Earth-Shaking Prayer

•  Intercession is a gift, and a ministry.
• Not listed amongst the nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
• Not specifically mentioned in the Bible as a ministry. But the power of intercession is seen many times in the lives of prophets, priests and kings, and ordinary people like you and me.
• It is a back-up ministry – a support ministry, always in the background. Yet it is so powerful, that it determines the course of events.

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:

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.

The character of an intercessor – humility, integrity, honesty, and faithfulness. Of these, integrity and humility are the most important. Be truthful in all that you say and do (The Belt of Truth – Ephesians 6).

WHAT DO YOU NEED, TO BE A GOOD INTERCESSOR?

• 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.

PROPHECY AND INTERCESSION GO TOGETHER

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.

THE WATCHMAN

"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.

PROPHETIC ACTS OF INTERCESSION

Examples:

Genesis 13:17: – Abraham, our spiritual father, was asked to "Arise, walk in the land, through its length and its width, for I give it to you." 

Joshua 8:18-19: – Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Stretch out the spear that is in your hand." And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. So those in ambush arose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand and they entered the city and took it, and hastened to set the city on fire.

John 20:22 – And when He (Jesus) had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

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 –

• They determine the spiritual climate for future generations.

• Travailing intercession breaks spiritual droughts over people and nations.

• Travailing intercession births new life.

• Intercession sets people free.

• Intercession saves lives.