Joel 1:13 π Rom. 8:26 π 1 Cor. 1:29
Intercession is not something we do; it is something the Spirit of God does through us. It is not prayer for a person or situation we feel needs prayer. The basic idea of the word “intercession” in the Greek is “to light upon by chance, to meet accidentally.” Intercession is something God does by putting a burden upon us with moanings and groanings for a particular situation. These situations are so complex and remote from our understanding that our verbal prayers are futile. It is vicarious praying, with Godly direction, and Godly results every time.
God doesn’t waste prayer like we do. The real purpose of verbal prayer is not to get God to answer our prayers, but through prayer our spirit discerns the mind and purpose of God so we can obey His desires, not ours.
Christians, as members of Christ’s mystical body, cannot call Jesus as Head of that body unless our wills are in perfect accord with His will. That is why Jesus desires us to submit our wills completely to Him, so that His body can be fulfilled. Then we can constantly pray in His perfect will, and the results would shake everything that can be shaken. However, people that attend Christian fellowships and meetings today are mostly seeking selfish blessings and fail to seek or understand the heart of God. As a result, prayers are selfish and the body of Christ fails to function in unity.
The Scripture says, “…For we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us (and through us) with groanings which cannot be uttered.” ( Rom. 8:26; top ) The reason intercession is not popular is because the flesh rebels from such ordeals, and the flesh rules the church world today. The groans are no more popular in most fellowships than a woman in birth pangs in the hospital. Soul travail isn’t understood by selfish, unsurrendered Christians. Our present society doesn’t regard very highly childbearing mothers; it would rather exalt career women. And so it is with the present Church: practically no one desires travailing or interceding for souls to be born into God’s kingdom. They are too busy enjoying themselves.
The qualifications for living a life of vicarious intercession is a person whose will is totally surrendered to the Lord’s will, and whose self-life is dead, “that no flesh should glory in His presence,” ( 1 Cor. 1:29; top ), for to be available for intercession demands living in His presence.
“…Lament you priests, howl you ministers of the altar, come lie all night in sackcloth you ministers of my God…” ( Joel 1:13; top )
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