Are you a believer called to pray for the life of a loved one, a personal condition, a civil or global matter? Then realize you have been called to “INTERCEDE.”
Matthew 18:19-20
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Practically speaking, what are intercessors REALLY? The following definition might be helpful.
mi·li·tia
məˈliSHə/
noun
- a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.
- a military force that engages in rebel or terrorist activities, typically in opposition to a regular army.
- all able-bodied civilians eligible by law for military service.
This is what intercession really looks like, but to better understand it from a spiritual perspective, you must first, understand what PRAYER is because prayer is a form of intercession.
Definition of intercessory prayer from the Apostolic Institute:
The bible illustrates prayer as the vehicle that enables mankind to communicate with the Almighty Creator of the universe. Prayer positions the believer for intimacy with God. Prayer is a form of offering to God (Acts 10:4). Prayer is a sacrifice (Heb. 13:15). The believer’s prayers are favored by God (1 John 5:14). Prayer is the vehicle by which the believer obtains access into the spirit realm enabling them to exercise spiritual authority and power on a level playing field with their spiritual adversaries.
Intercessory prayer is all of the above on behalf of ANOTHER. Vision Intercessors commit to a tangible covenant agreement with their prayer partners. Intercessory prayer is cultivated and shaped in each prayer partner whereby God may utilize them as an aid through love, encouragement and their spiritual gifts to accomplish His objectives in the life of their partnering believer.
Intercessory prayer is defined as a position where one stands in proxy for another. Intercessory prayer is taught as a discipline that defends, protects and represents alongside and on behalf of an independent, perplexed, venerable or weaker vessel. The spiritual disciplines born through intercessory prayer are worked gracefully and supernaturally. It begins with the command to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31) and to “lay down your life through the sacrifice of prayer for a friend.” (John 15:13-17)
So, have you or a minimum group of 2 or 3 been called to intercession? Has God placed upon your heart a spiritual assignment to pray for a loved one or about a civil or global matter? Through this blog, it is my desire to help you realize what you truly are as a prayer force. It is my hope that you will become thoroughly convinced that you are powerful in God and confident that the host of heaven is also waring with you!
The miracle-working power wrought through intercession is not so much about the cause as it is about the heart of the intercessors.
Ok, now what is most critical to understand as an intercessor is that those who are called to intercede must see themselves as “COVENANT” prayer partners. This means they are in a prayer partnership, first with God, and secondly with the others they have commit themselves to pray with. Why do I call them, “Covenant Prayer Partners?” This is because any time you come into an agreement whether verbally or written, in the spiritual sense, it is a covenant…an agreement of the spirit! Now practically speaking, you may not realize it, but as relational human beings, we establish covenants of all kinds every day. You can know there has been a covenant (a spiritual agreement/soul-tie) of some kind when the ungodly breaking of it feels like a betrayal or a destructive ripping part of something and leaving feelings of fear, shock, pain, mental turmoil, loss and a period of grief. This can happen with the breakup of friendships, marriages, job loss, theft and repossession of property, dropping out of school, and the list can go on.
A covenant is merely a biblical or spiritual term for the word “Agreement.”
cov·e·nant
noun
noun: covenant; plural noun: covenants
- 1.
an agreement.
| synonyms: | contract, agreement, undertaking, commitment, guarantee, warrant, pledge, promise, bond, indenture; More
pact, deal, settlement, arrangement, understanding “a breach of the covenant” |
- Law
a contract drawn up by deed.
| synonyms: | contract, agreement, undertaking, commitment, guarantee, warrant, pledge, promise, bond, indenture; More
pact, deal, settlement, arrangement, understanding “a breach of the covenant” |
- Law
a clause in a contract.
- Theology
an agreement that brings about a relationship of commitment between God and his people. The Jewish faith is based on the biblical covenants made with Abraham, Moses, and David.
verb
verb: covenant; 3rd person present: covenants; past tense: covenanted; past participle: covenanted; gerund or present participle: covenanting
- 1.
agree, especially by lease, deed, or other legal contract.
The most notable covenants to the believer is the one found in their Holy Bible, they are called the “Old and New Covenant” aka, The Old and New Testament. Yes, the bible is full of covenants. The word covenant has a biblical origin. The Hebrew term for covenant is berith, and it occurs over 280 times in the Old Testament. The English word covenant means “a coming together.” A covenant is a mutual agreement, promise, pledge with terms and often times conditions on behalf of another. Covenants in the Bible were an agreement between two people, between God and an individual, or between God and groups of individuals. Covenants are “conditional” or “unconditional.” A conditional covenant is forfeited of the promise if one person violates or defaults on his/her part of the agreement. An unconditional covenant is an agreement where the default of one party does not negate the ultimate fulfillment and blessing of the covenant.
1Kings 8:23
And said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart
Num. 25:13
And it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”
Contrary to popular opinion, the terms of a covenant agreement are not designed to be rigid rules to bind up our freedom but rather, they are provided as the pathway or road map to “keeping to the covenant” that will Ensure its Promise!
Covenant agreements have an intrinsic power to uncover TRUTH, truth which reveals the depth of our commitment to God and those we are committed to. When we personally wrestle with a covenant term it is a sign that we have lost sight of the integrity of our commitment and of the spirit from which the covenant was formed. Covenants are designed to remind us of the truth that established a relationship of unity, love and respect and it also identifies the foundations upon which the covenant relationship can be cultivated and grow. This is why “keeping covenant” is so important. Each opportunity that a term is honored, updated or revised for the good of the covenant, it represents a personal act of faith in belief of the covenant. When a term is dishonored, it represents a loss of faith, unity and love in the covenant relationship.
The power embedded in the prayers of intercessors is nestled in their love, unity and commitment to KEEP COVENANT.
“TOGETHER, Nothing is Impossible.”
So, the next time you establish a verbal or written agreement with someone or something, “BEWARE” as you will discover that by the nature of the spirit from which humanity has been created, you will be investing in far more than you realize so a word of advice, be WISE, be THOUGHTFUL and be TRUE.
So, to sum things up, intercessors are covenant prayer partners. They are believers who commit themselves to prayer with Jesus Christ, as their chief intercessor (Rom. 8:34) and oftentimes with others. They serve as a “Spiritual Militia” alongside angelic armies for the purpose of arresting ungodly, unlawful spiritual activities and imprisonments that are in heavenly kingdoms in a effort to bring things into right alignment with God in the earth.
Matthew 6:10
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 18:18
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
So, have you been called by God to be an Intercessor? Be encouraged! This is a worthy task. It is the call that shakes spiritual kingdoms, move mountain like circumstances, makes the impossible possible, set captives free and it is the main ingredient from which miracles are formed. As you intercede rest assure, God will speak and he will lead you to his sovereign victory because Jesus is the general of heaven’s armies. In this cause, you need only to follow his orders, “His Will… His Way”
Karen Gaithers-Life Discipleship 