in there!
Hello,My name is Tonnatte Defreitas.I have witnessed the most evil you can possibly imagine.I suffer from all kinds of emotional abuse,stalking,isolation from friends and resources,character assassination,satanic attacks of all sorts.I believe that this is a form of witchcraft.I sometimes feel like,I.dont even have my own identity.Jealousy and Envy are Capital ruling Demonic Spirits in my circle.I am seeking prayer and deliverance from this wretched and wicked history,…that I may testify and serve Jesus Christ.
Thanks
So blessed and learning a lot from your posts. I realized that I have been praying witchcraft prayers , without knowing I must say . I didn’t know I was manipulating . I have repented and asked God to forgive me. Thanks for opening my eyes. God bless you so much
Thank you for these blessed teachings Jamie, they are always helpful and insightful. I repent father for any witchcraft prayers I have prayed in Jesus name Amen
I just received this in my mail today and I know it is because my father wanted to teach me something. This has been enlightening and I have repented of every witchcraft prayer that I have prayed in the past. Thank you Jamie for being God’s vessel
Thank you Jamie. I pray God bless you and keep you.
I’ve been praying for my boyfriend to marry me….guess those are witchcraft prayers? I was a witch before I became a Christian about 40 years ago, and I know I have to be careful. Please pray for me that I won’t be doing this kind of prayer because my relationship with the Lord is very important to me…more important than my relationship with my boyfriend!
I’m really not understanding witchcraft prayers & Gods will prayers. I always pray like I’m talking to a friend. And praying that my husband treat me better is not a witchcraft prayer, its the truth. God says ask the desires of your heart & that’s my desire. I speak to God straight forward, no chaser, no manipulation, I pray like it is how I see it. And calling prayers witchcraft prayers really has me kinda confused.
Hi Kim! Great question. Praying that your husband would love you like Christ loves the church, etc is not witchcraft at all. It’s Biblical. However, examples of witchcraft prayers WOULD include things like:
-God, make that person ask me out.
-God, make my child go to college.
-God, make my boyfriend marry me.
If something specific is in God’s Word as His will for us, then praying it is not witchcraft. (E.g. “Father, send me the spouse You have for me.” “Help my husband to be inspired and motivated to work as is pleasing to You, Lord.” etc.) But when we try to enforce OUR will on someone else through prayer, even though that thing may not be GOD’S will for that person, that’s when it becomes witchcraft.
Does that help?
Jamie,
thanks for this article.I have been praying some witchcraft prayers out of ignorance,but now I know better.The will of God’s supercedes any other desires in my life.Thank you.
Hi! Jamie, this is very interesting and I would like to know what happens to individuals who use these type of prayers to force their will on another person , even when God does not approve of these types of prayers and God is not involved, are these prayers a form of spiritual thievery? For example my half sister Ariana was dating her now husband Jeremy for 9 years and he did not want to marry her and she would use these type of prayers over him even though she was not faithful to him when they were dating she was an Escort and would prostitute herself and sleep with other men for 500 dollars per night but Jeremy is a Christian and was the only guy who was able to provide the life and lifestyle that she wanted for herself she was not religious and much less a Christian but she would use these type of prayers on him to force her will over him so that he would finally marry her after nine years of dating and he did not ever find out that she was cheating on him during those nine years and sleeping with other men or that she had an abortion she says she is a Christian but has not ever been truthful to him. I would like to know if God knew that she was unfaithful why did he allow them to marry anyways? Who was involved in answering these witchcraft prayers was it God or was it the enemy Satan? What does God do when there is spiritual thievery involved when a Christian marries an unfaithful unbeliever who uses deception and witchcraft prayers to obtain what they want?
What r the prayers u pray when neighbors who are saved and some neighbors who r not saved destroy u and ur property for no reason. They believe lies about me and have broken into my apartment more than once, cut up my car, mentally messed with my dog, jimmieing to unlock the bottom lock of my door, hacked into my phone, I had to changed my number because of it. Their destruction towards me has gone on for 3 years. I pray with Kenneth Copeland Ministries prayerline sometimes almost daily and it still happens. 1Corinthians 3:17 does not make it stop and it is suppose to. What prayers do I pray?
Hi Andrea. Those prayers are called 9-1-1. Pick up the phone and file a police report. Have them arrested. Righteousness and JUSTICE are the foundations of God’s throne. Pray for your enemies, yes, but also get the authorities to enforce the law.
Hi Jamie, I divorced my husband several years ago. The Lord gave me dreams to pray for him and that God would save him and bring him home. That was almost 20 years ago. But I still pray. Is it witchcraft to pray for his salvation & God to restore my marriage and bring him home, even after the dreams I had long ago? I never thought about it being witchcraft!
I kept thinking I should fast for him, he is so lost in the world. Then I found your website. Thank you, Full of Grace.
Hi there. It’s certainly not witchcraft to pray for him to be saved. That is God’s will as clearly stated in the Bible. Regarding restoring of your marriage to him, I don’t know. Are you trying to manipulate him through your prayers? Is your ex married to someone else? If so, then yes, it is witchcraft to pray for him to be restored to you. If he is not, then I would pray “Lord, please restore our marriage to one another IF it is Your highest and best will to do so. And if You have something else better in mind for me, then please bring me into Your highest and best and most perfect will and deliver me from everything that is not Your best.”
I don’t know your situation, so I can’t be more specific than that. Hope this helps. Thank you for reading!
Lord, forgive me for any manipulative witchcraft prayers I have every spoken or wished for. I repent in Jesus’ name and by His blood I am healed. Let all I ask or think be in accordance with Your will and for Your Glory. Amen”
Thank you for this article. New to your site. I am looking for differentiation between witchcraft and godly prayers and this has been very helpful.
I have learned a lot by reading these prayers and comments and unfortunately I have been praying wrong as well thank you all so much and thank you Jamie God bless us all .
Now I know how to pray better Not in a manipulative way but in the will of God and in line with His word.
Encouraging
Thank you
Last year, I went to a church for deliverance and counselling. The male pastor was inquisitive and during the counselling session, I tried as much as possible to be open. But I noticed that this pastor was being manipulative. He started to use the information I shared with him against me. Instantly, I had to leave that church. But he still went ahead by aggressively calling and texting me ( because I’d dropped my contact details with him). Up till now, I sensed he has placed a curse( an embargo) on me through prayer. that no one else but himself would marry me. And now, I found it very difficult to marry. How can I be delivered?
Hi Grace. Great question. Break the soul tie, verbally break the curse, and renounce the relationship; and then begin speaking God’s Word over yourself about marriage.
Hope this helps!
Jamie
Thank you very much. This is helpful. God Bless you richly.
So how do you break curses like that off of you I dated a man and found out he did of this I got in church and he flee away from me. Thank you God .
I did not set up for this reading this morning. God works in mysterious ways. After praying for guidance in what plan to read this morning for the Easter season I decided on fasting and praying the right way and love like jesus. However I came across witch craft prayers and praying the right way. What an eye opener for me and brought me back to really recognizing my true love and serving for God. This has truly been an inspiration for me. Thanks for taking the time to share so much info. I look forward to getting much more closer to jesus as I continue to read the next few days in these daily devotionals and scriptures.
Oh my gosh!! Charlie I have been praying like a witch and didn’t know. No wonder I was very uncomfortable!! But I was rebuke for not being aggressive and serious. They called it being specific? What a shock!! I am going to prick some conscience for real with this! Trust me that is what I am gonna do!!
Thank you Jamie, i know i did not stumble upon your articles by accident, i know God”s Spirit led me here, cause i was feeling emotional today and also emotionally drained, so this morning i had prayed to God to order my steps, and this is how He has led me this afternoon.
So i give God our father all the glory and honour and i thank The powerful.name of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Thank you for your sharing your articles and God bless you in Jesus name i pray Amen
God bless you Jamie for this word on witchcraft prayers. After 66 years of being a Christian I have never heard about such prayers. It has opened my eyes and my heart. I to have prayed such prayers not aware of what I was doing. Tonight I start a new beginning with a new way of prayer and talking to the Father. Praise God that He is a God of forgiveness and restoration if we ask and repent.
Is there any more of your wisdom on prayer?
I appreciate you and what you do.
He showed me another lesson through one of the comments from someone else and your reply to that person. I do have a question about how to handle a situation with you. Is there a place I can email you about that. Kristina
Thank you so much for this topic. What a great revelation! Now I know why some of my prayers are not answered.
God blesses you more. You are blessed to be a blessing.
Hello Jamie,this teaching was very helpful. We perish due to lack of knowledge.Thank you so much for the dedication.
Thank God
Thank you Jamie
I sought out this very topic because as I was repeating a prayer that was led by a woman in Christ, I immediately saw an image of a dark forest with a witches brewing pot in the center and smoke all around, coming out from it. And the next moment I heard the words, “Witchcraft” being repeated loudly in my spirit. God immediately revealed that the prayers this woman was giving to be repeated were in fact witchcraft! I found your post and I’m so grateful to the Lord for your ministry! This was truly necessary for me to read. I immediately renounced the witchcraft and pled the blood of Jesus, asking for forgiveness. I did not even know this was what was happening. The Lord gave me the revelation and led me to your post!
Praise God for you!
– Elaine
Oh my! Elaine, I’m so glad the Lord used this to help you with that situation! Thank you for letting me know.
Have a wonderful day!
Jamie
I was going through a issue and I was talking to one of my cousins about it and she told me to wash my hand and salt water and just say a prayer but I didn’t do it because I didn’t know what I’d be conjuring up so is that a sign of witchcraft as well and I’m not going to do it in Jesus name
Thank you for this article, I was reading the intercessory fasting and prayer blog and clicked a link to learn more about witchcraft prayers.
Incidentally, I’ve been led on a study about witchcraft and over the past week I’ve learned so much. This information has restructured my prayer and feasting routines. God bless you Jamie, may papa God replenish you in Jesus name. Amen
Hi Jamie! I am so amazed how the Lord is answering my prayers and guiding me how to correct my mistakes. I was praying to the Lord to teach me how to Fast correctly , how to pray correctly and He answered through You of how to do it correctly. I just say thanks to the Lord for your life, for sharing God’s word with courage and so straight! God bless you infinitely! And praying for you, Warrior of God! Thanks for letting the Lord to use you as His Instrument! God bless you God Bless you GOD BLESS YOU!!! I will come back telling you my testimony in regards of my brother’s marriage restoration! Glory be to the Lord forever! 🙌
Well I want to know how to fast right
Well I want to know how to fast right and how do you cancel like witchcraft prayers to have been spoken over your life
Powerful Prayer Jamie, sometimes we pray in desperation and do not realize that we are praying witchcraft prayers. I pray to Abba my Heavenly Father that Holy Spirit would guide me to pray in the right way and God would have his way in all my situations and not my will but his will be done in my life in Jesus’ name amen
Thank You Jamie!!! Amen!! Praying God’s word and his will be done. I have learned it has never been about me!! I work for a major retailer, and it is tuff some days. I just keep smiling, being kind, helpful, and showing love. They keep coming back and thanking me.
A lot of people are going through so much right now, and they do not know that Jesus loves them! A lot of the customers I meet are not saved. I fight a lot of battles some days! I praise God every day that I have the opportunity to let my light shine!!
Your articles are so helpful!!
Jamie, thank you for this article. I had to check myself and repent for any prayers I may have prayed that weren’t fully aligned with God’s word or instructions how to pray. I thank the Holy Spirit for giving you the insight and wisdom to share this powerful and life changing information. 🙏🏽
Thankyou this is so good I shall be following these rules for prayer
Thankyou this is so good I needed advice in this area of my prayer life
I have been a Christian from a child, have prayed and served for many years, however, never have I ever been aware of this important teaching!! Thank you so much, for what I consider, much needed guidance for a healthy and effective prayer life!!
Yes, we see witchcraft word spoken in all of the adversary’s social, print and televised media. The people of Almighty God must use biblical filter tools to guard ourselves and those we love against the enemy’s witchcraft.
Hi Jamie, thank you for this article! I’m confused as to how this would fit in with praying for the desires of our heart. I always pray anything I desire from a place of first resurrendering and submitting to God aka… my desires in accordance with His will… but then we are also told to come boldly with our wants and needs. And to draw on our legal rights in Him. Now I feel worried my bold/ audacious praying at times might be accidental witchcraft. Could you speak more to heart desires and bold prayer on this topic? Thank you for your work, I’ve just discovered you!
Great question. The desires of your heart are just that–yours, but yours alone. They should not infringe on anyone else. If your desire infringes on anyone else (e.g. wanting a certain person to marry you, or wanting someone else to give you a specific job), then we have to pray, “Lord, You see that I love so-and-so and I would like him to marry me. But Father, only You know if this person is right for me, and me for him. So please lead us and guide us into Your perfect will, and deliver us from it if it’s not Your highest and best and most perfect will for our lives.” Same thing with the job.
Here’s why: You may want that job, but what if you aren’t truly a good fit for that company? Only God knows. And if you’re not the best fit for that company, then the job wouldn’t be a blessing to you–and hiring you wouldn’t be a blessing to that company.
It’s witchcraft to try to use prayer to get God to “make” anyone else do a certain thing. Just like a witch speaking incantations over a cauldron to get some specific result, so can prayer be used in an attempt to manipulate others. This is what should never happen. Prayer should always be for GOD’S perfect will. I hope this helps.
Blessings,
Jamie
Thank you Jamie God bless you you definitely has taught me a lot I’m still learning and willing to learn God bless you God bless you