Prayer - A Principle

[rhomphaeam]

NBLC PRINCIPLES

Intercessory Prayer

There are many kinds of prayer and it is worth exploring what some of these prayers are like so that we can find liberty when we pray.

Perhaps the first thing to say is that when we speak of prayer we are in truth speaking of God's will. And whilst some prayers agree with God's will they do not need too much thought because these prayers come to us instinctively or naturally. We call these simple prayers.

Other kinds of prayers also take the form of knowing the will of God, but cannot be entered into unless we are willing to be committed in the Spirit. These prayers we call intercessory prayers.

To explain this, we could say when a mother sees her child coming into danger, she doesn't need to ask God if she should pray or how she should pray. She knows that she should pray. How can God who made man, not also know that He has given fathers and mothers a natural authority to pray for their children's safety? Not everything that happens with children is reflective of danger, of course. What danger does is set the parent into a natural response, and in their natural response, they pray for God's help and protection. The same principle could almost be applied to any number of ordinary circumstances, and our natural response is to call on God. We celebrate this gift from God. Praying for oneself, for one's children, for one's friends and even for others whom we know and love is very natural, and all we need to pray in this way is to know and love ordinary things that we can easily understand.

Intercessory prayer is different. Intercessory prayer takes a kind of commitment that speaks more of the love of God than it does of our natural affections.

Emotionally we may not easily see this because as Christians we tend to be decent and reasonable people – even in our emotions. So praying for the salvation of others by natural means may seem like an understandable emotional response. However, emotion will not be enough to pray for people who are perishing through a lack of knowledge of Christ. We can witness to others, but we will see more fruit if we also have intercessory prayer for those to whom we are witnessing. People must consent to God by the power of Godl and must not be persuaded to believe in Christ for emotional reasons. If people cannot be brought into a right understanding of their need for Christ, they are not likely to receive a living faith. The place to work that out is before God. If we intercede effectually in prayer, then we will also witness effectually, even when we do draw upon emotions.

It is the Spirit who has been sent to bring conviction of sin, of righteousness and of judgement, and so intercessory prayer must always include a necessary faith in depending on God. Only then can men and women get saved – by crying out to God. Our petition for their souls will water and give substance to the will of God by our witness and obedience. If we did depend on our emotions to inform our prayers in the way we use our emotional experience of life when we pray for those we love, where would saving faith come from? It must come from God.

Experience, no matter how grave does not save.

It is God's will that no one perishes, so we do not need to ask God whether someone should be saved. Everyone should be saved, and we have the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, given to us by Christ Himself. Emotion will let us down when it comes to intercessory prayer. If we approach intercessory prayer emotionally we will become discouraged, and when we are discouraged, we stop praying.

Intercessory prayer is a burden, and all real burdens are ministries. All ministries need men and women to be towers in leading and teaching others, through example, how to walk in that Ministry.

Rhomphaeam (NBLC)

 

[for_his_glory]

Prayer is very hard for some people as they do not know how to pray or they think there should be some grand format to follow to make a perfect prayer. Some are even afraid to even approach Jesus as they feel he is unreachable in their lives for the way they live, but Jesus will hear the prayers of anyone who has a sincere heart for the Lord no matter who they are and in all boldness and a humbled heart will come before His throne of grace.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Praying is humbling ourselves before the Lord and making a petition before him in simplicity of words for whatever our need is. Jesus, as our mediator, sits at the right hand of God making intercession for the saints of God as he presents our petitions before the Father. You do not need eloquent elaborate words or long prayers that use vain repetitions like the Pharisees used as God called them hypocrites because they were arrogant in their ways loving to have others see them in such formality who made the outside of themselves look good, but were nothing more than full of iniquity.

Romans 8:34 who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

1Timothy 2:5 for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Matthew 6:5 and when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

Matthew 6:6 but thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:7 but when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Matthew 23:28 even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Jesus is our mediator to the Father and just wants us to sit and talk with him like we would sit and talk with our best friend. Our prayer language needs to be in this same way. When you have a need just talk to him and speak from your heart. We do not have to be repetitious in our prayers as Jesus already heard you the first time. Pray once and then stand strong in faith to know God has heard your prayer and then just keep praising him and thanking him for his answer to your prayer even though you might not see an answer yet, but know that God in his timing will answer you. Gods answer may not be what we want to hear at times and his answer can be no at times, but God knows what is better for us then we do and we need to trust in this.​

 

[rhomphaeam]

Prayer is very hard for some people as they do not know how to pray or they think there should be some grand format to follow to make a perfect prayer. Some are even afraid to even approach Jesus as they feel he is unreachable in their lives for the way they live, but Jesus will hear the prayers of anyone who has a sincere heart for the Lord no matter who they are and in all boldness and a humbled heart will come before His throne of grace.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Praying is humbling ourselves before the Lord and making a petition before him in simplicity of words for whatever our need is. Jesus, as our mediator, sits at the right hand of God making intercession for the saints of God as he presents our petitions before the Father. You do not need eloquent elaborate words or long prayers that use vain repetitions like the Pharisees used as God called them hypocrites because they were arrogant in their ways loving to have others see them in such formality who made the outside of themselves look good, but were nothing more than full of iniquity.

Romans 8:34 who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

1Timothy 2:5 for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Matthew 6:5 and when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

Matthew 6:6 but thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:7 but when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Matthew 23:28 even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Jesus is our mediator to the Father and just wants us to sit and talk with him like we would sit and talk with our best friend. Our prayer language needs to be in this same way. When you have a need just talk to him and speak from your heart. We do not have to be repetitious in our prayers as Jesus already heard you the first time. Pray once and then stand strong in faith to know God has heard your prayer and then just keep praising him and thanking him for his answer to your prayer even though you might not see an answer yet, but know that God in his timing will answer you. Gods answer may not be what we want to hear at times and his answer can be no at times, but God knows what is better for us then we do and we need to trust in this.​

Yes I agree with all of that sister. Though I ought to say that the OP is not all of that. It is the more grievous burden of praying for those who are persisting. Not a thing to have a chat to the Lord about.

 

[for_his_glory]

Teaching about prayer also needs to be taught how to pray as many do not know how to pray. Even when making intercessory prayer for others does not have to be a grievous burden to pray for others. Prayer is nothing more than talking to God of what your need is for others and for God to guide you in helping others come to the Lord. We do not need big theatrical words, but just our own simple language as we bring our petitions before Him.

 

[rhomphaeam]

Teaching about prayer also needs to be taught how to pray as many do not know how to pray. Even when making intercessory prayer for others does not have to be a grievous burden to pray for others. Prayer is nothing more than talking to God of what your need is for others and for God to guide you in helping others come to the Lord. We do not need big theatrical words, but just our own simple language as we bring our petitions before Him.

The article or short narrative was written by a sister who was at the time dying of cancer. She was a founding member of the church I am writing from. I recall when she asked me to look it over and add anything if I thought it necessary. I asked her to write the piece because she was the intercessory prayer leader. The only thing I could add was to make the point in the last paragraph.

Intercessory prayer is a burden, and all real burdens are ministries. All ministries need men and women to be towers in leading and teaching others, through example, how to walk in that Ministry.

I believe that speaks to your first point. Yet the difficulty seems to be other than that and for the sake of peace I will leave it alone.

 

[Adoration]

Intercessory prayer is a burden, and all real burdens are ministries. All ministries need men and women to be towers in leading and teaching others, through example, how to walk in that Ministry.

Yes... It is a burden... and it is a gift... It's a groaning of the Spirit to the one who is called to pray.
It's not like normal prayer... nor do I believe everyone is able to connect into it... ( for lack of a better phrase ).

 

[rhomphaeam]

Yes... It is a burden... and it is a gift... It's a groaning of the Spirit to the one who is called to pray.
It's not like normal prayer... nor do I believe everyone is able to connect into it... ( for lack of a better phrase ).

I wholeheartedly agree sister. In the times I have been in prayer nights when this type of prayer is most visible amongst those brethren who have a real burden for the unsaved - or the saved - then when those prayers come - what a time of release that is. It is a gift and I would hope that it is for anyone who has a burden for the unsaved and the saved alike. The other thing I have noticed is that in these times although there have been many tears and groans and often real anguish of the spirit - none of it is emotional. Those who are present as I have been at times unmoved in the Spirit find that such prayers in the end have oneself on ones face as well. Intercessory prayer is another thing to simple prayer and hence why the sister who wrote the articles wrote it as she did. She was a trooper and no mistake.