PRAYER
AND SATAN

It is the great work of the devil to do his best, or rather worst, against the best prayers.

John Bunyan

Satan dreads nothing but prayer.

Samuel Chadwick

The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies/work/Christian activity. He laughs at our toil, mocks our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.

Samuel Chadwick

And Satan trembles when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees.

William Cowper

The devil is aware that one hour of close fellowship, hearty converse with God in prayer, is able to pull down what he hath been contriving and building many a year.

Flavel

Satan’s tactics seem to be as follows: He will first of all oppose our breaking through to the place of a real living faith, by all means in his power. He detests the prayer of faith, for it is an authoritative “notice to quit.” We often have to strive and wrestle in prayer before we attain this quiet, restful faith. And until we break right through and join hands with God we have not attained to a real faith at all. However, once we attain to a real faith, all the forces of hell are impotent to annul it. The real battle begins when the prayer of faith has been offered.

J.O. Fraser

Satan cannot deny but that great wonders have been wrought by prayer. As the spirit of prayer goes up, so his kingdom goes down. Satan’s stratagems against prayer are three. First, if he can, he will keep thee from prayer. If that be not feasible, secondly, he will strive to interrupt thee in prayer. And, thirdly, if that plot takes not, he will labor to hinder the success of thy prayer.

William Gurnall

Satan rocks the cradle when we sleep at our devotions.

Joseph Hall