Prayer is simply talking to God. But Intercession brings our spirit into line with the heart and desire of God and partners with the Holy Spirit in accomplishing God’s desire, and therefore, spiritual victory. Intercession can manifest itself in many ways – i.e., watching, weeping, groaning, declaring, supplicating, pleading, shouting, laughing, carrying a burden, and prophetic acts, being some of them. All are Scriptural.

FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERCESSORS

1. The Intercessor One:

• Prays occasionally, for people, ministries, and events, i.e. for Billy Graham, church, or family.

• Prays general blessing prayers.

• Gathers the stones that will build the wall of protection and provision in a general way, around the ones they pray for.

• There are many in this category. (Millions world-wide).

2. The Intercessor Two:

• Prays on a regular basis for a specific person or ministry.

• Loves praying.

• Has a bond with the object of their prayer.

• Receives regular information about the ministry or person, then prays for the needs.

• Their prayer puts the stones together in building the wall to its full height.

• Only approximately one-third of above fall into this category.

3. The Intercessor Three:

• Has a gift of Intercession.

• Is able to pray for long periods of time. (can spend between 2 and 5 hours daily in prayer).

• Needs, to be, and loves being in the Presence of God.

• Feels, or senses the need.

• Carries the burden, and prays until the burden lifts.

• These are armour-bearers who stand in front, or beside the person, or ministry to bring protection and strength.

• There may be only five in a hundred in this category.

4. The Intercessor Four:

• A distinct calling or ministry.

• Hears prophetically from the Holy Spirit.

• Prays accordingly.

• Sees situations differently (God-given perspective).

• Has ability to intercede with power into the situation.

• Prayers are successful – sees results.

• Brings warning at sight of enemies or messengers.

• These are watchmen standing on the walls of the city (the church).

• There may be only one or two of these in each church.

• They have an unusually close relationship with God.

• Love (agape love) – the ability to love others, as God loves us, and wants the best for us (John 13:34).

• Compassion – it is stated that Jesus "had compassion" on many occasions, and that compassion caused Him to help people ( Mark 1:40-41).

• Integrity – let your "yes" be yes, and your "no" be no. Fresh and bitter water do not come out of the same spring. (James 3:11). Let your thoughts, words and actions line up with one another. Don’t think one thing, and say something different, or believe one thing, and do something else (James 5:12).

• The ability to pray with the mind, and in the Spirit – both knowingly, and in tongues (Ephesians 6:18).

• Boldness – To come before the throne of God, knowing who you are in Christ (Ephesians 3:11-12). And boldness to face the enemy.

• Persistence (or fervency) – like Elijah ". . . the fervent effective prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16-18). Persistence to see the job through.

• Identification with the person or object of your intercession, feeling as they feel.

All prophets are intercessors –

"But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts . . ." – Jeremiah 27:18.

"Prophetic intercession is the ability to receive an immediate prayer request from God and pray about it in a divinely anointed utterance" (Dutch Sheets) . Sometimes ask God – "How do you want me to pray?" Other times, launch out in faith – simply beginning to pray, allowing God to "fill our mouths" – both are prophetic and Scriptural. True intercessory prayer is always prophetic, initiated in an intercessor’s heart by the Holy Spirit. Because He never makes mistakes, all intercession initiated by Him is powerful, and always accomplishes what it is sent to do. Intercession and prophecy are closely linked – in fact, a person cannot intercede effectively, unless he/she is able to "see" prophetically. Intercessors need to enter right into the Throne room of God before they can intercede effectively. In many prayer meetings this is not done before prayer is made, and I have "seen in the spirit" those prayers bounce on the ceiling and go no further. But true intercessory prayer goes out and hits the mark like a sharp polished arrow which, when properly balanced, flies straight to the target. Intercessors have a built-in warning system which operates well in advance of anything being seen. Usually the signs are:

1. "A check in the spirit" A sense or feeling, that something is not quite right. They may not know what is wrong, but they know that something is not right in a particular situation.

2. A strong desire to get alone with the LORD.

3. A need to weep, or groan.

4. Then waiting on the Holy Spirit for His guidance as to how and what to pray.

5. And doing what He, the Holy Spirit says, the burden, or weight lifts off the heart.

"So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me" – Ezekiel 33:7.

Watchmen in the Bible watched over cities, harvests, fields, and stood on the walls. They watched for enemies, and for messengers – and a good watchman could recognize a messenger by his stride (his walk). A good intercessor will recognize "wolves" by their spiritual walk ( 2 Samuel 18:19-28). The word "watchman" comes from the Hebrew "tsaphah" meaning "to look out or about, spy, keep watch" –(American Standard Exhaustive Concordance). The same root word "tsaphah" can also be translated as "to lay out," or "to lay over."

And thirdly, also from the same root word – "an outflow" (or discharge). So the watchman ministry of intercession, is:

• "to look out", or "spy" and "keep watch" over a situation, or person/persons.,

• "to lay out" the need before God, or,

• "to lay over" to bring protection to someone, or something.

• to have "an outflow" – or flowing out from the intercessor’s spirit to the Spirit of God, or,

• to discharge – (as of a burden) from our spirit to God.

The old creation began with the breath of God. The new creation begins with the breath of the Son of God.

John 9:6-7 – When He (Jesus) had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he (the blind man) went and washed, and came back seeing. 

The blind man was obedient and received complete healing.

• Prophetic acts have two directions –

 Towards GodTowards the enemy in warfare, as a declaration of God’s power and will.

• Prophetic acts involve the whole person – (body, soul, and spirit). They capture our attention fully. Abraham’s walking involved his physical walking presence, his thoughts, and his spiritual authority in the heavenlies.

• They determine the spiritual climate for future generations.

• They require perfect obedience. When God requires a prophetic act – do exactly as He tells you. The future depends upon your obedience. In 2 Kings 13:14-19, King Joash did not complete the act (verse 17) and the future was determined accordingly.

ELIJAH:

In Bible days, "bowing down to the ground, with face between the knees" was the common position for a woman to travail in childbirth. So Elijah travailing or interceding for rain to come, for the drought to be broken. He knew the right time, and partnered with God to bring it to pass.

• Travailing intercession breaks spiritual droughts over people and nations.

JESUS:

Jesus began travailing in the Garden of Gethsemane when He sweated drops of blood (His blood being the necessary price for redemption). He finished it on the Cross. He said "It is finished." His travail was for you and me to be born into the Kingdom of God (Isaiah 53:11) Not for our conversion, but our new birth.

• Travailing intercession births new life.

PAUL AND SILAS – Acts 16:25-34: Paul and Silas in chains, locked up in prison, in darkness were praying. They prayed up an earthquake! They shook the earth, brought light into the darkness, broke chains causing a whole family to be saved.

• Intercession sets people free.

JAMES AND PETER – Acts 12:1-5: Herod began to persecute the church – two men were on his "hit list",James and Peter. James is killed (62 A.D.) but Peter lives. Why? Because constant prayer ( Greek. "procheuche" = "earnest prayer") was made for Peter. One man dies, the other lives. Do you think that the earnest prayer of the saints made the difference?

• Intercession saves lives.

• Abraham interceded for Sodom – (Genesis Chapter 18).

• Moses pleaded with God for Israel after they had made the golden calf – (Exodus Chapter 32).

• Daniel was aware of the times, and what the Scriptures said concerning them – and he made supplication to the LORD for his people – (Daniel 9:1-4, and 20-22).

• Anna the prophetess (prayers and fastings) – (Luke 2:36-38).

• Jesus prays for Himself, for His disciples, and for all believers – (John Chapter 17).

• Prophetic intercession brought immediate action – Ananias going to Saul and praying for him (Acts 9:10-17).

Romans 8:27 & 34: "Intercession" – Greek = "entugchano" meaning "to chance upon, to confer, to entreat," and is translated as – "to plead, to appeal."

Romans 8:26 – The Spirit of God "intercedes" for us – root word means – "to intercede, to make petition" – like the petitions we make to Government, when we want to be heard – signed by thousands. The Holy Spirit doesn’t have to get millions of signatures – His Word is enough before God. 

Numbers 21:7 – Moses "prayed" for the people – Hebrew Word = "palal’ = meaning "to intervene, to interpose." 

Also in 1 Samuel 2:25.