Intercessory Prayer: Part One

Chapter Twenty-eight:

When you hear the word prayer you usually think of going before God with your needs or the needs of others and asking God for help. Intercessory prayer is different in that you are earnestly praying for another, or where you are praying for something or someone that God has placed on your heart.  Have you ever had a person's name or face suddenly come to mind, someone you had not thought of in a long time? Have you ever felt your heart grieved about the state of a Country you have never been to, or wept without words for your own Country or those in it? Perhaps the Holy Spirit has been trying to get your attention in order that you might effectively pray for that person or Country--in order that you might intercede.

An example of being an intercessor can be seen in Acts 12:5. When Peter was in prison, the entire church was praying for him, not just those with a gift of intercession.  It is also expressed in Ephesians 6, when Paul is exhorting all of the believers it included intercession. We read in Ezekiel 22: 30-31, " I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.  So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”  Another example of intercession is found in Psalm 106:23 which says, " So he said he would destroy them—had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them." Had it not been for Moses standing in the gap between God and the people and praying to God to withhold His wrath, the people would have been destroyed.  But God honored Mose's prayer because Moses was open to what God wanted. 

Being open to God comes from having communication with God on an ongoing basis.  I realize that daily activities can sidetrack us, and some things do rightly demand our attention.  What I am referring to is an attitude where you are constantly open and ready to hear God even when you least expect it.  It is living a life of praising God, and the result of living with that attitude opens you up to being so in tune with God that He knows He can ask you to pray for something or someone.

God is looking for praying believers, intercessors who are faithful and tenacious.  There are some who do have a special calling on their lives to be intercessors, just as another may be called to the missionary field or to be a pastor.  While this is true, do not let that stop you from being an intercessor yourself.  Any disciple of Christ can and should be an intercessor.  As we all have the Holy Spirit in us, it is clear that we are all called to be intercessors. Intercession is the act of mediation, pleading or praying on behalf of another or even a nation.  Ezekiel 22:30 says, "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one." God was looking for a go-between, someone who by their fervent, upright and active prayer would co-labor with Him to effect change and to see the people return to Him.  He was looking for an intercessor. Unfortunately, God was looking for help but could find no one. Remember, God is not hindered in what He can do, but at certain times He desires to find someone who will stand with Him.

When you start doing intercessory praying you may discover that it may be unlike anything you have ever encountered before.  During your regular prayer times you may have felt led to tears when praying for a lost loved one, or praying for a personal healing; however, during intercessory prayer you may feel a great heaviness in your spirit and a burden that you've never experienced before.  Lamentations 3:48-50 describes this, " Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed. My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief, until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees." 

Sometimes, you may pray once and feel that God has released you from praying any further for that person or situation.  However, there will be times that you feel that God wants you to pray regularly.  God will tell you when you can stop praying, but do not stop praying if you feel God wants you to continue. There will also be times when for some reason God will tell you to not pray for a person.  It could be that God wants to teach that person something, so do not interfere with what He is doing in that person's life or situation.   You cannot pray your own will or your own ideas about how something should work out.  Some prayers are answered quickly, others take lots of intercession to accomplish God's work.    There will be times that God will stir your heart to not only intercede but also to fast.  You will need to be a person of persistence, determination, faith, patience and selflessness as intercession can take a toll on you, physically and spiritually. 

Sometimes we will feel an urge to pray after reading the Bible as He speaks to us through the Scriptures.  Or maybe we hear that still, small voice speak to our heart.  God may even give you a picture in your mind as to what/who He wants you to pray for.  Sometimes you will simply feel that you should pray in  your heavenly prayer language as you are not sure exactly how to pray for a particular situation. Then there will be times when you pray in your prayer language and the Holy Spirit will be the only one who knows what you are praying about.  This is where trust in God comes in.  Trust that even though you do not understand what you are praying for that you are, indeed, praying for the right thing .  

To be a prayer warrior demands a lot.  It is done primarily in secret and involves a sacrifice of your time.  He knows the weakness of the human heart towards pride, and does not want us revealing in public what He has told us to pray about in private, that is unless He tells you to share it with others. There may come a time when He prompts us to share, but unless this happens, we are to remain silent.  

In Part Two, we will look more in-depth at intercessory prayer and how your walk with the Lord will affect your ability to be an effective intercessor.