Intercessory Prayer

[~candice~]

Thanks, Fez!

My understanding of intercession comes from the process of observing and doing, not a "3 point sermon", and late last night I was fumbling for how to explain what the doing is.

I hope what Fez said makes it more clear, andy.

I have always understood it like that. I just don't see a nice neat theology coming out of the Word on it. What I see are many example prayers, showing us how to pray fervently, and passionately.

I like OneLight copying the prayer of Jesus in the garden. What an amazing prayer! This is Him praying for His disciples before death, what a battle cry! And yet, given the circumstances, it was relatively short, but full of pleading.

[nebula]

I just don't see a nice neat theology coming out of the Word on it.

Well, i can refer you to what others have written?

http://www.allaboutprayer.org/prayers-of-i...cession-faq.htm - at least the first two pages.

http://www.bible-history.com/isbe/I/INTERCESSION/

[Fez]

An example of the shortest prayer in the bible?

Neh 2:1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.

Neh 2:2 And the king said to me, "Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart." Then I was very much afraid.

Neh 2:3 I said to the king, "Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"

Neh 2:4 Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Neh 2:5 And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it."

No stalling here, no Oh Lord, please can You, because, and , but, if only......

A prayer between sentences! (and the result from the king could have been, take this person away and kill him, he displeases me! Thats why Nehemiah was afraid).

Why could Nehemiah pray that fast? Because he was prepared! This is what he had been doing before he went to the king:-

Neh 1:3 And they said to me, "The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire."

Neh 1:4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Nehemiah was ready to answer the king because he understood being close to God at all times. He was prepared, as should we be.

The first prayer was an intercessory prayer for Jerusalem (Neh 1:3), the second prayer (Neh 2:4), was a save my butt prayer.

And funnily enough the third prayer in the book was a prayer of watchfulness, which we should also do, we should be on guard the whole time. Note that Nehemiah first prays, then sets a watch, he did not set a watch and then pray. God first with Nehemiah, always, as it should be with us.

Neh 4:7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

Neh 4:8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

Neh 4:9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

Blessings

[Guest]

.... Where does the doctrine surrounding intercessory prayer come from?....

It Is War!

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,

and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:11-18

Let Us Pray

Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon;

and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side,

and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua:

for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. Exodus 17:8-14

Blessed Be The Name Of The LORD!

Hallelujah!

Amen!

[~candice~]

Thanks all .

Reading through those links, confirms what I suspected. I don't think there is a gift of intercession, or prayer warrior, as many claim. However, the intercessions we see in the Word are exemplars of how we ought to pray in our roles as priests, interceding on behalf of others. We are ALL priests, and thus our prayers for others should ALL be intercessory .

The lesson for me is to go more boldly before His throne. It is His Word and His promises to us and I can stand on them when I plead for Him to move in a certain person's life.

How beautiful is the privilege of prayer!

[Guest]

Intercessory Prayer

And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.

And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. Genesis 18:20-33

[Guest]

Intercessory

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. Luke 23:34

Prayer

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:59-60

[nebula]

I don't think there is a gift of intercession, or prayer warrior, as many claim.

True.

But there are some who consider this kind of prayer as their primary ministry.

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

Isa

[~candice~]

I don't think there is a gift of intercession, or prayer warrior, as many claim.

True.

But there are some who consider this kind of prayer as their primary ministry.

Sure. I guess it's something we can all do, but not all do. I don't know if I could do what Abraham did, I'm still struggling to get my mind around approaching God with that kind of (attitude / strength / persistance). But I do feel called to pray, and in a way more powerful than I do at the moment. It's hard to explain in words but it makes perfect sense in my head (if only you could crawl in there, LOL, it would make sense).

Grace to you,

Isa