Intercession Ministry - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) November 23, 2021

The Lord started dealing with me on this issue of intercession in 2019. I had no idea at the time how instrumental a ministry it was but as the days go by, I learn that I need to think of intercession as a way of life.

When I came back to the Lord (yup, I'd given my life to the Lord as a child but thought I could take it back and do whatever I wanted), I was in a desperate situation. Things were bad. I was drowning in fear and terror, and wondered how I could ever swim back to the surface.

A good friend sent me some scripture and prayed for me. She nudged me toward other spiritual resources that helped ground me in the Lord. I joined a fellowship online and we spent a lot of time praying for others. Soon, intercession became a once a week occurrence.

But then, the Lord in His unlimited understanding decided I needed to do a bit more. God has a way of creeping up on you in a good way and that's what happened. My list of prayer subjects grew. There were fasts for them and multiple days used to pray for their needs. Two years into my renewed commitment and He taught me how to use His word and some creativity to cover them on a daily basis.

On this journey, I've learned to look out for the results of my prayers. That's because, I now know that God does not ignore intercessors. I think there's something about putting your needs to the side to prayerfully seek the betterment of others. Intercessors who genuinely and routinely make this ministry their focus, can impact lives in a huge way.

You're probably asking, Well what about the issues in my life? Will intercession for others impact me?

Yes, it will. You might not notice it at first but in due time, the effects can be dramatic. The same salary that was never enough will suddenly stretch farther. That shoulder that used to ache on cold nights will ache much less and when it does, a quick scriptural proclamation over yourself will send the pain fleeing.

Intercessors have a lot more power than we realize. That power comes not from brute force - which is the way of the world. The power intercessors wield comes from reducing themselves. From seeing themselves as servants - nothing more and nothing less. Intercessors are a tool on the earth for God's dominion. His royal priests placed here to do His bidding (1 Peter 2:9). Servants don't run around trying to take care of their needs, they serve their master in order to remain relevant.

Think of Abraham's servant. He, not Abraham, found Isaac a wife in Genesis 24. Imagine being that trusted by your master to go get what someone needs to fulfill their destiny? Remember, the servant prayed for his master Abraham (Genesis 12:24). The result was Rebecca - a woman armed to serve and play a crucial role in the outworking of God's plan for all of mankind. You and I, as Christians, are direct beneficiaries of that servant's prayer. Had he not found Rebecca, Isaac would never have birthed Jacob and Israel would never have become. If that had been the case, we never would have had Jesus and where would our world be without the Savior?

May the Lord help us to realize that in His Kingdom we must be servants in order to exert power.