Supernatural Biblical Prayer 7
How & When to Pray the Prayer of
Intercession
by Pastor John Hamel
We have studied how and when to pray the Prayer of Faith, the Prayer of Commitment, the Prayer of Submission, the Prayer of Agreement, the Prayer of Unity and the Prayer of Praise & Worship.
In this lesson we will study how and when to pray the Prayer of
Intercession.
First we will look again at something the
Apostle Paul said about prayer.
“Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance
and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:18)
Paul said to pray always, using all types
of prayer and supplication, being led by the Holy Spirit in doing so.
We have been studying the eight primary types of prayer Paul was referring
to in this verse of Scripture. Paul used the word “supplication” in
this verse as well.
Let’s look at it for a moment.
Supplication means, “to pray for oneself
incessantly until the answer comes.” When an individual is praying
for himself or herself alone, they are said to be “supplicating.”
However, when an individual prays for
someone else, they are said to be “interceding.” The Prayer of
Intercession is a prayer that is prayed on behalf of another.
To “intercede” means, “to stand in the gap
on behalf of another.”
For example, when an attorney stands before a
judge on behalf of a client, he is interceding, pleading and standing in
the gap in defense of another.
So we see that the Prayer of Intercession
is a prayer that is prayed on behalf of another. When an intercessor
prays, they are standing in the gap between Almighty God and another
individual. They put one hand on that individual and the other hand
on God, interceding, pleading and standing in defense of that individual.
Jesus
Is Our Best Example of an Intercessor
“Yea, truth faileth;
and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it
displeased him that there was no judgment. And he saw that there was
no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm
brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.”
(Isaiah 59:15,16)
When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden, they needed
an intercessor to stand in the gap that had been created between them and
Almighty God by their sin. They needed a mediator.
They needed someone to put one hand on them and the other hand on God,
interceding, pleading and standing in their defense.
In the above
Scripture, the Holy Spirit reveals through the Prophet Isaiah that Jesus
became the One to intercede, or to stand in the gap for fallen
humanity. He pled, as an Attorney, in defense of fallen humanity.
As a matter of fact, He continues to stand in the gap, praying for us
daily.
“Wherefore he [Jesus] is able also to save
them [humanity] to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he
[Jesus] ever liveth to make intercession for them
[humanity].” (Hebrews 7:25)
I like to say it this way. “From the guttermost
to the uttermost, Jesus stands in the gap for each of us, praying to the
Father, releasing a constant flow of help on our behalf.”
Even as an earthly attorney stands before
an earthly judge, pleading on behalf of his clients, Jesus, our Heavenly
Attorney, stands before our Heavenly Judge, pleading on behalf of His
family.
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have
an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” (1John 2:1)
The word “advocate” used here by the
Apostle John actually means “intercessor.” It can also be defined as
a “lawyer.”
Jesus is our Intercessor Lawyer, standing
before the Supreme Court of the Universe, arguing our case on a daily basis
before the only Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe. You can
be sure, He’s never lost a case and He never will.
So, we see how the Ministry of an
intercessor works. An intercessor prays for others. We are all
called as intercessors in one way or another.
The
Holy Spirit Supernaturally Helps Us to Intercede
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself [Himself] maketh
intercession for us with groanings which cannot
be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)
The word “infirmities” used by the Apostle
Paul in this verse actually means “inability to pray in the way that we
should.”
The Holy Spirit helps us to pray for others when we do not
know how to pray for them in the way that we should. He does this
through “groanings which cannot be
uttered.”
Paul is actually talking about speech that cannot be
“uttered” or spoken in any earthly language. This reference includes praying in other tongues.
When we do not know how to pray for a
person or a situation, the Holy Spirit will pray through us or “make
intercession” for them in other tongues. When we yield to the Holy
Spirit, praying in other tongues for someone, we are always praying
according to the perfect will of God for that person in their situation.
“And he that searcheth
the hearts knoweth what is the
mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession
for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:27)
The intercessor that submits to the Holy
Spirit in prayer, praying in other tongues for another, is always praying
according to the will of God for that person. The intercessor may not
know the details, but the Holy Spirit knows the details.
“For he that speaketh
in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but
unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit
in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”
(1Corinthians 14:2)
Here the Apostle Paul reveals that the
individual, who prays in other tongues, interceding on behalf of another,
is actually speaking “mysteries” in the spirit realm. The intercessor
does not always know exactly what they are praying for an individual or a
situation, but the Holy Spirit does.
Although what they are praying
may be “mysteries” to the intercessor, they are by no means mysteries to
the Holy Spirit. He knows exactly what He is praying through the
intercessor.
Sometimes, quite frankly, it is simply not the business
of the intercessor to know. God is not a gossip. He will not
tell someone something about another unless it is absolutely edifying,
helpful, necessary and beneficial to the ones involved.
You can count
on God to keep your personal business private when He has someone
interceding for you.
When you are interceding, if names, faces,
pictures, places or events continue to appear upon the eyes of your spirit, that is usually the subject of your
intercession.
Let’s look briefly at some things the Bible
instructs all Believers to stand in the gap for.
Intercession
for the Lost People of the World
“Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to
bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born
at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she
brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to
bring forth? saith the
Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.” (Isaiah 66:8,9)
“Zion” is a reference to
the New Testament Church. (Hebrews 12:22,23) Isaiah was prophesying
of the day when the New Testament Church would travail on behalf of the
lost people of the world, birthing spiritual babies into the Kingdom of God.
“Travail” means “to sympathize on behalf of
another in expectation of deliverance from suffering.” This is simply
another way to say, “intercede.” Intercessors sympathize on behalf of
others and pray, expecting them to be delivered from their suffering.
The lost people of the world are suffering
because they are disconnected from the Spirit of God. The Body of
Christ must intercede for the lost people of the world to be birthed into
God’s Kingdom. Isaiah said, “As soon as the Church intercedes, she’ll
bring forth children.”
Almighty God said, in essence, “I will not
intercede through you for the birthing of spiritual babies only to shut the
womb. If you will do a little thing and intercede on their behalf, I
will do a big thing and birth them into the Kingdom. I will not shut
the womb. I will not allow you to intercede in vain.” (Matthew
9:35-38)
Intercession
for Backslidden Believers
“My little children, of whom I travail in
birth again until Christ be formed in you,” (Galatians 4:19)
Here the Apostle Paul refers to Believers
who were initially birthed into the Kingdom through his intercession.
For some reason or another, they walked away from Jesus, getting all messed
up in sin and false doctrine again. Paul informed them that he was
travailing sympathetically in expectation of their being delivered from their
sin again. He was interceding for them to return to the family.
Any Believer can do this on behalf of
anyone who has come to Christ only to fall away again.
When I am
interceding for someone, I usually start out praying in English with a couple
of verses of Scripture where God promises to help them. Next thing I
know I am praying in other tongues and being entirely led by the Holy
Spirit. Groanings and travailings
come up from my spirit as the Holy Spirit begins to intercede through me on
behalf of that suffering individual.
Keep in mind that you cannot fake
this. You cannot groan, travail or intercede out of your mind or your
flesh. This is something the Holy Spirit does through your human Born
Again spirit. Start out in English, or your mother language, and then
let the Holy Spirit lead you from there.
Intercession
for Spiritual & Political Leaders
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for
all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a
quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is
good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the
truth.” (1Timothy 2:1-4)
From Sodom and Gomorrah to more recent
Presidential and Parliamentary scandal, from the doghouse to the penthouse
and from the outhouse to the White House, the Body of Christ will be held
accountable for everything that has ever happened in the Earth as a result
of prayerlessness on their part. (Romans 14:10; 2Corinthians 5:10)
All who are in positions of authority,
whether it be Biblical, religious or political, are in dire need of
intercession on a daily basis. Let the Holy Spirit guide you daily in
the crucial affairs of humanity and their need for an intercessor.
Intercession
for Israel, Jerusalem & the Jewish People
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall
prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy
walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and
companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within
thee. Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.”
(Psalm 122:6-9)
Here Almighty God promises prosperity for
everyone who will stand in the gap on behalf of Jerusalem and Israel.
There is no excuse for the Believer in Jesus Christ to not speak blessings
over the Jewish people and Israel with regularity.
The Holy Spirit even shows us how to do so in this Psalm.
When we
say, “Israel, Jerusalem, I say peace be
within thee. Peace be within thy walls and
thy palaces. Peace be amongst your people,
in Jesus’ Name,” God Himself will take those words and use them in defense
of Israel. (Jeremiah 15:19;
Proverbs 18:21; Mark 11:23)
There is just no way to express all that is
in my heart concerning God’s special love for Israel, Jerusalem and the Jewish
people in this brief study. But I will say this. Anyone who
wants to find favor with God
will stand in the gap for Israel, Jerusalem and the Jewish
people.
Israel is not a
“State.” Israel is an independent,
sovereign, democratic free nation, similar to the United States of
America. They have been since May 15, 1948. Israel is not a terrorist
state. To call them terrorists simply because they are forced to
defend themselves against the true terrorists is anti-Semitic and is one of
the quickest ways that I can think of to bring a curse upon yourself.
As a matter of fact, Almighty
God literally promises to cut into little pieces anyone who causes problems
for Israel. Lots of
folks do not like that. But I did not say it, God did. (Zechariah
12:1-3; Psalm 89:1-52) I tell them, “Take it up with Him, if you
dare.”
The Jerusalem and Israel links above
connect you to our “Israel Study Centre.”
We created this study centre purely out of our love and support for
God’s favored little Nation.
It is strongly suggested that you read
those articles so you can see, from the Bible, God’s heart concerning Israel, Jerusalem, the Hebrew people
and what He requires from all Christians concerning them.
I do not believe it is possible for you to
read those articles, as a Believer in the Bible, and ever again make
anti-Semitic gestures or statements, if you have ever done so.
I do not believe it is possible for you to read
those articles, as a Believer in the Bible, and not pray that America never, ever break
alliance with Israel.
I do not believe it is possible for you to
read those articles, as a Believer in the Bible, and not become an
intercessor on behalf of Israel, Jerusalem and the Hebrew
people.
As a Born Again
Believer there is a love that has been supernaturally birthed in your heart
by the Holy Spirit for all of humanity. (Romans 5:5) If you will
yield to that love, you, too, can become one of God’s powerful
intercessors.
He will know to whom He can turn when He
has a need.
Be Blessed ... John
and Barbara Hamel
How
to Be Born Again (Receive Christ as Your Savior)
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