Power of Intercession

Power of Intercession

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he lives to always intercede for them.”  -Hebrews 7:25

Toward the end of John’s gospel we hear Jesus pray to the Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” Soon after, in his final moments at the Cross, “He says, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” Jesus did the 'work,' now we have access to God's omnipotence through the joy of intercession.

Simply put, prayer is talking to God.  It is a joyful and powerful activity that the saints of Christ can engage in anywhere and anytime.  The position of your heart is infinitely more important than the geographic location of your body.  In Exodus 3:5 God told Moses to take off his sandals at the burning bush “for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Holiness isn't about a special building or place filled with statues and murals, but rather anywhere - even the middle of the desert - God's presence is manifest.

There are people across the globe – right now – whose hearts are prostrate (not prostate) and broken before God as they intercede for: the lost, their brothers & sisters in Christ, the unity of Christ’s Bride/Church, God’s mission, the advancement of the gospel to the ends of the earth, and intimate involvement & identification with God’s will. Their intercession makes those people holy (set apart) and those places holy too.

There are many others around the world who mindlessly recite rote prayers, but who are simultaneously ‘checked-out.’ The Israelites frequently engaged in this type of activity – to which the LORD said, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”  God cares nothing for religion. God cares about individuals, about humanity, about faith and our reconciliation with Him.

In the New Testament this ‘tradition’ of mindless, heartless, worthless blah-blah-blah continued – to which Jesus said, “When you pray, don't babble on and on as people are in the habit of doing. They think they will be heard because of their many words.” Sadly, people today mindlessly repeat Jesus’ ensuing prayer as a ‘holy-exercise’ rather than getting Jesus' point: engage God in intimate conversation, to be made aware of God's heart, and to identify with him 100%.  Holiness, i.e. being ‘set apart’ for God, is sadly mistaken for the duration of one’s mindless repetition – despite what Jesus made explicitly clear about that whole notion.

Jesus prayed to the Father out of intimate unity and love – not lengthy rote formalism.  Jesus was interceding for the unity of His Bride (viz. the Church) out of compassion and love when, in John 17:23, He prayed, “May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.”  Jesus interceded for us. He still does through the prayers of the faithful.

The prayers that Jesus prayed in the Bible aren’t there for us to simply memorize and repeat mindlessly, but rather for us to see the heart of God. Jesus really loves the Father – deeply, intimately, perfectly, completely, AND He really loves humanity – broken, ugly, fallen, destitute, depraved, corrupt, sin-stained humanity, i.e. me and you. He loves us so deeply, so intimately, so perfectly, and so completely that not even the Cross of Calvary could deter or dissuade Him.  “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Rather than memorizing prayers and spewing them as an empty religious trial of endurance to test your 'spiritual-cardio,' just try talking to God.  Rather than imitating Jesus words, try emulating His heart and attitude of humility, altruistic compassion, and authentic love.  Rather than praying for a change in your circumstances or your situation, consider His words: “in humility value others above yourselves… look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Intercede for others and watch what happens.

Throughout His life Jesus exemplified compassion, love, holiness (i.e. being ‘set apart’ for God), humility, and altruism PERFECTLY.  He doesn’t expect us to be Him, but He does desire for us to be alive “IN” Him and for Him to be alive “IN” us.  I know this because He said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” We fulfil Jesus' desire for abiding "in" him to the extent that we both: 1. intercede on behalf of others in prayer; and 2. participate in the mission of God.

If we remain in Him, and His words remain in us – then Christ’s spirit and attitude of altruistic compassion, humility, and love LITERALLY lives in us.  As we pray and ask for the very things that He desires – it is accomplished in and through us and for God's praise & glory.  That’s the kind of indivisible, intimate, and perfected unity Jesus prayer for.  That’s the heart and reality of intercession.

Blessings,

-Kevin