The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer, Part Two

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What it Means to Be a Prayer Warrior:

Introduction:
The simplest definition of an intercessor/prayer warrior is someone whom God calls to pray for someone else’s need. When God places the person’s need on a prayer warrior’s heart it can best be described as a heavy weight or a burden pressing into the “hands” (the Spirit and soul) of a prayer warrior, with the person’s name or situation repeatedly called to mind.
As prayer warriors we commit or “stake” ourselves to the person in need, praying for them until the “weight or burden” of their name and/or situation eases from our mind, soul and Spirit. For me, because I am a visually-oriented person, the reassurances that indicate God has heard and taken action on their behalf come through impressions of visual images or words. Sometimes, these impressions are specific in detail (the words “Bitterness and Anger” held between hands inside of a heart, or the picture of a wall being built between a person and other people that reaches up to Heaven). Other times, it can be generalized (a sense of danger while someone is traveling on a journey). For other prayer warriors I've talked with, these impressions are more like a nudge or push, with the person's name or need coming to mind frequently.
As we experience these impressions, prayer warriors meditate (mentally focus) on Scripture passages that come to mind (through memorization techniques) at the urging of The Holy Spirit. This is how we scripturally “carry away” the weakness, weight or burden the person is facing.
This in no way implies prayer warriors are psychic or can be called mediums. We are trained by seasoned prayer veterans in how to minister through intercessory prayer by recognizing and differentiating between Thr Holy Spirit's Voice and one that's not (I will share more on this in next month’s column).

The Calling:
Prayer Warriors know that “God’s work, which He completed on the cross can only be released through the mediation, the going between, the distributing, the enforcing [of] our part” (Dutch Sheets, Intercessory Prayer, 66-70). Prayer warriors, as well as fellow Christians, bear a shared responsibility to further the work of spreading the Gospel to future generations. If one person chooses for whatever reason not to participate, the portion of responsibility they bore shifts to the rest. Now imagine what would happen, if 997 out of 1000 people called to intercessory prayer decided not to participate. The “weight or burden” to the rest would become unbalanced and there would be an increased risk of burnout. This, unfortunately, is what is happening now, “For many are called but few are chosen” (Matthew 19:23-20:16, NKJV).
Fellow prayer warriors, take heart! For every warrior that fights on the battlefield, spiritual or physical, does not do so alone. Christ Himself, fights with us. “When two or three people come together [in agreement] in [Jesus’] name, [He] is there with them” (Matthew 18:19-20, NCV).
Another way of looking at this is the Greek word, “sunantilambanoi . . . It is a compound word made up of three words. Sun means “together with,” anti means “against,” and lambano means” to take hold of.” Putting them together, a very literal meaning of the word would be “take hold of together with against”” (Sheets, Intercessory Prayer, 102).
When a prayer warrior joins in partnership with other prayer warriors and they join together in prayer with Jesus Christ, the authority that flows from God’s throne enables the Holy Spirit to move in a way that creates, and produces change in the lives of people whose name are being lifted up in prayer. The Holy Spirit is the creative force (Will) of God and this cooperative effort between God and prayer warriors allows “the Holy Spirit to hover over people, bringing forth the fruit of what Christ has already done” in their lives (Sheets, Intercessory Prayer, 132).

Finding a Balance:
It has often been said and assumed by other Christians that “prayer warriors must have great or strong faith to move mountains in Jesus’ name.” While this may be true some of the time, the opposite is true most of the time. As prayer warriors we have been given the gift of Discernment to “see” the consequences of the good and bad choices people make. As a result, we balance on a razor’s edge between Discernment and Judgment. To be honest, often we fight growing cynical over humanity’s capacity to choose what seems easier in order to avoid doing the hard things. So instead of having great faith to believe the best will come of a situation (see Hebrews 11:1; Romans 8:28-39) we prayer warriors end up with faith the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20-21; Luke 17:6, NCV).
That is why if our prayers fail or fall on deaf ears it is not because of a lack of faith on our part or the people we are praying for. It is a result of barricading our hearts to protect against the emotional toll when the people we are praying for have to deal with the consequences for bad choices they have made (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).
In other words, there is no such thing as cold, clinical objectivity in the ministry work of a prayer warrior. The fact is when you pray for someone else’s need, that person becomes an extension of your family by adoption. Their choices, good and bad, will affect your heart. That is why Christians are taught by Jesus to love even their enemies (Matthew 5-7; Philippians 4:8-13). By the very nature of the calling we receive from God (Romans 11:29), to intercede (pray) for another person’s burden is to become emotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally attached (invested) in the person’s life.
Today’s society would have you believe this kind of investment can be accomplished without God, the church, or religion. That is impossible because only one individual could carry the burdens of this world’s population and live to tell about it. Christ’s work on Calvary is evidence of that Truth ( Matthew 27:1-28:20; Mark 15:1-16:20; Luke 19:28-48; Luke 22:1-23; Luke 22:39-24:53; John 17:1-21:25). On the surface this may seem a possibility but to get to the core of the need the person you are praying for is facing involves peeling back the layers of denial, anger, bitterness, resentment, and hurt the person is hiding behind.
Veteran prayer warriors will attest to this Truth: we can do nothing in our own strength. The work of this ministry must be done in conjunction with Christ and other believers or our testimonies, our efforts, our success and the work of intercessory prayer will be doomed to failure.

The Cost:
Prayer warriors, at times, face a heavy cost for the task of intercession. This cost comes when a prayer warrior, equipped with the gifts of Discernment and Judgment is called to confront the person they are praying for when the needs they are struggling with causes harm to others. The prayer warrior knows the harm can spread much further, unless it is dealt with.
Still, the art of confronting someone in love is a rather unpleasant part of prayer ministry. The backlash prayer warriors experience can destroy even the most seasoned warrior’s personal life, professional standing and affect the perception of their leadership skills. All because of the fact people don’t like hearing the Truth or being held accountable when they’ve done something to hurt someone else. The demands of such a calling lead some prayer warriors to quit.
Admittedly, this life is not for the faint of heart. Prayer Warriors battle internal pressures to prioritize God first, family second, and ministry third. As well as the politics of leadership and those in oversight authority who grow jealous, envious, and angry over the misperception they do not share the same intimacy with God or enjoy the same gifts we do.
That is why fresh recruits to this ministry are trained by seasoned veterans to employ the use of the full armor of God every day (It is mentioned in Ephesians 6:10-20). Without its protection, prayer warriors, seasoned and fresh, would be cut down from every direction.
It is important to note here that most veteran prayer warriors do not seek or desire leadership roles, but are content to serve in whatever capacity or position God leads them to. Many prayer warriors I know shun the limelight in favor of God receiving the Glory rather than drawing attention to themselves.

The Commitment to Serve:
If you ask us why we are still willing to serve, we will say, “Even though we face tremendous opposition, hardships, and repercussions to answers revealed when the Holy Spirit urges us to speak. We will still stand, without hesitation, on the frontline of the battle between the Enemy and those who are weaker bringing up the rear. For everyone that falls into Darkness is just as important as the many more He raises up to take their place (Luke 15:1-7). Why? Because God loves you so much He sent His Son to die for you. We will do the same for you.

The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer, Part One

Grace Moment by Moment-monthly column
“Sickness, disease, addiction and sexual immorality can all be healed through prayer, if you only believe in the person of Jesus Christ.” said the evangelist during a revival that was broadcast recently on television.
While I don’t entirely disagree with him, just belief is not always enough to break the stranglehold of sin Satan uses to enslave a person’s life. When it comes to exercising faith by claiming God’s authority to heal sicknesses such as those the evangelist mentioned through prayer, actual physical work is involved.

3 Points of Contact Jesus Uses to Heal Through Prayer:
Matthew 11:28-30

First, the person(s) being prayed for must be compelled to take action. This resolve comes from a point of need the person(s) is experiencing. In verse 28, we read:
“Come to Me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” (NCV)

Many of us try to carry not only our own loads in life but those of the ones we love. We think that by doing so, we are helping them. Instead, as Christians we forget our primary mission is to teach people to trust Jesus and follow His example. So when we enable them to dump their troubles on us, rather than face the situation head on and accept the consequences of their action or inaction we give them the excuse to avoid finding answers for what they need.

This is the opposite of what Jesus teaches. As we see in Matthew11:28, “Come to Me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” Jesus taught the disciples, to stand on their own without the added benefit of having a fall guy to blame their troubles on. Instead, we are to take our troubles, our complaints to Him. This is the same message He is teaching us today when life doesn’t quite go the way we think it should.

Second, the person(s) being prayed for must be willing to trust Jesus enough to learn and receive from Him all that He is teaching them. In verse 29, we read:
“Accept My teachings and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives.” (NCV)
The command in this verse is clear: we must surrender our will to God’s Will. Even if, what He wants us to do runs contrary to what and how we think our lives should go.

It is at this point, placing our trust in Jesus collides with our mistrust of everyone and anything we can’t control in life. Because it requires patience, (something we don’t have an abundant supply of), and a willingness to wait. Come on admit it: none of us likes to wait for anything. We live in a society that wants everything NOW! This very minute! Immediately! However, in order for us to learn instruction we have to be willing to accept instruction.

If we look at the second part of verse 29, we discover the reason Jesus wants us to accept the situations, and circumstances we face in life. The reason is “because I am gentle and humble in spirit.”

When we fight within ourselves for supremacy of our will over God’s Will, a wall of resistance builds up in our spirit and this causes us to harden our hearts against God’s teachings. When that happens we do not reflect the character of Christ, rather we reflect the character of the Evil One. This kind of battle defeats any good that can come from the circumstances we face in life. This kind of battle also destroys the testimony or message God would have us share with other people.

While God will not violate our free will—the choices we make in life to accept or reject His teaching and leadership—He cannot and will not allow us to destroy His name on earth by our active willingness to resist Him. So, God would rather choose another to fulfill the mission or ministry He has called us to do, than allow harm to come to another as a result of any bitterness or anger harbored within our hearts. Jesus is God, the Creator and Maker of all creation kind and God’s Presence and Love shown to others, is of paramount importance to the work He has called us to do.

Thirdly, the person(s) being prayed for must be willing to accept the help God as the Creator of all living things is willing to provide if we are to be at peace with God and everyone around us. The answer Jesus gave in Bible times is still true today. In verses 29 and 30, we read: “. . . because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The teaching that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.”

To learn the Truth about life and our place in it, we have to be willing to accept whatever comes our way. You have heard me talk about the illness I battle daily, Multiple Sclerosis. It is considered a terminal disease because there is no cure, yet. Over the last twenty years I have had several people pray over me for healing. Yet, I still have MS today. Some people have suggested that my faith is weak. Or, that I have no faith to begin with, because God has not healed me supernaturally of MS. Some others have even suggested that the faith of the one praying for me was weak. None of these people are right. How do I know? Even though God has not chosen to heal me, He has chosen to use my life, and the MS, in the same way, as He did the Apostle Paul’s life and disability, for His Glory.

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “this thorn in the flesh” Paul lived with his entire life was used by God to bring people to the realization that “God’s thoughts are not [our] thoughts, nor are [our] ways, His ways” (Isaiah 55:6-13, NKJV). When they do, they begin to see the wisdom in the following set of equations:

Action + Need=Trust Trust(Mistrust) + Inaction = Resistance ( Need + Trust(Acceptance)) = God’s Peace

If God desires to give the very best gifts to those who choose Him, why would we not choose to accept them, if it is according to His Will, and His plans for our lives? What is the wisdom in rejecting that?