The Great Need for Intercessors

 By: Joanne Viola

“Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”
(Galatians 6:2, NASB)

We know we are to be praying for one another, yet so often, we come in prayer to make our own needs known before God.

In his book, The Path of Prayer, Samuel Chadwick reminds us of the importance and need for intercession.

Intercession is coming on behalf of another to plead or make known their troubles, difficulties, or needs. In calling us to intercessory prayer, God is calling us to pray on behalf of others.

What can we learn about intercessory prayer?

• We can find many in Scripture who prayed for others. Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah. Moses interceded for Israel. Christ prayed for His disciples and He prays for us today. In these examples, we find God calls us to be other-minded.

“The praying people of the Bible are intercessors.” (Samuel Chadwick)

• Our prayers begin here on earth and are completed in heaven. Christ is our Great High Priest and makes intercession for us before the Father (see Hebrews 7:25). It is a mystery we may not fully comprehend but prayer begins with us.

“He [Christ] takes the prayers of the earthly altar and adds to them the fires of the heavenly, and they become acceptable and effective through His name.” (Samuel Chadwick)

• Prayer is a battle. Prayer is hard work requiring sacrifice and intensity. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, NASB). We forget at times the response to Daniel’s prayer took three weeks as the conflict in the heavenlies heated up. Only in and through prayer do we come to know the true battle behind our prayers.

May we be willing to be intercessors for there is no ministry and work more needed in these days we are living.

“The great need of God is of intercessors.” (Samuel Chadwick)

 

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