Epitome: Prayers of Intercession

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Prayers of Intercession

I can admit that I’m not much of an intercessor--it’s just not a gift or a passion I’ve been blessed with; that is not to say that I don’t do it. But only a little while back I was caused to reflect and I was stunned as to how full of drama life really is--at any given time.

At the time I had a brother working overseas and I was concerned for his safety; close friends had their daughter in ‘routine’ surgery; a teenaged niece was training away from home; a work colleague’s infant granddaughter required surgery on a failing kidney; a contractor lost his brother and was undergoing huge grief; and, I felt burdened for a mentally-challenged friend.

Added to that were the immediate family burdens over that day’s travel arrangements and each family member’s emotional stability.

We see in these the burdened heart, not in worry or concern over what might go wrong, but a heart intent on God and the seeking of his blessing and his face; his anointing over all.

Intercession for me is also about discerning the indiscernible i.e. seeing situations and circumstances as they ordinarily don’t appear. There’s both the spiritual and the mystical about it.

I recall a friend in seminary being all of a sudden overcome, empowered by the Holy Spirit to pray earnestly--even in the ‘comfort’ of lectures--noting her distinct discomfort. This is no easy burden to carry; I’m not sure she felt that blessed at times to pray the burdens God placed on her heart--yet that was her call and she felt utterly privileged to receive it.

And for us it’s no different. We can be any place at any time and we can get that burgeoning sense, that ‘whisper’ from God, to pray breathe prayers in Jesus’ name over someone either in our midst or someone far away... or a situation, a place, or a heart... and the angels of God join in also--to the praise of God!

The touch of God; there’s never anything that can compare with it. It’s only when he’s touched us we know we’re truly alive, and insatiably, of course, we want more! More love, more power, more wisdom, more majesty, more grace, more Jesus...