The Ministry of Intercession

What do you think is the greatest privilege we enjoy as human beings? I’m still pondering that, although my first choice so far is loving and being loved by God. Some say we’re created to worship, so that’s our highest calling. According to the Westminster Catechism, “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” I know we were created for God’s glory (Isaiah 43:7), so I love this response.

However, I was intrigued and challenged the other day by reading that our greatest privilege is interceding for others. We know from Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25 that Jesus is at the right hand of God and “ever liveth to make intercession” for those of us who are His. We also learn from Romans 8:26-27 that the Holy Spirit, who indwells all Christian believers, “makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” So, both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are unceasingly involved in intercession. Obviously a high calling!!

We are also exhorted by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1 “that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4). God wants all men to be saved, and we are instructed to pray for that! Therefore, if not our highest calling, then certainly carrying on the ministry of intercession with Jesus and Holy Spirit before the throne of God has to be one of our greatest responsibilities and privileges as human beings.

I believe animals can bring glory to God—and even the rocks can cry out in praise of God—but only human beings are offered an audience with the King of the Universe. We are told to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). This is a shocking statement! Imagine being summoned by the King . . . being ushered into the throne room . . . bowing down before a greater sovereign than exists anywhere on the face of the earth—and One who could have you destroyed in an instant. Doesn’t this sound like an awe-inspiring—but terrifying—event?

Instead, once we become children of God through faith in Christ, our Father opens his arms to us and says we can come any time we want, day or night, and pour out our hearts to him like a small child with complete access to his loving Father’s care. That’s better than any human father can offer! We can “obtain mercy” for ourselves and for those we love. We can ask for the grace we need to meet the challenges facing us . . . and facing those we love. What a privilege!

Perhaps the greatest honor is to be loved by God and to love, adore, and worship God, but the greatest privilege is to have free access to Him as part of a nation of “kings and priests” (Revelation 1:6, KJV) intended to join in the communion and counsel of the Trinity in interceding for those we love until “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). Have you grasped the fact that we are already seated “together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6) and invited to participate in the ministry of intercession? Can you fathom this reality? God welcomes us to join with Him—to become one with Him in fellowship with the Trinity and all the saints of earth—to finish this project of bringing the Kingdom of God to earth. What a high calling!

If you feel a nudge by the Holy Spirit to become more involved in intercessory prayer, may I encourage you to start interceding in prayer on behalf of yourself and others? You don’t have to pray with anyone else, but praying with others can also be a very encouraging way to grow your prayer life. I’m involved in several prayer meetings, and I love it! Can you think of anyone with whom you’d like to pray on a regular basis? Through my son Jonathan’s Aqueduct Prayer Center, you can join others via Zoom to pray, even if you’re not able to meet with your friends in person (either because of COVID concerns or distance). If you’d like more information, contact me via my email or the comment section below. Thanks! I hope to hear from you, and if you don’t know anybody else to pray with, I invite you to join me in a group!

Can you imagine the difference it would make if each of us genuinely began to love others as we love ourselves and then used the golden key God has placed in our hands—the ministry of intercessory prayer—to unlock the energies of heaven on behalf of our wounded world?! Let’s do this! What a transformation we will see in our own lives! What a flood of grace will pour down from heaven to heal and redeem our dying world. Oh, Lord, help us to become passionate intercessors!

“Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).

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