My pastor is preaching on intercessory prayer in a couple of weeks. Frankly, I found his outline a little disappointing. I think any Christian can intercede on someone’s behalf. But I also believe that there are some people who are called to be intercessors. But I kept my mouth shut.
I don’t have a chapter and verse to support it. And in the Baptist word, chapter and verse is the only way to debate. And I’m ok with that– I believe everything needs to be firmly grounded in the Word. However, I can’t prove this particular belief with specific passages in the Bible.
(There are plenty of verses about intercession, but none that I find differentiate between your everyday intercession and someone who is a gifted intercessor.)
I can, however, tell you my experience. I believe God will place a burden for someone on your heart when He wants you to intercede for them. That can happen in various ways, and can seem just like you are thinking of someone randomly, but when you recognize it, you know that you need to pray for that person.
I sing in the choir in church. There are times that the pain in the room is almost palpable. To me. I don’t know if anyone else feels it. But I think it is part of being an intercessor. God allows me to feel/recognize the pain so that I will pray for those in need.
This past Saturday night, I was in a church service, and at the end, suddenly I saw someone’s face. This person lives in Canada, and I don’t know her that well, although I love her dearly. It is often the case that God puts her on my heart (as in, I think of her) to pray for her. This time, I saw her face and I started weeping. I don’t know what she is going through, but I know God put her on my heart to pray for her.
Another time, I was driving down the road, and I felt a burden for my friend Jessica. I started praying for her, and I texted her that I loved her and was praying for her. She texted back that she was in tears at the moment and sure needed to hear that.
Very often God uses music for me in intercession. What I mean is that I will pray for someone and He will give me a song, either as an answer or as a tool. a way to pray for them. I don’t know if that is unusual, but music is very important to me, and so it just seems to make sense.
I don’t claim to be a Rees Howells or Cindy Jacobs. But I do think God is teaching me about intercessory prayer. What I really like is when He shows me something about prayer, and then I read it in a book on intercession. He uses the book to confirm what He has already shown me.
And I didn’t say any of this at staff meeting. It just didn’t seem the time or the place. However, I did suggest we base our skit on the form of intercessory prayer known as travail, and having someone on stage in labor pains throughout the sermon.
😉
80 in the blue 