“Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
As a pastor, I often get asked for advice about what to do when prayer gets hard.
First, it’s good to acknowledge that you’re not alone. It happens to a lot of people. There are tough seasons.
Second, it can be helpful to switch things up, like trying a new format, habit or style.
Third, it is useful to re-read what Jesus says about prayer. Seeing him in action, or studying his own teachings about prayer, can breathe new life into your own situation.
Fourth—and this is today’s focus, and it might come as a bit of a shock—it is critical to know that the devil is working against you. There are times when prayer feels difficult because there are actual dark forces trying to sever your connection with the Lord.
Agathon was an Egyptian monk who lived in the desert in the fourth century. People would travel to see him and ask him questions. Someone once asked: What is the greatest virtue to cultivate?
He said that it was prayer. Then he provided this explanation: “For every time a man wants to pray, his enemies, the demons, want to prevent him, for they know that it is only by turning him from prayer that they can hinder his journey… [This is why] prayer is warfare to the last breath.”*
He said that the demons proactively try to shut down your prayer life. That’s how dangerous prayer is to them, and that’s how important it is to you!
I’m not someone who thinks there’s a demon behind every bush. And I think a lot of people can oversimplify spiritual warfare and become over-the-top. However, it’s still true, and there are legitimate dark forces trying to throw you off the narrow path that Jesus is calling you to walk.
Personally, keeping this in mind really helps my prayer life! It’s a natural motivator. Life is a battle, and so is prayer. But with Christ our King, we can’t lose.
“For every time a man wants to pray, his enemies, the demons, want to prevent him, for they know that it is only by turning him from prayer that they can hinder his journey… [This is why] prayer is warfare to the last breath.”
Notes:
-*Benedicta Ward, trans., The Sayings of the Desert Fathers (London & Oxford: Mowbrays, 1975), 22.
-The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on October 26, 2026.
-Bible quotes, ESV.
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