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The Intercessor Will Wait - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) August 2, 2024

Have you ever noticed that your prayers for others tend to be answered much quicker than your petitions for yourself? If so, this should really be no surprise. After all, intercessors put their prayers on the back burner while placing the needs of others first.


This is why intercessors need to be patient. Their choice to earnestly pray for others requires they wait on God to sometimes do for their prayer subjects before moving on their personal prayer requests.


This doesn't seem fair, does it? Well, God's response to that is in Ezekiel 18:25 - Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? Yes, God is just in everything He does and it is unwise to judge Him by human metrics after all He is not a man (1 Samuel 15:29; Numbers 23:19).


Think about Anna the prophetess mentioned in Luke 2. She was an 84-year-old widow who never left the Temple. Instead, she worshiped, fasted, and prayed nonstop. God answered her pleas by making sure she met Jesus as an infant. "he gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem" (Luke 2:38). God had likely called her to stand in the gap for her people's salvation and He ensured she saw the prayer fulfilled.


None of us know exactly how long she waited for God's promised salvation but we know patience was required. As intercessors, we too must be ready to wait on God for the answer to our personal prayer requests. Of course, God could move immediately for us but He has chosen to teach intercessors to patiently wait for the fulfillment of their petitions while praying with zeal for others.

Abraham, for instance, interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah even while he and Sarai desperately waited on the Lord for the child they'd been promised. His intercession produced results because Lot and his family were rescued from the disaster that came upon the city. Plus, Abraham and Sarai had their son, Isaac, the following year.


This is why we are taught in Hebrews 6:10 - For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do (NLT). Your heartfelt intercessory prayers are a reflection of the work you have done for Him, showing love and care to His children.


And because He cannot ignore intercessors it is best to see the period before prayer fulfillment as the time where He perfects things. This is a time to learn whatever lessons you need to know before you step into His promise so that none of it will be squandered as the Prodigal Son lost his inheritance.


So, if you are upset that your prayers for others tend to happen quickly while waiting for answers to your needs, please don't be. God has a great reward coming for you. I've watched the Lord answer my prayers for people while making me wait for many things. Yet, even in my season of waiting, He has done great things for me and given me many reasons to rejoice and testify. And I only started seriously interceding for others in 2019.


God does not play favorites with His children (Acts 10:34). Therefore, what He's done for me is available to all. I encourage you to keep interceding, keep praising, and keep serving Him. It may take a while, but He will reassure you by answering your prayers for others. And though you wait for your prayers for yourself to be answered, they shall surely come to pass at His perfect timing. He will fulfill your petitions and do exceedingly and abundantly more than you can ask or imagine.



Here are some related posts on intercession:



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