Over the years, I have repeatedly noted that intercession is a way to emulate Jesus, who prayed unceasingly for others. It is also a way to emulate other great women and men of God in the Bible.
The more I study the word, the more I learn how crucial the ministry of intercession is. Think of the great people in the Bible, they not only prayed for themselves but for others. God said in Ezekiel 22:30 - 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.
Doing so requires great discipline. You have to learn how to put your prayer needs to the side, while zealously petitioning for the needs of others. Human beings naturally think of themselves first before turning their attention to others. However, intercession requires you to trust that God knows what you are going through and will not ignore your plight. Therefore, taking the time to focus on someone else's problems will not place you at a detriment.
Still don't believe me? Look at this gif -
This gif perfectly illustrates why you can trust God to never forget your issues. It features two young men. One is in a white wife-beater, while the other is in Nike basketball shorts. The Nike guy stands a few inches to the side of the wife-beater wearer and waits with his hands behind his back, as a football approaches. He had to trust his friend to catch that ball so it wouldn't hit him and adjust his face. The result was that his friend caught the ball inches away from it making contact and did it so smoothly.
Imagine yourself as the guy in the Nike shorts. Imagine God to be the friend. The Lord will catch everything that comes at you no matter how close that something gets. It will not harm you (Isaiah 43:2). With that attitude, you can set your prayer requests to the side and focus more on the needs of others. Indeed, you actually must. It is a sign of faith in God's capacity to get you through whatever is going on in your life. When you focus on praying for others and make that a priority, You tell the Lord that you trust Him to handle your challenges while you meet with Him on other people's issues.
Now, is this easy? Nope. But His grace is sufficient for you and will get you through (2 Corinthians 12:9).
I can't stress how much of a difference this attitude will make in your life. I'll end by pointing to scriptural evidence about the impact of intercession. In Acts 12, King Herod was busy executing Christian disciples and held Peter to be killed. But the church prayed without ceasing and God sent an angel to set him free from prison. Not long after, God got rid of the threat entirely. Herod collapsed, died, and started to decompose immediately.
All I know is that prayer works. Please pray for others more consistently. Be selfless in worshipping God on behalf of other people. Forget your problems for a bit and remember, others have it worse so cover them in prayer first before picking up your issues again. May the Lord help us all to act as effective intercessors to His glory and by His grace, IJMN, Amen.
(Originally published on August 17, 2021)
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Lord, I thank You for Your loving kindness and grace upon @petitepyt. Thank You for bringing her here today. Take all the glory!
Father, IJN, I pray for her that You will open her eyes and her heart to what You desire from her. I pray that she will receive strength and lean into You to do what You have called her to do and be who You have called her to be.
I pray for herself, her loved ones that they will be surrounded by Your loving kindness and be able to acknowledge it all their days, IJMN, Amen.