AN INTERCESSORY PRAYER – ENCOURAGING OTHERS!

Have you ever felt an unexplained burden on your heart to pray for your friend, brothers, and spouse, family and masses, for unnamed others, for your community or the world at large? The Bible is filled with examples of men and women who lifted up others in prayer, and

 (Ephesians 6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere).

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 

What is Intercession and Intercessory Prayer?

The primary principle of intercession is simply to tell God what He tells us to tell Him as the means of releasing His power. He tells us what to pray in His Word. We can pray the Bible. It is profoundly simple. Intercession is God’s brilliant strategy for including the saints in ruling with Him in power. Its mystery is in its weakness, simplicity, humility, and accessibility to all.

God has chosen intercession as the primary means in which He releases His power now and forever. Jesus operated in the principle of intercession when He created the earth by speaking the Word to the Father

(Ephesians 1:3-8 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

[4] Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

[5] God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

[6] So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

[7] He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

[8] He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding). He releases His power now and will rule the nations forever in partnership with His people through intercession.Intercession causes us to internalize God’s Word and changes us.

Intercession unites our heart to people and places we pray for

(James 5:13-18 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

[14] Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.

[15] Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

[16] Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

[17] Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!

[18] Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops)

Intercession renews our hope and faith.

Intercession imparts life (John 6:63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life).

Intercession makes a long-term impact beyond this age (Rev. 5:8 and when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.

Revelation 8:1-6 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour.

[2] I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets.

[3] Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne.

[4] The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.

[5] Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth; and thunder crashed, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake.

[6] Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow their mighty blasts. ).

Intercession humbles us.

Intercession changes the spiritual atmosphere of cities and nations.

Intercession causes multiple blessings to return to the intercessor

(Luke 6:38 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

[38] Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full-pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”). 

Example of Intercessory Prayer

Lord Jesus, I come to you today and thank you for the privilege of praying for others. I’ve been the recipient of others’ prayers so often, I understand how powerful intercessory prayer can be. I ask you first to cleanse my heart and show me if there is any unconfessed sin in my own life so that my prayers for others will not be hindered. I thank you that through your name, I can come boldly before you and pray with confidence, according to your will and know that you hear me.

I lift up those in my neighbourhood, in my city, and in my church. Begin with those who follow you, and help them influence others for good. Let them be salt and light, pointing others to you. Deepen their love for you and for the people around them. Guard them from hypocrisy or from giving in to temptations that could harm the cause of Christ. Raise up leaders who will serve you faithfully at all costs. Turn the hearts of fathers toward their children, and families toward you. Help them to exemplify your values, and make them bold in their faith. Strengthen my own family, and those closest to me, Lord. May our love for you help us to love and forgive others and make a difference in our world.

I pray for teachers, for students, and for all those in authority and leadership, both locally and throughout the world. Give them your mind, and surround them with godly counsellors who will exercise integrity and work for justice, morality, and freedom. Help them to esteem you, not dismiss you. Send revival, Lord.

I pray for the lost, the hurting, the lonely, the sick, the bereaved, and those who are imprisoned—behind both visible and invisible walls. Send your comfort, your peace, and your calming presence to those who are without hope. Protect the defenceless, and hold them close to your heart. I pray for labourers to tell the good news of Jesus to people around our world. Jesus, my heart cries out for persecuted believers, too. Make them brave, and give them your powerful protection. I pray you will bring swift justice to those who want to destroy the innocent and those who carry your name. Bind the power of Satan, and strengthen believers everywhere.

So many needs, Jesus, but you are adequate for every need. Your name is powerful, and your power is great. So it’s in your name that I pray—and believe.
Amen