PROPHETIC INTERCESSION AND PRAYER

My primary calling as a prophetic voice is that of an intercessor. Personal prayer and intimacy have always been an important part of my Christian walk. When I’m selecting a leader, and what I believe God is looking for in a leader, is first a basic foundation for Christian life. Then, of course, character, the fruit of the Spirit, along with skills, gifts, and talents related to the leader’s role and responsibility. That basic foundation of a Christian walk is to be a man or woman that has a working knowledge of the Word of God, along with the daily discipline to continue to seek the Lord in the Word. Secondly, the person has a real prayer life. Finally, they are connected in a local body of believers.

Now, when I said a real prayer life, let me explain what I mean. Prayer is not all about discipline and ritual, it’s about relationship communication and intimacy. I like what Paul said about his prayer life, he said that he prayed without ceasing. He was instant in prayer. The Lord wants us to be instant in season and out of season. It’s not about how long I pray, but rather that I maintain a fresh relationship with the Lord of communication, and that I realize that he never leaves me or forsakes me. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have to have seasons of fasting and prayer, but let’s focus first and foremost on the attitude of prayer. In order for my prayer life to be relational and real; it must be two-way communication. I don’t want to end up always with me doing all the talking, but rather that I keep the right attitude while praying. Not only praying my desires, but what is on the Lord’s heart, what’s on His heart, and agenda, and His timetable. He said that if I delight myself in the Lord, He’d give me the very desires of my heart. I’m sure that most of you want to know how deep we are in our Christian walk and relationship with the Lord and to me, one of my primary indications is my prayer life with the Lord. What’s my attitude, what am I praying for, and about? Is it all about me and mine? Is it about the shallow things of my heart and desire? Or am I seeking his heart and his desire and seeking His will to be done and His kingdom come.

There are many types of prayer like the prayer for the sick in James 5:13-16. There’s prayer for our enemy as the Lord directed us in Matthew 5. Also, praying in the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 14:14. There’s the prayer of agreement in Deuteronomy 32:30 that multiplies power and effectiveness. Prayer for the nations or praying for our leaders, or according to His request, that we pray for Jerusalem, or your personal prayer of petition for your needs or the needs of your loved ones. Or that deeper level of prayer, the prayer of intercession. Regardless of the style or type of prayer Jesus said in Matthew 21:13 “It is written, my house shall be called a house of prayer.”

The call and ministry of the intercessor to me, is as important to the operation, leadership, and success of the church as the five-fold offices which are the full expression of the ministry life of Christ, as He walked the earth. Intercession is the ministry of Christ today. He’s the head intercession, the great intercessor. The Bible says that He is seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us right now. I believe in this season he is looking for men and woman as he describes in Ezekiel 22:30 “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” Can he find one in you and me? In an hour when He’s calling his intercessors to come out of the closet and come to the forefront of the church, to stand their watch upon the wall, to prophetically engage the enemy afar off and at the gate and at the walls of the community of God.

In prophetic intercession, many times when I go to prayer, I go in praise and worship, entering into His presence. In His glory, that’s the place where revelation is. Then when I sense His heart and desire, I start praying them back to Him. Do you want to hit some home runs in prayer? Pray his will. When you go to prayer, pray with a kingdom vision. Begin to look about your prayer life and requests with a view from the King. This is an hour for intercessors to go to war. They are called to be the great end-time warriors who are quick to go to battle, and quick to go to the throne. One of the great spiritual weapons we have is prayer, and prayer that he birthed in his glory and presence. The highest form of warfare is warfare in worship. And a man who doesn’t pray is no better off than a man who can’t pray.
Some great books on prayer and intercession that have inspired me, and helped me to learn, and get an understanding of the purposes, and methods of prayer are Hearing God’s Voice by Joy Dawson, Intercession by Watchman Nee, and Cross-Pollination by Lila Terhune, who was the head of intercession at Brownsville Assembly of God. She was the first person who taught me intercession, and I was on her intercessory prayer team for two years during revival. She is a wonderful woman of prayer, a great warrior, and has a tremendous prophetic gift.

Whether you’re in the office of the prophet or operating in your prophetic gift, one of the realms and channels of prophecy is prophetic intercession. In Jeremiah 27:18-19 the Word of God is clear. It says, “But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon. For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city.”

He tells us here to make intercession NOW. He tells us to pray for those who are in the house of the Lord, our brothers, and sisters, and for the house Judah, who are the worshippers, the worship leaders, and the worship team, and for Jerusalem, who are the council and the leaders so that they would not go back to Babylon, which is a place of captivity, a place of confusion. So that they won’t backslide. And it says the pillars, the deacons, the elders. Then he says the sea which the multitude of people and the bases which is the extended church, the outreach ministers, the marketplace ministers, and those that man counseling centers and those that house the homeless and feed the hungry. Finally, it tells us to pray for our cities and all those in our cities. I want to encourage you and exhort you and challenge you to a higher place in the Lord. To a deeper place, and a place in His heart, a place of intercession.