ive never liked the term "prayer warrior". its often used by people who need an urgent miracle. like, "i need some prayer warriors to help me with such and such". i dont mean to minimize the efficacy of having people pray for you in a time of need, i just feel it should be viewed through a different lens.
besides sounding kind of corny, the term "prayer warrior" seems to be framed all wrong. it implies a conflict and hardship where there should be none. talking to God should not be an arduous task. it should be, in my book, good conversation. it should be a cathartic opening of ones soul to their maker. praying can be reverant, like praying with candles in a catholic church, or earthy like when you talk to God like you would your dad, but it should not be a battle or a fight or a struggle. im not fighting with God. im not trying to twist his arm behind his back to gain a favor.
i know some will point to jacobs wrestling with God as a counter to my logic (ric google jacob wrestles God). i think this was idiosyncratic though. God wanted to see that jacob was serious and God wanted to allow some redemptive insight for jacob. this was not intended as a model of how interactions with God should go.
i also dont like the term because it brings in a hierarchy, or system of rank. if i am a prayer warrior, one would assume that i am better at prayer than the typical prayer grunt, if you will. one can envision all sorts of rankings from prayer private to prayer general. man always wants to apply such hierarchies to compete to thrust oneself above their neighbor. i dont deny that some may be better at praying than others, but i dont think God intended us to label it such.
the prayer of a child or of a criminal takes the same path to God as the prayer of the pope.
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Found this story: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thebricktestament.com/genesis/jacob_wrestles_god/thumbnail.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thebricktestament.com/genesis/index.html&usg=__kj-40FB9DBBRgwY5yxD0nCWQJgk=&h=100&w=100&sz=4&hl=en&start=7&tbnid=d7q2h918PlojGM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=82&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522jacob%2Bwrestles%2BGod%2522%26as_st%3Dy%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN
I agree with much of your assessment here -- I also don't like the term. However, rather than pointing to a struggle between man and God, perhaps the point is that prayer effects the "heavenly realms" where cosmic battle occurs. See verses below and think Constantine. Of course, all prayer is not of this nature, and often when the terminology is used it's, as you said, used to classify someone as on a different level of spirituality.
Eph 6 "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
yes, i knew an an astute scholar like yourself would pick up on the deviated attribution i put forth.
youre right, im sure they dont infer they war with God. but it still seems a great trial in the act of praying. now Jesus did sweat drops of blood at Gestheme, but under quite irreglar pressure, and i imagine it the circumstances of that pressure not the prayer that was the source of distress.
Prayer only has a psychological effect (kind of like a placebo). If you think it may work, then it may work for you.
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