The Heart of an Intercessor
Intercession is selfless prayer. An intercessor is someone who stands in the gap, between God and others. An intercessor dares to go before a mighty God and contend for those around them. An intercessor prays for others selflessly, lifting the needs of others into the throne room of heaven.
What our churches need in this day are more intercessors. We have plenty of people willing to do work before man, but few that are willing to do work before the Lord.
Prophets may be the mouth of God, missionaries may be His feet, but intercessors are His heart. Pray to the Lord, that He would bless you with the heart of an intercessor.
Selfless Intercession
It is a divine principle that prayer has greater power when it is for someone else. Selfless prayers are the purest requests made known to God. “…pray for one another, that you may be healed…” (James 5:16).
Kneeling in intercessory prayer is the higher ministry.
When you commit to a life of isolated intercession, unseen before men, you will find kneeling next to you the Lord Jesus Himself who intercedes for the saints along with you. “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
The highest form of selfless intercession is not only towards those that cannot help you, but to those that would harm you. “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do’…” (Luke 23:34).
If you only pray for yourself, then that says much about you. How off can we be, that even in our prayers to God we could be so selfish? “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1).
Stop praying that the Lord would change His mind, but that He would change yours.
The Loneliness of Intercession
The Lord Jesus said, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6). The greatest rewards never come by way of other men.
To get closer to God you must become further from man. “And when He [the Lord Jesus] had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there” (Matthew 14:23). If the Lord Jesus needed to be alone with the Father, how much more do we?
We are meant to be near to the Lord, and prayer is the means in which we get there. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him…” (Psalm 145:18).
You are nearest to God when you are on your knees. If you want to grow more in your faith, pray more.
Standing in the Gap
There are a hundred schools for the prophets, but God is looking for just one intercessor. “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30).
Let it be you that is the one God finds standing in the gap for your family, for your friends, for your Church, for your city, and for your nation.
Moses prayed for the nation of Israel, “’Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy…’ Then the Lord said: ‘I have pardoned, according to your word’” (Numbers 14:19-20). Never underestimate the value of intercessory prayer.
To intercede for others that need the mercies of God, somebody must step up. Step up.
If you want to stand in the gap you have to get closer to God. Get closer.
It is the intercessor that can plead with God to change the course of history. Be that intercessor.
If you want to avail much, you must travail much. “…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).
Consider that as you pray for some people, you are the only person on earth praying for them. Don’t give up on people, knowing that God never gave up on you.
You cannot change another person, but you can pray to the Lord who can.
The more prayer you add to your life, the more your life has the fullness of God. It is by prayer you can reach God, and likewise it is by prayer that God can reach you. The Lord Jesus taught, “…that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).
The Power of Intercession
A believing prayer warrior is a dangerous thing in the midst of an evil world.
Intercessors pray to His limits. “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).
Effective prayers are not where your desires are met by God, but where God’s desires are found by you.
Pray beyond the limits of you, and it will be there that you will find God.
More can be accomplished in your morning prayers than in all your efforts throughout the day. “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up” (Psalm 5:3).
There is a divine order of things whereby we discover prayer is more effective than our efforts. This is because our efforts rely upon ourselves, whereas prayer relies upon God.
There is no lack when you are praying from the resources of heaven. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…” (Ephesians 3:20).
Blessings to you,
Paul
All Scripture is in red and uses the NKJV (New King James Version) translation unless otherwise noted.