In this series, we’re looking at the things in our life we need to “square up” with and find a biblical way to address them and move forward in wholeness instead of resigning to a life of complacency.
Intercessory prayer is a specific type of prayer: in it’s most basic definition, it’s praying on behalf of others. Or often spoken of as: standing in the gap or acting as an advocate in prayer.
Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
We’re not talking about sweet prayers today. We’re talking about all out war.
Ephesians 2:6
“…raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,”
And what is Jesus doing there?
Romans 8:34
"Christ Jesus…is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Hebrews 4:16
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence”
1 John 5:14-15 says
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."
Ephesians 6:18
"Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.”
None of these are sweet, calm requests to pray gently.
It Starts with being broken
“Brokenness is not about being sad, introspective or having bad circumstances and pain in your life. Brokenness is a choice - a continuous lifestyle of absolute surrender and living with your walls down.”
-Loren Cunningham (YWAM)
Psalm 51:17
"My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”
Isaiah 66:2
"These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”
James 4:8
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up”
Sweet prayers turn to contending
The book of Colossians is such a great example of this.
Colossians 1:3-11
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,
A little later in Colossians Paul says:
Colossians 2:1
“I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.”
And he also tells them he’s not alone:
Colossians 4:12
12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
The early church really understood the power of prayer and the fact that every ounce of authority they had came directly from connection with the Father.
Something breaks when we push through that point of “I don’t know what else to pray, God” and we are at the end of ourselves and our own thoughts and our own prayers we know to pray and we’re only left with the option to BEG God to speak the next thing to pray.
Created for community
Prayer isn’t designed to only be an individual thing
It might start that way, but just like everything else in our lives, we’re called to do this in the context of community too.
This idea of fasting and praying—of CONTENDING with God for something specific is ALL over the Bible.
Contending ALWAYS proceeds a major move of God.
Church History Examples:
-The Moravian Movement
-The First Great Awakening
-The Haystack Prayer Meeting
-The 1857 Prayer Revival
-The Welsh Revival
-The Korean Church Prayer movement
-The Azusa Street Revival
-The 2nd Great Awakening
-The East African Revival
-The Jesus movement
-The Asbury revival
ALL of these great moves of God began with a few people deciding they were going to contend with God in prayer for something or someone.
But what does our desperation lead us INTO?
When’s the last time you were moved to tears as you prayed over you family members, coworkers or neighbors to know Jesus?
“History belongs to the intercessors”
By which he means: the people who shape history most profoundly are often the ones nobody sees—the people who pray.
