Intercession: A Real Life Saver

I tend to talk about the importance of intercession quite frequently. But before last summer, when I did a Discipleship Training School or DTS, I had never even heard of intercession before. I figured it would make sense to share a short teaching on the topic so that everyone knows what I am talking about when I reference intercession in my other writings and rambles. Not only is it something I feel very passionate about, but it is also something that God has given me a particularly strong testimony for. I am praying that after reading this you will see the importance of intercession, you will believe that intercession does make a difference, and you too will feel excited about being able to intercede on the behalf of others!

So what is the basic 'dictionary' definition of intercession? It is the act of interceding. To intercede is to act or intervene on behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading, petition, entreaty, or prayer. But what does the Bible say about intercession? Here are five verses that help shape a more Biblical definition of intercession:

1. "Therefore He [Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them." - Hebrews 7:25 

       In this verse we see that Jesus intercedes on our behalf. If the real 'goal' of Christianity is to be transformed into beings that are more and more Christ like, then we should be interceding on the behalf of others as well. Also, we know that Jesus is already interceding on our behalf, so when we intercede for others, we are partnering with God! 

2. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." - Romans 8:26

      When we accept Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit. When we have the Holy Spirit living in us, even when we do not know what to pray, the Spirit can, will, and does lead our prayers! 

3. "I looked for a man 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 none." - Ezekiel 22:30 

       This verse shows that God is looking for people to intercede. He tells us that our prayers mean something and make a difference. He wants us to be willing to stand in the gap on behalf of others. 

4. "Then Abraham approached Him [God] and said 'will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing - to kill the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 

- Genesis 12:23-25

       This story in Genesis gives us an example of someone interceding, in particular, Abraham is interceding on the behalf of Sodom. Even though we know Sodom was eventually destroyed, Abraham intercedes with God until He agrees that He would save the city for the sake of ten righteous men. If we  study God's word and learn His character, then we also know what to intercede for. When Abraham says 'far be it from you' to God, God doesn't get angry at Abraham, but rather honors what Abraham is trying to do. In the end, the one righteous man left in Sodom, Abraham's nephew Lot, is saved.   

5. "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." - James 5:16-18     

       This is another verse that declares how effective prayer can be! It gives another Biblical example of how powerful prayer is through the story of Elijah. 

So, after looking at all those verses, the Biblical definition of intercession is working with God, getting His heart, and standing in the gap on behalf of others by praying for them. 

But intercession isn't just something we see in the Bible. It isn't something that only used to lead to miracles long, long ago. When I was a young teenager I was raped, and understandably suffered from depression because of this. I became so deeply depressed that I finally tried to commit suicide. I swallowed an entire large bottle of pain killers, and by the time my family realized and got me to the hospital, it was too late for my stomach to be pumped. The doctors then tried to inject me with some medicine that would help dilute the pain killers, but I had a severe allergic reaction to that. I completely swelled up, couldn't breath, and so they had to stop that medicine as well. After that the doctors basically said that we would just have to wait it out, and at the very least I was going to have serious internal damage. But instead of my body breaking down, I just got better. 100% physically better within a few days. 

Last year when I was talking to my Mum about intercession, she told me that during the time I was in hospital she encountered a prayer group and asked them to pray for me. They were just strangers, hanging out at the beach, offering to pray for people. Without even knowing me, or really knowing my situation, they interceded on my behalf and I was fully healed. This is why I get so excited about intercession. It is real! It saves lives! It gives us the opportunity to ask God 'what can I do' as opposed to just always asking Him to do stuff for us. 

Now praying on behalf of intense, serious topics may seem daunting or overwhelming, but 1 Peter 1:3 tells us that "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who calls us by His own glory and goodness." God has given us everything we need, so do not doubt or feel discouraged if you don't know all the details or if you don't even know where to start praying; God does know.  During my DTS, we would have weekly intercession sessions for different countries and each week we would cover one of the following seven spheres of influence: the home, the church, the schools, the media, the government, performing arts and entertainment, and commerce, science, and technology. These are all great areas to begin interceding for! 

But far more important than the details, is your heart for the person or people you are interceding for. We must get God's heart for others so we know that we are praying for them out of love, not just a sense of obligation or so we can feel like a 'good' person. I think 1 Timothy 2:1,3,4 sums it perfectly: "I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone... This is good and pleases God our savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." God wants ALL His children saved, so we must even intercede on behalf of our enemies. We don't know their full story, all we know is that without Jesus we are all equally lost. 

After the first lesson I ever heard on intercession, I got really excited. I bounded about, feeling very victorious and empowered by this tool we have been given. I joyfully shouted out to God "I'm going to pray for EVERYTHING and EVERYONE because I am so stoked that You use us, God!" God whispered back to me "And what about all the people who have hurt you? What about those men you think are chauvinists? What about rapists, sex traffickers, and other men who harm women? Will you intercede on their behalf too?" That suddenly got me very quiet and pensive. It took time, prayer, and many conversations with God, but now I can answer that question with a solid, firm, yes. Other people interceding on my behalf healed me physically. But it wasn't until I learned about intercession, and God's desire for us to intercede on behalf of everyone else, that I was able to let Him heal me emotionally. That kind of healing required me to let go of my anger and hatred, forgive those who have harmed me and others, and agree with God, that yes, they too should receive grace.  Now I do intercede on behalf of those I once called my worst enemies and pray that they will come to know Jesus and be saved. 

The lesson I had on intercession during my DTS included a list of steps. Again, God judges a person by their heart, and genuine prayers, no matter how jumbled, are always the best. But I think outlines can help guide us to the point where we truly know what to pray for and how to pray, so here are the seven steps of intercession al a YWAM Denver: 

1. Make sure your heart is clean. 

       If you are currently harboring anger towards someone, engaging in some sort of hidden sin, or anything else like that, chances are it is going to be a huge distraction. When we read Psalm 24:3-4, "who can ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false," we see how important it is that we consult God about our own state before we come to Him to intercede on the behalf of others. This does not mean that you have to be perfect and flawless before a time of intercession, because none of us are that! What it does mean is that you should address anything you have maybe been trying to hide from God, or avoid, first. 

2. Ask God to fill you fresh with the Holy Spirit. 

       Remember Romans 8:26 that I shared before? The Spirit is who leads us to pray for what is right, good, and true, even when we don't know what to pray for! 

3. Put aside your own desires and inhibitions. 

        This is related to step number two. Our own worldly, fleshly, selfish ideas should be laid aside and instead we should be relying on the Spirit. Even if you have it firmly in your head that you know what is best, step away from that and open yourself up to God having something different to share. 

4. Bind the devil. 

        Now you know how important and powerful intercession is, and guess what, so does the devil. He really doesn't want you working with God and praying for others, so chances are he is going to try to distract you and fill you with doubt. Get one step ahead of him and pray out against anything getting in the way of your time of intercession! 

5. Thank God for what He is about to do.

       Even if you can't see it, God is always already working in every person, every place, every situation. Also, we know that God always does what is best, so thank Him for that! Thank Him that you have the opportunity to partner with Him and pray for others! 

6. Wait on the Lord and relax with an active mind.

       As you are asking God what to pray for, don't feel stressed if you don't get anything right away. Don't start just zoning out and thinking about lunch, but also don't start panicking and worrying that maybe God talks to everyone except you. 

7. Share whatever the Lord speaks.

       God speaks to us in all sorts of different ways. Maybe it will be a voice aloud or in your head telling you a specific word, a name, or a Bible verse. Maybe it is that verse that really reveals God's heart for the situation. He speaks to me in images. I know others who hear God through getting a certain song suddenly in their head. The possibilities are endless! The main thing is, don't let doubt get in the way. Unless it is something that obviously contradicts what is said in the Bible, trust it. And sometimes things may seem hard to comprehend or just plain weird. Share them anyways. It can be really scary at first, but I can tell you from experience that sharing is always the best thing to do. I have had plenty of times where I have gone up to people and been like 'um, I don't know if this means anything to anyone, but I feel like God is saying we need to pray for something related to this really random thing' and then someone emotionally comes forward and says that makes perfect sense to them and is exactly what they need prayer for in that moment. 

To finish up this post, I will do a sort of example prayer, following the above steps. I will be praying for all you readers out there! 

Father I come before you right now, and I just want to thank you for this day and thank you for giving me this opportunity to share what you have put on my heart. Father I know that today I definitely started off struggling. I let my emotions get the better of me, and I pray that you would forgive me for that. I forgive those who upset me Lord, and I want to pray for full restoration and for growth where those relationship are concerned. I pray you would forgive me for my anger, and just take that all away Lord. Make my heart fresh and new, like I know only you can do. I pray right now you would fill me up with your Holy Spirt, Father. Take away my own ideas, my own desires, and any thoughts I have of needing to rely on my own mind or strength. I pray the Spirit would be what overflows from me right now and that I would have your heart and your perspective. I pray out against any distractions. Against any doubt and against any schemes of the devil. I say no in the name of Jesus to anything that tries to stand in the way of what God wants to share with those who are reading. God I know you love every person who reads this blog, no matter where they are at in life, and I know you are guiding them Father. I know that you are working in their lives, even if they don't realize it, even if I don't realize it, and I just want to thank you so much for that. Thank you for your love, your guidance, and that you call us to partner with you each day. Thank you for whatever you share with each one of us, because I know it is good, and I trust that you know what is best. How can I best pray for those reading Father? What can I share with them right now? 

As I sat in silence, with an active mind, God gave me a picture of the most powerful sunrise you can ever imagine. The kind of sunrise that would make you think it will never be dark again. I also repetitively heard the word 'victorious' and got the verse John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." So whether or not that means anything to you, that is what I will be praying to close us up and will continue to pray for all who may stumble upon and read this post.

Father, thank you again for this time, and for your wisdom. Thank you that you truly do cast away all darkness. That you want to bring light to every situation, even the ones we want to hide away. It is your light and your love that can guide us to overcome anything in this world, for you have already overcome it all. I pray for all those reading right now. Maybe they feel unrest about family, their jobs, their health, their purpose in life, I don't know Father, but you do. I pray that you would give them peace. Right now fill them with peace, and give them rest Papa. Heal wounds, physical or emotional, let them release their tears and fears to you Papa and take them away. Let them know that they can let go. Whatever trouble they may go through, give them strength. Put it on their hearts and guide them to a point where they truly believe that you have overcome every trouble we encounter on this earth. Nothing is impossible for you, so whatever they come to you with, anger, addiction, lust, heartbreak, whatever it may be, it is not going to be too much for you. You will not turn them away. I pray each person reading this would come to be in an intimate relationship with you Father. That each day would be a journey towards accepting your salvation and then growing in your love. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.