Words by our Priest-in-Charge:
The Act Of Intercession
When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
(2 Chronicles 7:13-14)
While spending time in an overnight prayer last night, the Lord impressed upon me this question, “What do you seek when you intercede?”. And I answered, “It is so that you, Lord, would hear our prayers”.
How do we get to that place where God would hear our prayers. The answer seems obvious from the Bible quotation above. Often when we intercede, the Lord reveals to us the trues state of affair or the matter we are interceding. Quite naturally, we would pray according to the revelation from the Lord. In the case of interceding for the church or the nation, we repent on behalf of the people. Before we could do that and that the Lord would “hear our prayers”, we need to do the following:
- To look at the sins of the people (church or nation) and ask whether we have personally repeated their sins and repent;
- To ask ourselves whether we have in any way participated in those sins; and
- Whether we have been personally “wronged, offended or hurt” by those sins, and we still harbor resentment, offence and unforgiveness in our hearts.
We need to first and foremost clear all the issues I mentioned with the Lord through repentance. Then, the Lord says, “He would her from heaven, forgive our sins and heal our land” from all the effects of sin as described in verse 13.
The people of God, the Church is called to step into this act of intercession. Intercession is not for a few who are specifically called, but for the people of God “who are called by His Name” – who are in right relationship with Him. The Bible tells us that great saints such as Abraham, Moses, etc were great intercessors because God hears their prayers.
God would hear our prayers too, if we are in righteous standing before Him through Christ Jesus.