Soulish Prayer: What It Is and Why It's Spiritually Dangerous

Cindy Warner
Nov 12
3 min read

Prayer is one of the most powerful tools God gives us. The Bible teaches us to pray "in the Spirit"—seeking God's will, not just our own desires (Romans 8:26-27).

But sometimes, our prayers come from a place that's more about our wishes or emotions than God's purpose. This is what I call "soulish prayer."

What Is Soulish Prayer?

Soulish prayer is prayer that comes mainly from our own soul—our mind, emotions, or personal will—rather than being led by the Holy Spirit.

Instead of surrendering our desires to God, soulish prayers try to persuade God to do things our way.

Examples:

Praying that someone makes choices we want (whether or not those choices are God's will)
Using prayer to control situations or people
Praying from fear or anxiety instead of faith

Why Is Soulish Prayer Dangerous?

It Can Manipulate Rather Than Submit: Instead of trusting God to lead, soulish prayer tries to control outcomes and people.
It's Self-Focused: These prayers are rooted in self-interest rather than seeking God's heart and purpose.
It Opens the Door to Confusion: The enemy can use misguided prayers to twist what God wants to do, leaving us anxious or frustrated.
It Can Result in Spiritual Warfare: When we insist on our way, we sometimes invite unnecessary battles because our will isn't aligned with God's.

What the Bible Says About Prayer

Jesus taught us in the Lord's Prayer to say, "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). Paul also reminds believers: "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us" (Romans 8:26).

What Christian Authors Say

Watchman Nee, a respected Chinese Christian leader taught extensively about the difference between soulish and spiritual prayer. He emphasized that true spiritual prayer requires surrendering our own will and letting the Holy Spirit guide our intercession. Nee wrote that when we pray from our soul alone, we operate in our own strength rather than God's power.

Andrew Murray, the South African pastor and author, wrote in his classic work With Christ in the School of Prayer: "The first thing the prayer must learn is to believe that prayer is not getting my will done in heaven, but getting God's will done on earth."

This captures the heart of the issue—soulish prayer focuses on getting God to agree with us, while spiritual prayer focuses on aligning ourselves with God's purpose.

Oswald Chambers also taught that prayer is not about changing God's mind but about changing our hearts to align with His will. He wrote: "Prayer does not mean asking God for all the things we want, but asking for the things He wants for us."

How to Avoid Soulish Prayer

Ask God to Guide Your Words: Pause and invite the Holy Spirit to pray through you.
Surrender Your Will: Say, "God, let Your will be done in this situation."
Use Scripture: Pray God's promises and truth, not just personal wishes.
Trust God's Timing: Even when you're passionate, remember that God's ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Listen More Than You Speak: Spiritual prayer includes listening to what God wants to say to you.

Real-Life Example

Let's say you have a loved one making choices you're worried about.

Soulish prayer: "Change them so I'm comfortable and feel peaceful about their choices."

Spiritual prayer: "Lord, surround them with Your love and wisdom. Help me surrender this situation to You. Work in their heart according to Your perfect will, not mine."

The difference? One tries to control the outcome. The other trusts God and invites His Holy Spirit to work.

In Conclusion

Soulish prayer can be spiritually risky when it puts our agenda above God's. But when we invite the Holy Spirit to lead, our prayers become powerful and effective—and we find peace, whatever the outcome.

Remember: The goal of prayer is not to change God's mind. It's to change our hearts to align with His.

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