INTRODUCTION:
What is intercession?
Intercession is one of the highest forms of Christian life of prayer. To intercede means literally “to come in between” and that is what we do when come between God and those situations and people we are praying for!
We read in the bible about Anna, a prophetess, who was 84 and a widow of several years. It was said she lived at the temple, offering day and night to God fastings and prayers.
Her faithfulness was rewarded and God let her see Jesus and” know” that He was the Redeemer! Luke 2:36-38. Anna was a true intercessor who dedicated her life in prayer and” standing in the gap” for her people and the redemption of Israel.
QUALITY OR CHARACTER OF A SCRIPTURAL INTERCESSOR
1. An intercessor must have an absolute conviction of God’s righteousness, but he must be absolutely convinced also that God will judge the wicked.
2. He has to have a deep concern for God’s glory.
3. He must have an intimate acquaintance with God. An intercessor is a person who can stand before God and talk to Him with the utmost frankness and yet reverence.
4. An intercessor takes holy boldness. As an intercessor you say, “I may run the risk of death, but I am going to stand here.”
1. Dedication. An intercessor must be committed to Christ, to others and to the task of intercession. There simply is no substitute for dedication. As Phillips Brooks once said, "If man is man and God is God, to live without prayer is not merely an awful thing; it is an infinitely foolish thing."
2. Reliability. It's not our ability that God looks for, but our availability. Paul Daniel Rader once said: "If you can beat the devil in the matter of regular daily prayer, you can beat him anywhere. If he can beat you there, he can possibly beat you anywhere." Or as a country preacher once said, "If your day is hemmed with prayer, it's less likely to come unraveled."
3. Integrity. In Alice Smith's book Beyond the Veil, she writes: "If we accept an assignment from God, we can be sure that He will attempt to build integrity into our lives. I (Alice) love Psalm 26:11-12: 'But I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me. My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the Lord.'
"My paraphrase would read: 'In all my public trust I will walk uprightly and pay strict attention to truth, honesty, justice and mercy. I will not plan evil schemes or use myself to promote my own cause. I will be true to the integrity of the Word. I will live a moral life in private and in public. I stand firmly on principles of proper conduct, and I will not turn aside.'"
4. Objectivity and empathy. Objectivity and empathy are tricky. Both are necessary, but they must be kept in balance.
If we are empathetic intercessors who cannot find objectivity in prayer, we will soon be consumed emotionally and ultimately overwhelmed with the prayer needs we bear. Remember the words of the old song "Leave It There" by Charles Albert Tindley: "Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there."
On the other hand, if we are objective intercessors without empathy, who cannot feel the needs of those for whom we have been commissioned to pray, our prayer life will grow stale and eventually dry up.
5. Kind. Kindness is a necessary commodity for the intercessor-advocate, as illustrated by the following story.
An old man carried a little can of oil with him everywhere he went. If he passed through a door with squeaky hinges, he put a little oil on the hinges. If the gate was hard to open, he poured a little oil upon the latch.
Every day he found a variety of ways to use his pocket oil can to others' advantage. Neighbors thought he was eccentric, but he went on his way, doing all within his power to lubricate the hard places and make life easier and more enjoyable for others.
Do we carry with us the oil of human kindness? When the traffic is backed up, the grocery clerk is rude or your boss decides to come down on you, are you exercising the oil of gladness? Go ahead and do it. It will make your day.
6. Discipline. The intercessor will not be successful without applying discipline to his or her work of intercession. As the next story illustrate, discipline is vitally important.
A visitor to a famous pottery establishment was puzzled by an operation that seemed aimless. In one room there was a mass of clay beside a workman. Every now and then he took up a large mallet and struck several smart blows on the surface of the lump. Curiosity led to the question: "Why do you do that?"
"Wait a bit, sir, and watch it," was the reply.
The visitor obeyed, and soon the top of the mass began to heave and swell. Bubbles formed upon its face.
"Now sir, you will see," said the modeler with a smile. "I could never shape the clay into a vase if these air bubbles were in it, therefore I gradually beat them out."
It sounded in the ears of the visitor like an allegory of Romans 5:3-5, "Tribulation produces perseverance ... character ... hope" (NKJV). Is not the discipline of life, so hard to bear sometimes, just a beating out of the bubbles of pride and self-will, so the Master may form a vessel of earth to hold heavenly treasures?
7. Leadership ability. In his book Wind and Fire, Bruce Larson points out some interesting facts about sandhill cranes:
"These large birds that fly great distances across continents have three remarkable qualities. First, they rotate leadership. No one bird stays out in front all the time.
Second, they choose leaders who can handle turbulence. And then, all during the time one bird leads, the rest honk their affirmation.
"That's not a bad model for the church. Certainly we need leaders who can handle turbulence and who are aware that leadership ought to be shared. But most of all, we need a church where we all honk encouragement.
It is safe to say that some of our prayer assignments are also being borne by other Christians. Let's guard our hearts against feeling that we--and our prayers--are "the only reasons" something happens.
The apostle Paul warned us that we are "not to think of [ourselves] more highly than [we] ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3).
8. High moral character. A Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka, who was acquainted with both Christianity and Buddhism, was once asked what he thought was the great difference between the two. He replied, "There is much that is good in each of them, and probably in all religions.
"But what seems to me to be the greatest difference is that you Christians know what is right and have the power to do it, while we Buddhists know what is right but have not any such power."
The monk was right. True freedom is not the right to do as we please. It is the power to do what is right!
Just as a good advocate should be a person of high moral character, an effective intercessor must also live a holy life of high moral character.
9. A team player. Corporate intercession is almost an unknown art. In most places it is individual intercession in a corporate setting. Thankfully, the church is beginning to understand how to gather as a group and approach God as one person!
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AN INTERCESSOR
An intercessor is a person who by calling or by nature chooses to be a mediator on behalf of those who cannot intervene for themselves. Intercessors make requests, urge, plead, beg, counsel, discuss, risk, sacrifice, and make war on issues relating to the weaker ones, and thus they have an impact on the final outcomes for those they serve.
There is a difference between a person who is called an intercessor and a person who prays. Any person can pray, but not all praying people are intercessors. The opposite is true also - an intercessor may live his entire life and live to make only one great act of intercession. The differences of an intercessor are subtle - hidden in the life and heart behind the prayer. There are many examples of intercessors in the Bible, and they walked with the favor to impact and change God’s heart. Consider the following role models and their characteristics:
[I] THE FUNCTIONS OF AN INTERCESSOR
TO RISK & SACRIFICE
1) Moses was willing to be blotted out of God’s book. (Ex 32:32)
2) Abraham was willing to suffer God’s possible displeasure by negotiating Him down to 10 godly men in Sodom & Gomorrah. (Genesis 18:22)
3) When king David disobeyed by taking a census, he was willing to be destroyed in order to seek safety for his people. (1 Chron 21:17)
4) Daniel was willing to talk with God when He was very angry. (Dan 9:16)
5) Jesus was willing to become sin and lay down His life so that others could find forgiveness. (Isa 53:12)
6) The Centurion was willing to approach authority as well as subject himself to it. (Matt 8:5)
7) Martha dared to risk her friendship with Jesus to challenge His decision of delay. (John 11:21-22)
8) A father risked public exposure, fear of man’s opinions, and disappointment for the sake of interceding for his possessed son. (Mark 9:17)
9) The Nobleman risked his self-sufficient pride. He could not help his son but he knew who could. He also risked public exposure and reputation. (John 4:49)
10) Stephen was willing to face the murderous rage of a crowd and asked God to forgive them. (Acts 7:59)
11) Esther was willing to perish at risk of defending her people to the king. At the very least she was willing to face a life of ill-favor, isolation and banishment from the king’s court. (Esther 4:16)
12) David as a young boy was willing to face death from Goliath for the sake of Israel. At the very least he was willing to face humiliation, failure and defeat. (1 Sam 17:37)
TO BOLDLY DEFEND
Each of the above role models defended with boldness. This does not necessarily mean they had naturally bold personalities. Watch a mother or father bird when a threat comes too close to their nest! God has placed within His creation an instinct to defend the young. An intercessor’s heart comes to the surface when they perceive a threat. Suddenly the heart of a pussy cat turns into the roar of a lion. (Heb 4:16)
TO VOLUNTEER
One of the marks of an intercessor is a willingness to do something. A volunteer is someone who is not necessarily asked, rather he/she steps forward in order to accomplish something. Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends. (John 15:13)
[II] THE HEART OF AN INTERCESSOR
MERCY
As in the above list, intercessors stand in the gap for another, seeking mercy instead of judgment, life over death. They are willing to face a risk and sacrifice in order to obtain mercy. (James 2:13)
HUMILITY & SERVICE
In each one of these cases, these powerful intercessors wanted to serve those they were interceding for. Their willingness to serve resulted in humility, laying down that which they highly esteemed. (Matt 23:11)
[III] THE RELATIONSHIP OF AN INTERCESSOR
FAVOR
The above role models lived in a place of favor, having a personal and loving relationship with God. They knew what it was to walk and talk with Him, and trust in His goodness. (Prov 12:2)
Others who did not have a personal relationship with Jesus prior to their request, knew His works, listened to His Words, understood His authority and nature. Thus, they anticipated His favor in spite of the risk.
[IV] THE RESULTS OF AN INTERCESSOR
MULTIPLIED SEED
Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." (John 12:24 NKJV) The most powerful intercessors, past and present, are ones who have laid down their lives, their dreams, their ambitions, their own personal agendas, everything they have held dear, in order to follow Jesus’ footsteps to their own personal cross. The results of such a journey is His promise of multiplication. These intercessors can pray a prayer, make a request, make a stand and have it bear fruit for the masses.
WHAT IS AN INTERCESSOR?
Webster defines an intercessor as: - interceding: the action of pleading on somebody's behalf
- attempt to resolve conflict: the action of attempting to settle a dispute
- prayer or petition: a prayer to God, a god, or a saint on behalf of somebody or something. Simply put an intercessor is a person who goes before God in prayer on behalf of another person, situation or circumstance.
Every Christian has probably at some point in their life interceded on behalf of a love one, family member, friend, their church and pastor. We do it when there is a crisis or immediate situation that we need a response to. Does that make you an intercessor? On the simplest level, yes.
However, to be a true intercessor you MUST MEET OTHER QUALIFICATIONS. First, you must be a born again Christian who is willing to be separated, consecrated and committed to a holy lifestyle. Sounds pretty basic? You will be surprised how many people live a casual Christian lifestyle that embrace many of the secular things of this world and then believe that they can pray to God and expect an answer. For example you have been out drinking and partying all night but on the next day learn that a friend has been hurt or has some special need and you begin to "intercede" for that person.
Another example - someone has mistreated you, lied on you etc. and you have made up your mind to never forgive this person. Can you intercede on behalf others? An intercessor MUST BE WILLING TO FORGIVE. An intercessor must have a REPENTING HEART that is not to say be one that is practicing sin and need to repent constantly for sinning. No, a repenting heart to the extent that I recognize my imperfections and understand that my heart is wicked and deceitful above all things. Therefore I guard my heart, check my heart and am continuously aware of the need to confess and repent of any thing that may hinder my walk with God.
A true intercessor understands that intercession is a high and holy calling. A true intercessor is on the order of a high priest whose duties are to go in before God on behalf of the people. Yes, Jesus has made it possible for each child of God to come boldly before the throne of grace for himself but there is still a need for intercessors.
A true intercessor has a personal intimate relationship with God. A true intercessor has a lifestyle that includes a dedicated time of prayer, fasting and reading the word of God. Intercessors are interceding daily for the people of God, the pastors, leaders, communities, homes, families, world peace, different situations and circumstances that affect the people at large.
What is an intercessor? A person who has answered the high calling of God accordingly to II Chronicles 7:14 "if my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land. A person who has answered the want ad according to Ezekiel 22:30 "and I sought for a man that should stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
How To Be An Intercessor
Click here for a FREE "Prayer 101" ebook on prayer and spiritual warfare
The disciples asked Jesus "Teach us to pray, just as John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray". So we see that John the Baptist and Jesus both taught people how to pray. Jesus taught the disciples the Lord's Prayer. He also taught much about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount and at numerous other points in His ministry. Therefore we can conclude that prayer - like tying our shoelaces - is something we have to be taught, and it is something we should learn early on in our walk with God.
Intercession is the self-sacrificial work of pouring one's self out for others in prayer. Jesus intercession for us is the model. In His work of "standing in the gap" for us He:
(a) Left the comfort and glory of Heaven.
(b) Took on our nature and our place in life.
(c) Became a servant.
(d) Became subject to death. Completely pouring himself out for those He interceded for.
(e) Got results - and is bringing many to glory as a result of what He has done.
Here are some starting comments about how to enter in to the glory-filled ministry of intercession.
1) Start slowly it is hard and intense work.
2) Read some of the great intercessory prayers of Scripture:
John 17
Daniel 9:1-19
Exodus 32:7-14
Genesis 18:22-33
3) You need to ask God to show you His glory.
Moses saw God in the burning bush before he went to intercede for Israel. Isaiah saw God in His glory in the temple before going out to proclaim his prophetic message. Paul saw Jesus as a bright light on the Damascus Road before becoming an apostle to the Gentiles and "suffering all things for the sake of the elect" (2 Tim 2:10). The revelation of the glory of God is an essential prerequisite to powerful ministry - especially that of intercession. It is impossible, or nearly so, to sustain a passionate prayer life to a God we know only in theory. We need to know how great and wonderful God is. How holy he is. How dark sin is. How much God is merciful. How necessary we are to His plan. He calls us into a relationship of usefulness. We are instruments of his glory. Sent by His power. Getting His results.
4) You need ask God to show you the glory of those who are saved and the terrible fate of those who are lost.
Intercession involves having an intense vision for the lives of others in the light of God. We need a knowledge - a certain knowledge that God is full of glory and that He intends to make all who believe in Him glorious. We need to see that without the gospel people will decay into hate and selfishness and become like rotting tires on a dump, that they will "perish". That the only possibility of eternal glory for anyone lies in Christ. Without this certainty and knowledge intercession will be fruitless and unsustainable. You cannot continuously pray out of duty - you must also pray out of a deep love and concern for those who are lost.
Check out the following Bible verses.
Romans 8:28-30
1 Corinthians 15: 35-58
1 Corinthians 2:7,Colossians 1:27-29
Luke 13:1-5, John 3:15,16
Revelation 20:1-11,Isaiah 66:18-24, Daniel 12:2,3
5) Get to know the basics of prayer.
Do the basic studies at the start of this book first - especially the study on the ascension of Jesus Christ. Without a clear understanding of our place in the heavenly realms we will be powerless confused and ineffective.
6) Make a list of people to pray for and get going.
God will teach you as you do it. Learning is a combination of theory and practice in a circle called "praxis". We learn about the theory of prayer and then we go and out and do it which in turn raises more questions so we go back to our theory and reflect on it a bit more then go back and practice.. which raises more questions so we dive into Scripture again.... It is a wonderful, fruitful lifestyle. So learn about prayer -then do it!
7) Be aware of the spiritual powers and how to engage in conflict with them.
Jesus faced the Devil in the wilderness. Paul says "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities...in the heavenly realms." Here is a prayer to help you.
Praying for those under demonic influence.
I confess the sins of my parents and ancestors. (Ex 34:6-8)(Particularly those involving participation in idol worship, magic, sorcery, witchcraft and the occult including some Lodges.)
I renounce all the works of the Devil (Leviticus 19:26-31, Deut 7:5, 25 18:9-14, Acts 19:17-20, Gal 5:19-21).
I ask God to cleanse me completely from sin through the powerful work of the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7-10).
I give back to God any ground in my life that Satan may have had control of and place myself completely under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I also ask Jesus to fill me completely with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33, Ephesians 5:18) and to break all bondages of Satan in my life (Jn 8:33-36) and remove all blindness from my heart (2Cor 4:3,4 Eph 4:17,18 , 1Jn 2:11).
I take my authority as a son of God (John 1;1) knowing that one day I shall judge angels (1 Cor 6:3) and that I am raised up with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly realms (Eph 2:6) far above all authority in heaven and on earth. (Eph 1:20,21). In the name of Jesus who holds all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) I command Satan and all his hosts to depart from me, my family and my house to the place God has appointed for them, never to return.
This prayer can be prayed for others as well as for oneself. (see Daniel 9:1-17) Pray twice daily for two to three weeks. See also some other articles on this topic:
Demons Defeated
Dealing With Curses, Hexes And Spells
What's Wrong With The Occult?
Spiritual Warfare For The Totally Afraid
8) Make a study of fasting (and do it!)
Many of the great saints of God have practiced fasting and there are many good reasons for fasting - among them to know God's will and receive power in prayer. I don't have enough space here to discuss it but see my article on fasting for some guidelines.
Conclusion
There is a lot more I could say about intercession but this is long enough already. Ask God to teach you. Read the Scriptures. Read biographies of great intercessors - "Rees Howells -Intercessor" by Norman Grubb is one that I guarantee will inspire you. Also "Bone of His Bone" by Baron Von Heugel or "Prayer" by O.Hallesby. "Prayer" by Richard Foster is a very deep book and "Don't Just Stand There Pray Something" by Ronald Dunn is a good starting out book. Anyway if you have any questions just e-mail me!
THE HERAT OF AN INTERCESSORS
If you’re reading this article, most likely you are a person who is either drawn to praying for others, or you want to pray more effectively for this particular ministry. Whether you are one who gives much time and focus to intercession or one who simply wants to go deeper in prayer, this article is for you.
I’m going to share about the care and maintenance of the heart of an intercessor. “What?” you say. “You’re not going to begin with a discussion of prayer techniques, or a list of topics to pray for Messianic Vision?”
No. I’m going to begin at the beginning. All effective prayer begins in the heart. I personally believe that all effective intercession begins in the heart of God, although I’m not aware of a scripture that says this in so many words. I base my statement on the notion that prayer which agrees with the will of God is prayer that gets results. If we know God’s heart for a situation, we can pray in agreement with Him and expect His will to come to pass.
The connection between the will of God and effective prayer takes place in the heart of the intercessor. We might say that the heart is the place where faith resides. When we say, for example, “I believe this with all my heart” about something, we are saying that we believe it at the very core, the very center of our being.
Effective intercession is an act of faith, and intercession is an art—the art of lining up one’s heart with God’s heart for a situation or person. This is easier said than done, but when one is single-hearted with God, it’s like opening a valve between two pipes and letting the water flow. Or like flipping a switch in an electrical circuit and letting the power flow.
The more the intercessor’s heart flows with God’s as a habit of life, the greater the opportunity God has to express His will in the earth through that person’s actions and prayers. Intercession then becomes a lifestyle, not merely an occasional activity.
This is what makes the heart of any believer something worth protecting and cultivating, like precious and fertile soil. Yeshua said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Mt.12:34 & Lu. 6:45) Therefore we should guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of them flow “the issues of life” (Pr. 4:23)
What words have you allowed to take root so that they are living in your heart? What words have been planted there like seeds? Words establish attitudes and strongholds—patterns of thought and action. What attitudes are evidenced by your manner of living? What habits of thought and action exist in your life? (Selah!) All of these affect the way you see everything around you and how you deal with what you see—the very words you pray and even how you pray. These too reveal the condition of your heart.
The words planted in our hearts are growing and maturing—for good or for evil.
When we continually and daily feed on God’s Word, we are planting the good seeds from God’s heart that will eventually mature and bear fruit in our own hearts, if we give them good soil. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” The fundamental sin we can be guilty of is unbelief—that is, not believing what God has said. “What is not of faith is sin.”
Daily intake of the Word of God is like planting good spiritual seed in the heart of any believer in Yeshua, but especially for an intercessor. After reading a short passage in Scripture, take a few minutes to meditate on what you’ve read. By “meditate” I mean ponder what you’ve read, letting the Holy Spirit suggest thoughts or pictures that bring out a greater depth of meaning in a verse or passage than you previously saw. Then periodically through the day, recall some of that meditation and let it feed your heart some more.
Other spiritual disciplines can also help you position your heart before God so that over time your heart becomes more attuned to His heart. For example, sitting in complete silence while focusing on the presence of God for five or ten minutes at a time is a refreshing and strengthening practice that will change the heart over time. Whether you sense Him saying anything to you or not in that silence is not the point. Sitting silently before Him is in itself a kind of prayer. It’s an acknowledgement that you are well-accepted in the Beloved and welcome in His presence without having to earn that acceptance though the good works, even of intercession. Our value to God is never based on our prayers or on any other good work. We are free to just be His. And our silence can be the exercise of that profound freedom.
Oh, I could mention other disciplines at this point, such as fasting, worship, giving praise, thanksgiving, or praying in the spirit. All of these are tools that God gives us to cultivate the ground of our hearts, preparing that soil to receive the precious seed of His Word.
One of the most powerful tools He has given us is the grace of quick repentance. I’m talking about those times when we suddenly know we’ve done wrong. Maybe we just did the deed the moment before. Or maybe the Holy Spirit suddenly gives us the understanding of something we did in the past. In that moment of sudden conviction we can turn quickly to Yeshua to receive the benefit of His forgiveness by our quick and heart-felt repentance.
“Repent” means to turn or change direction. Being quick to repent then is like a farmer who diligently removes the stones from his field in the Spring when he is breaking up the soil to prepare it for planting. If those stones are left in that finely tilled soil, they will keep the young sprouts from developing into straight, tall plants, and those plants will never reach their full intended maturity.
*A well-cultivated heart, then, is increasingly marked by the very character of Messiah. Nothing growing in His heart is crooked or stunted. His heart is free from stones. And undoubtedly Messiah is the greatest intercessor of all, having made intercession through the very act of His death and now ever living to make intercession for us at the right hand of the Father. (Heb. 7:25)
O to have Your heart! Father, have mercy on us! You have given us the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. You have given us Yeshua to be our very own rabbi, that we should imitate His heart as His talmidim (disciples). Help us to cultivate our hearts so we can become increasingly single-hearted with You, in Yeshua’s name. Omayne.
7 CHARACTERISTIC OF AN INTERCESSOR
7 Characteristics of an Intercessor
1. Intercessors see and hear things through God’s eyes.
Seeing things through God’s eyes is different than seeing the word with our eyes
Only when we are able to see the world and it’s situations as God sees them, can we get the burden for intercessory prayer (Neh 1:1-5)
2. Intercessors are broken men and women of God.
The things that we see through God’s eyes may break our hearts. What breaks God’s heart must break ours. Only then can true intercession begin.
God’s Prophets were all broken men. (Jer 8:21)
3. Intercessors do not use God for their own benefit when they pray. Instead, they allow God to use them.
Intercessors can become God’s channels of blessing to others. Abraham was called of God not only to be blessed but also to be a blessing.
4. Intercessors are marked by God (Eze 9: 1-5)
God takes note of Intercessors
Daniel was called ‘ greatly beloved’ by God, after he began interceding for his people.
The Angel put a mark on the foreheads of those who mourn for the land.
5. Intercessors are called to lead a disciplined and holy life.
God will not hear us when we hide unrepented sin in our lives.
6. Intercessors are great givers of their time and money.
Prayer and good deeds go together. (Isa. 37)
7. Intercessors can change the mind of God!
Moses changed God’s mind. (Ex 32:32, Ps 106:23)
If the nation intercedes with repentance, God will forgive the nation and heal the land. (2 Chr 7:14)
What is intercession?
Intercession is one of the highest forms of Christian life of prayer. To intercede means literally “to come in between” and that is what we do when come between God and those situations and people we are praying for!
We read in the bible about Anna, a prophetess, who was 84 and a widow of several years. It was said she lived at the temple, offering day and night to God fastings and prayers.
Her faithfulness was rewarded and God let her see Jesus and” know” that He was the Redeemer! Luke 2:36-38. Anna was a true intercessor who dedicated her life in prayer and” standing in the gap” for her people and the redemption of Israel.
QUALITY OR CHARACTER OF A SCRIPTURAL INTERCESSOR
1. An intercessor must have an absolute conviction of God’s righteousness, but he must be absolutely convinced also that God will judge the wicked.
2. He has to have a deep concern for God’s glory.
3. He must have an intimate acquaintance with God. An intercessor is a person who can stand before God and talk to Him with the utmost frankness and yet reverence.
4. An intercessor takes holy boldness. As an intercessor you say, “I may run the risk of death, but I am going to stand here.”
1. Dedication. An intercessor must be committed to Christ, to others and to the task of intercession. There simply is no substitute for dedication. As Phillips Brooks once said, "If man is man and God is God, to live without prayer is not merely an awful thing; it is an infinitely foolish thing."
2. Reliability. It's not our ability that God looks for, but our availability. Paul Daniel Rader once said: "If you can beat the devil in the matter of regular daily prayer, you can beat him anywhere. If he can beat you there, he can possibly beat you anywhere." Or as a country preacher once said, "If your day is hemmed with prayer, it's less likely to come unraveled."
3. Integrity. In Alice Smith's book Beyond the Veil, she writes: "If we accept an assignment from God, we can be sure that He will attempt to build integrity into our lives. I (Alice) love Psalm 26:11-12: 'But I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me. My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the Lord.'
"My paraphrase would read: 'In all my public trust I will walk uprightly and pay strict attention to truth, honesty, justice and mercy. I will not plan evil schemes or use myself to promote my own cause. I will be true to the integrity of the Word. I will live a moral life in private and in public. I stand firmly on principles of proper conduct, and I will not turn aside.'"
4. Objectivity and empathy. Objectivity and empathy are tricky. Both are necessary, but they must be kept in balance.
If we are empathetic intercessors who cannot find objectivity in prayer, we will soon be consumed emotionally and ultimately overwhelmed with the prayer needs we bear. Remember the words of the old song "Leave It There" by Charles Albert Tindley: "Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there."
On the other hand, if we are objective intercessors without empathy, who cannot feel the needs of those for whom we have been commissioned to pray, our prayer life will grow stale and eventually dry up.
5. Kind. Kindness is a necessary commodity for the intercessor-advocate, as illustrated by the following story.
An old man carried a little can of oil with him everywhere he went. If he passed through a door with squeaky hinges, he put a little oil on the hinges. If the gate was hard to open, he poured a little oil upon the latch.
Every day he found a variety of ways to use his pocket oil can to others' advantage. Neighbors thought he was eccentric, but he went on his way, doing all within his power to lubricate the hard places and make life easier and more enjoyable for others.
Do we carry with us the oil of human kindness? When the traffic is backed up, the grocery clerk is rude or your boss decides to come down on you, are you exercising the oil of gladness? Go ahead and do it. It will make your day.
6. Discipline. The intercessor will not be successful without applying discipline to his or her work of intercession. As the next story illustrate, discipline is vitally important.
A visitor to a famous pottery establishment was puzzled by an operation that seemed aimless. In one room there was a mass of clay beside a workman. Every now and then he took up a large mallet and struck several smart blows on the surface of the lump. Curiosity led to the question: "Why do you do that?"
"Wait a bit, sir, and watch it," was the reply.
The visitor obeyed, and soon the top of the mass began to heave and swell. Bubbles formed upon its face.
"Now sir, you will see," said the modeler with a smile. "I could never shape the clay into a vase if these air bubbles were in it, therefore I gradually beat them out."
It sounded in the ears of the visitor like an allegory of Romans 5:3-5, "Tribulation produces perseverance ... character ... hope" (NKJV). Is not the discipline of life, so hard to bear sometimes, just a beating out of the bubbles of pride and self-will, so the Master may form a vessel of earth to hold heavenly treasures?
7. Leadership ability. In his book Wind and Fire, Bruce Larson points out some interesting facts about sandhill cranes:
"These large birds that fly great distances across continents have three remarkable qualities. First, they rotate leadership. No one bird stays out in front all the time.
Second, they choose leaders who can handle turbulence. And then, all during the time one bird leads, the rest honk their affirmation.
"That's not a bad model for the church. Certainly we need leaders who can handle turbulence and who are aware that leadership ought to be shared. But most of all, we need a church where we all honk encouragement.
It is safe to say that some of our prayer assignments are also being borne by other Christians. Let's guard our hearts against feeling that we--and our prayers--are "the only reasons" something happens.
The apostle Paul warned us that we are "not to think of [ourselves] more highly than [we] ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3).
8. High moral character. A Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka, who was acquainted with both Christianity and Buddhism, was once asked what he thought was the great difference between the two. He replied, "There is much that is good in each of them, and probably in all religions.
"But what seems to me to be the greatest difference is that you Christians know what is right and have the power to do it, while we Buddhists know what is right but have not any such power."
The monk was right. True freedom is not the right to do as we please. It is the power to do what is right!
Just as a good advocate should be a person of high moral character, an effective intercessor must also live a holy life of high moral character.
9. A team player. Corporate intercession is almost an unknown art. In most places it is individual intercession in a corporate setting. Thankfully, the church is beginning to understand how to gather as a group and approach God as one person!
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AN INTERCESSOR
An intercessor is a person who by calling or by nature chooses to be a mediator on behalf of those who cannot intervene for themselves. Intercessors make requests, urge, plead, beg, counsel, discuss, risk, sacrifice, and make war on issues relating to the weaker ones, and thus they have an impact on the final outcomes for those they serve.
There is a difference between a person who is called an intercessor and a person who prays. Any person can pray, but not all praying people are intercessors. The opposite is true also - an intercessor may live his entire life and live to make only one great act of intercession. The differences of an intercessor are subtle - hidden in the life and heart behind the prayer. There are many examples of intercessors in the Bible, and they walked with the favor to impact and change God’s heart. Consider the following role models and their characteristics:
[I] THE FUNCTIONS OF AN INTERCESSOR
TO RISK & SACRIFICE
1) Moses was willing to be blotted out of God’s book. (Ex 32:32)
2) Abraham was willing to suffer God’s possible displeasure by negotiating Him down to 10 godly men in Sodom & Gomorrah. (Genesis 18:22)
3) When king David disobeyed by taking a census, he was willing to be destroyed in order to seek safety for his people. (1 Chron 21:17)
4) Daniel was willing to talk with God when He was very angry. (Dan 9:16)
5) Jesus was willing to become sin and lay down His life so that others could find forgiveness. (Isa 53:12)
6) The Centurion was willing to approach authority as well as subject himself to it. (Matt 8:5)
7) Martha dared to risk her friendship with Jesus to challenge His decision of delay. (John 11:21-22)
8) A father risked public exposure, fear of man’s opinions, and disappointment for the sake of interceding for his possessed son. (Mark 9:17)
9) The Nobleman risked his self-sufficient pride. He could not help his son but he knew who could. He also risked public exposure and reputation. (John 4:49)
10) Stephen was willing to face the murderous rage of a crowd and asked God to forgive them. (Acts 7:59)
11) Esther was willing to perish at risk of defending her people to the king. At the very least she was willing to face a life of ill-favor, isolation and banishment from the king’s court. (Esther 4:16)
12) David as a young boy was willing to face death from Goliath for the sake of Israel. At the very least he was willing to face humiliation, failure and defeat. (1 Sam 17:37)
TO BOLDLY DEFEND
Each of the above role models defended with boldness. This does not necessarily mean they had naturally bold personalities. Watch a mother or father bird when a threat comes too close to their nest! God has placed within His creation an instinct to defend the young. An intercessor’s heart comes to the surface when they perceive a threat. Suddenly the heart of a pussy cat turns into the roar of a lion. (Heb 4:16)
TO VOLUNTEER
One of the marks of an intercessor is a willingness to do something. A volunteer is someone who is not necessarily asked, rather he/she steps forward in order to accomplish something. Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends. (John 15:13)
[II] THE HEART OF AN INTERCESSOR
MERCY
As in the above list, intercessors stand in the gap for another, seeking mercy instead of judgment, life over death. They are willing to face a risk and sacrifice in order to obtain mercy. (James 2:13)
HUMILITY & SERVICE
In each one of these cases, these powerful intercessors wanted to serve those they were interceding for. Their willingness to serve resulted in humility, laying down that which they highly esteemed. (Matt 23:11)
[III] THE RELATIONSHIP OF AN INTERCESSOR
FAVOR
The above role models lived in a place of favor, having a personal and loving relationship with God. They knew what it was to walk and talk with Him, and trust in His goodness. (Prov 12:2)
Others who did not have a personal relationship with Jesus prior to their request, knew His works, listened to His Words, understood His authority and nature. Thus, they anticipated His favor in spite of the risk.
[IV] THE RESULTS OF AN INTERCESSOR
MULTIPLIED SEED
Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." (John 12:24 NKJV) The most powerful intercessors, past and present, are ones who have laid down their lives, their dreams, their ambitions, their own personal agendas, everything they have held dear, in order to follow Jesus’ footsteps to their own personal cross. The results of such a journey is His promise of multiplication. These intercessors can pray a prayer, make a request, make a stand and have it bear fruit for the masses.
WHAT IS AN INTERCESSOR?
Webster defines an intercessor as: - interceding: the action of pleading on somebody's behalf
- attempt to resolve conflict: the action of attempting to settle a dispute
- prayer or petition: a prayer to God, a god, or a saint on behalf of somebody or something. Simply put an intercessor is a person who goes before God in prayer on behalf of another person, situation or circumstance.
Every Christian has probably at some point in their life interceded on behalf of a love one, family member, friend, their church and pastor. We do it when there is a crisis or immediate situation that we need a response to. Does that make you an intercessor? On the simplest level, yes.
However, to be a true intercessor you MUST MEET OTHER QUALIFICATIONS. First, you must be a born again Christian who is willing to be separated, consecrated and committed to a holy lifestyle. Sounds pretty basic? You will be surprised how many people live a casual Christian lifestyle that embrace many of the secular things of this world and then believe that they can pray to God and expect an answer. For example you have been out drinking and partying all night but on the next day learn that a friend has been hurt or has some special need and you begin to "intercede" for that person.
Another example - someone has mistreated you, lied on you etc. and you have made up your mind to never forgive this person. Can you intercede on behalf others? An intercessor MUST BE WILLING TO FORGIVE. An intercessor must have a REPENTING HEART that is not to say be one that is practicing sin and need to repent constantly for sinning. No, a repenting heart to the extent that I recognize my imperfections and understand that my heart is wicked and deceitful above all things. Therefore I guard my heart, check my heart and am continuously aware of the need to confess and repent of any thing that may hinder my walk with God.
A true intercessor understands that intercession is a high and holy calling. A true intercessor is on the order of a high priest whose duties are to go in before God on behalf of the people. Yes, Jesus has made it possible for each child of God to come boldly before the throne of grace for himself but there is still a need for intercessors.
A true intercessor has a personal intimate relationship with God. A true intercessor has a lifestyle that includes a dedicated time of prayer, fasting and reading the word of God. Intercessors are interceding daily for the people of God, the pastors, leaders, communities, homes, families, world peace, different situations and circumstances that affect the people at large.
What is an intercessor? A person who has answered the high calling of God accordingly to II Chronicles 7:14 "if my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land. A person who has answered the want ad according to Ezekiel 22:30 "and I sought for a man that should stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
How To Be An Intercessor
Click here for a FREE "Prayer 101" ebook on prayer and spiritual warfare
The disciples asked Jesus "Teach us to pray, just as John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray". So we see that John the Baptist and Jesus both taught people how to pray. Jesus taught the disciples the Lord's Prayer. He also taught much about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount and at numerous other points in His ministry. Therefore we can conclude that prayer - like tying our shoelaces - is something we have to be taught, and it is something we should learn early on in our walk with God.
Intercession is the self-sacrificial work of pouring one's self out for others in prayer. Jesus intercession for us is the model. In His work of "standing in the gap" for us He:
(a) Left the comfort and glory of Heaven.
(b) Took on our nature and our place in life.
(c) Became a servant.
(d) Became subject to death. Completely pouring himself out for those He interceded for.
(e) Got results - and is bringing many to glory as a result of what He has done.
Here are some starting comments about how to enter in to the glory-filled ministry of intercession.
1) Start slowly it is hard and intense work.
2) Read some of the great intercessory prayers of Scripture:
John 17
Daniel 9:1-19
Exodus 32:7-14
Genesis 18:22-33
3) You need to ask God to show you His glory.
Moses saw God in the burning bush before he went to intercede for Israel. Isaiah saw God in His glory in the temple before going out to proclaim his prophetic message. Paul saw Jesus as a bright light on the Damascus Road before becoming an apostle to the Gentiles and "suffering all things for the sake of the elect" (2 Tim 2:10). The revelation of the glory of God is an essential prerequisite to powerful ministry - especially that of intercession. It is impossible, or nearly so, to sustain a passionate prayer life to a God we know only in theory. We need to know how great and wonderful God is. How holy he is. How dark sin is. How much God is merciful. How necessary we are to His plan. He calls us into a relationship of usefulness. We are instruments of his glory. Sent by His power. Getting His results.
4) You need ask God to show you the glory of those who are saved and the terrible fate of those who are lost.
Intercession involves having an intense vision for the lives of others in the light of God. We need a knowledge - a certain knowledge that God is full of glory and that He intends to make all who believe in Him glorious. We need to see that without the gospel people will decay into hate and selfishness and become like rotting tires on a dump, that they will "perish". That the only possibility of eternal glory for anyone lies in Christ. Without this certainty and knowledge intercession will be fruitless and unsustainable. You cannot continuously pray out of duty - you must also pray out of a deep love and concern for those who are lost.
Check out the following Bible verses.
Romans 8:28-30
1 Corinthians 15: 35-58
1 Corinthians 2:7,Colossians 1:27-29
Luke 13:1-5, John 3:15,16
Revelation 20:1-11,Isaiah 66:18-24, Daniel 12:2,3
5) Get to know the basics of prayer.
Do the basic studies at the start of this book first - especially the study on the ascension of Jesus Christ. Without a clear understanding of our place in the heavenly realms we will be powerless confused and ineffective.
6) Make a list of people to pray for and get going.
God will teach you as you do it. Learning is a combination of theory and practice in a circle called "praxis". We learn about the theory of prayer and then we go and out and do it which in turn raises more questions so we go back to our theory and reflect on it a bit more then go back and practice.. which raises more questions so we dive into Scripture again.... It is a wonderful, fruitful lifestyle. So learn about prayer -then do it!
7) Be aware of the spiritual powers and how to engage in conflict with them.
Jesus faced the Devil in the wilderness. Paul says "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities...in the heavenly realms." Here is a prayer to help you.
Praying for those under demonic influence.
I confess the sins of my parents and ancestors. (Ex 34:6-8)(Particularly those involving participation in idol worship, magic, sorcery, witchcraft and the occult including some Lodges.)
I renounce all the works of the Devil (Leviticus 19:26-31, Deut 7:5, 25 18:9-14, Acts 19:17-20, Gal 5:19-21).
I ask God to cleanse me completely from sin through the powerful work of the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7-10).
I give back to God any ground in my life that Satan may have had control of and place myself completely under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I also ask Jesus to fill me completely with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33, Ephesians 5:18) and to break all bondages of Satan in my life (Jn 8:33-36) and remove all blindness from my heart (2Cor 4:3,4 Eph 4:17,18 , 1Jn 2:11).
I take my authority as a son of God (John 1;1) knowing that one day I shall judge angels (1 Cor 6:3) and that I am raised up with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly realms (Eph 2:6) far above all authority in heaven and on earth. (Eph 1:20,21). In the name of Jesus who holds all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) I command Satan and all his hosts to depart from me, my family and my house to the place God has appointed for them, never to return.
This prayer can be prayed for others as well as for oneself. (see Daniel 9:1-17) Pray twice daily for two to three weeks. See also some other articles on this topic:
Demons Defeated
Dealing With Curses, Hexes And Spells
What's Wrong With The Occult?
Spiritual Warfare For The Totally Afraid
8) Make a study of fasting (and do it!)
Many of the great saints of God have practiced fasting and there are many good reasons for fasting - among them to know God's will and receive power in prayer. I don't have enough space here to discuss it but see my article on fasting for some guidelines.
Conclusion
There is a lot more I could say about intercession but this is long enough already. Ask God to teach you. Read the Scriptures. Read biographies of great intercessors - "Rees Howells -Intercessor" by Norman Grubb is one that I guarantee will inspire you. Also "Bone of His Bone" by Baron Von Heugel or "Prayer" by O.Hallesby. "Prayer" by Richard Foster is a very deep book and "Don't Just Stand There Pray Something" by Ronald Dunn is a good starting out book. Anyway if you have any questions just e-mail me!
THE HERAT OF AN INTERCESSORS
If you’re reading this article, most likely you are a person who is either drawn to praying for others, or you want to pray more effectively for this particular ministry. Whether you are one who gives much time and focus to intercession or one who simply wants to go deeper in prayer, this article is for you.
I’m going to share about the care and maintenance of the heart of an intercessor. “What?” you say. “You’re not going to begin with a discussion of prayer techniques, or a list of topics to pray for Messianic Vision?”
No. I’m going to begin at the beginning. All effective prayer begins in the heart. I personally believe that all effective intercession begins in the heart of God, although I’m not aware of a scripture that says this in so many words. I base my statement on the notion that prayer which agrees with the will of God is prayer that gets results. If we know God’s heart for a situation, we can pray in agreement with Him and expect His will to come to pass.
The connection between the will of God and effective prayer takes place in the heart of the intercessor. We might say that the heart is the place where faith resides. When we say, for example, “I believe this with all my heart” about something, we are saying that we believe it at the very core, the very center of our being.
Effective intercession is an act of faith, and intercession is an art—the art of lining up one’s heart with God’s heart for a situation or person. This is easier said than done, but when one is single-hearted with God, it’s like opening a valve between two pipes and letting the water flow. Or like flipping a switch in an electrical circuit and letting the power flow.
The more the intercessor’s heart flows with God’s as a habit of life, the greater the opportunity God has to express His will in the earth through that person’s actions and prayers. Intercession then becomes a lifestyle, not merely an occasional activity.
This is what makes the heart of any believer something worth protecting and cultivating, like precious and fertile soil. Yeshua said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Mt.12:34 & Lu. 6:45) Therefore we should guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of them flow “the issues of life” (Pr. 4:23)
What words have you allowed to take root so that they are living in your heart? What words have been planted there like seeds? Words establish attitudes and strongholds—patterns of thought and action. What attitudes are evidenced by your manner of living? What habits of thought and action exist in your life? (Selah!) All of these affect the way you see everything around you and how you deal with what you see—the very words you pray and even how you pray. These too reveal the condition of your heart.
The words planted in our hearts are growing and maturing—for good or for evil.
When we continually and daily feed on God’s Word, we are planting the good seeds from God’s heart that will eventually mature and bear fruit in our own hearts, if we give them good soil. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” The fundamental sin we can be guilty of is unbelief—that is, not believing what God has said. “What is not of faith is sin.”
Daily intake of the Word of God is like planting good spiritual seed in the heart of any believer in Yeshua, but especially for an intercessor. After reading a short passage in Scripture, take a few minutes to meditate on what you’ve read. By “meditate” I mean ponder what you’ve read, letting the Holy Spirit suggest thoughts or pictures that bring out a greater depth of meaning in a verse or passage than you previously saw. Then periodically through the day, recall some of that meditation and let it feed your heart some more.
Other spiritual disciplines can also help you position your heart before God so that over time your heart becomes more attuned to His heart. For example, sitting in complete silence while focusing on the presence of God for five or ten minutes at a time is a refreshing and strengthening practice that will change the heart over time. Whether you sense Him saying anything to you or not in that silence is not the point. Sitting silently before Him is in itself a kind of prayer. It’s an acknowledgement that you are well-accepted in the Beloved and welcome in His presence without having to earn that acceptance though the good works, even of intercession. Our value to God is never based on our prayers or on any other good work. We are free to just be His. And our silence can be the exercise of that profound freedom.
Oh, I could mention other disciplines at this point, such as fasting, worship, giving praise, thanksgiving, or praying in the spirit. All of these are tools that God gives us to cultivate the ground of our hearts, preparing that soil to receive the precious seed of His Word.
One of the most powerful tools He has given us is the grace of quick repentance. I’m talking about those times when we suddenly know we’ve done wrong. Maybe we just did the deed the moment before. Or maybe the Holy Spirit suddenly gives us the understanding of something we did in the past. In that moment of sudden conviction we can turn quickly to Yeshua to receive the benefit of His forgiveness by our quick and heart-felt repentance.
“Repent” means to turn or change direction. Being quick to repent then is like a farmer who diligently removes the stones from his field in the Spring when he is breaking up the soil to prepare it for planting. If those stones are left in that finely tilled soil, they will keep the young sprouts from developing into straight, tall plants, and those plants will never reach their full intended maturity.
*A well-cultivated heart, then, is increasingly marked by the very character of Messiah. Nothing growing in His heart is crooked or stunted. His heart is free from stones. And undoubtedly Messiah is the greatest intercessor of all, having made intercession through the very act of His death and now ever living to make intercession for us at the right hand of the Father. (Heb. 7:25)
O to have Your heart! Father, have mercy on us! You have given us the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. You have given us Yeshua to be our very own rabbi, that we should imitate His heart as His talmidim (disciples). Help us to cultivate our hearts so we can become increasingly single-hearted with You, in Yeshua’s name. Omayne.
7 CHARACTERISTIC OF AN INTERCESSOR
7 Characteristics of an Intercessor
1. Intercessors see and hear things through God’s eyes.
Seeing things through God’s eyes is different than seeing the word with our eyes
Only when we are able to see the world and it’s situations as God sees them, can we get the burden for intercessory prayer (Neh 1:1-5)
2. Intercessors are broken men and women of God.
The things that we see through God’s eyes may break our hearts. What breaks God’s heart must break ours. Only then can true intercession begin.
God’s Prophets were all broken men. (Jer 8:21)
3. Intercessors do not use God for their own benefit when they pray. Instead, they allow God to use them.
Intercessors can become God’s channels of blessing to others. Abraham was called of God not only to be blessed but also to be a blessing.
4. Intercessors are marked by God (Eze 9: 1-5)
God takes note of Intercessors
Daniel was called ‘ greatly beloved’ by God, after he began interceding for his people.
The Angel put a mark on the foreheads of those who mourn for the land.
5. Intercessors are called to lead a disciplined and holy life.
God will not hear us when we hide unrepented sin in our lives.
6. Intercessors are great givers of their time and money.
Prayer and good deeds go together. (Isa. 37)
7. Intercessors can change the mind of God!
Moses changed God’s mind. (Ex 32:32, Ps 106:23)
If the nation intercedes with repentance, God will forgive the nation and heal the land. (2 Chr 7:14)
williams oseni is a passionate blogger and a born again christian. He believes in the strenthening of disciples for the lord's coming and has been working fervently to acheive his goal. He currently resides in Nigeria and continues to preach the gospel continiously.
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