Spiritual Mapping: Preparation for Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual mapping is the prayerful research of a region’s spiritual history and present condition, undertaken so that warfare prayer can be focused and strategic rather than generic and reactive. The article below explains what spiritual mapping is, why the roots beneath a community matter, and the biblical pattern that shows us the way.

What Is Spiritual Mapping?

Spiritual mapping is the process of gaining an understanding of the specific, contributory evil powers that are dominant in a particular geographical region through research. Such information is gathered in preparation for focused spiritual warfare, through prayer, to bring about a reversal of the prevailing destructive conditions and resistance to the gospel.

It is, in essence, the discipline of seeing an area from God’s perspective. Through this better understanding of the community, intercessors can identify the root causes of its condition and address them in Jesus’ name, rather than just dealing with the symptoms that appear on the surface.

Seeing the area from God’s perspective

The Roots Beneath the Surface

The present ungodliness of a place usually originates from what has gone on in the past, especially in regard to idolatry, sexual immorality, bloodshed and broken covenants amongst the original inhabitants who opened the door for these strongholds to be established. Effective prayer therefore digs beneath the visible condition of a community to the historical events and agreements that gave those strongholds their ground.

Where the root is dealt with, the fruit withers; where only the symptoms are attacked, the same problem soon returns in another form. Spiritual mapping keeps intercession aimed at the cause, not merely the effect.

Address the root, not the symptoms

The Biblical Pattern

This activity is patterned on the spies who did a reconnaissance of the Promised Land and came back with specific details; however, they did not process the information through the eyes of faith, realizing God was on their side (Num 13:1-2,17-20,27-32). Paul also checked out the city of Athens seeking a clear strategy for presenting Christ to the inhabitants (Act 17:22-23).

Jesus said the way to rob a strong man’s house is to first make the owner (referring to Satan) helpless by one’s superior power (Mt 12:29). This was God’s strategy at the cross and stands as a principle of spiritual warfare.

Reflection and Application

Research the spiritual history of your own community: what idols, injustices or broken covenants shaped it?
Pray over what you discover, asking God for His perspective rather than reacting in fear or speculation.
Focus intercession on identified root causes, rather than only the visible symptoms.
Like Paul in Athens, let research shape a clear strategy for presenting Christ to the people around you.