12/02/2024
I really enjoyed the devotional message that I read this morning. Pastor E .M. Bounds wrote about praying for one another. He spoke of how the power of our prayers will draw us close to God in a holy, reverent, and magnificent way. So often we view Jesus as a stoic man, and not as someone who pleaded loudly with God, and cried crocodile tears as He prayed, but this is indeed the man Jesus was.
“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.”
Hebrews 5:7 ESV
I feel the position between God and mankind in a very strong way when praying intercessory prayers. There was a time when I met every Monday night at my church with two other elders, and we would pray with and for anyone who came to us in need of prayer... those nights were a powerfully sacred experience. On Monday nights the Holy Spirit was palpable in our prayer room, and miracles were common… backs were healed, cancers cured, eyesight restored, businesses saved from collapse, relationships salvaged; and many other needs and requests were answered… all in the name of Jesus and after praying that God’s will would be done. Prayer is powerful, and not only changes lives, but transforms us.
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”
James 5:14-15 ESV
There is something deeply moving, and spiritually refreshing about an Intercessory prayer session... It occurs when people bring every need and problem they have to the intercessors, everything, from their closely held secrets, and intimate problems, to their most pressing worldly needs and wants... They bring them complete with tears, and an urgent need for God’s presence. You can feel the hearts and souls of these fellow believers as they present their most intimate secrets for prayer. Then, with hearts joined together with theirs, the intercessors pray for them, and with them; we would lift their spiritual arms, and offer an intensely personal petition towards heaven... all of this done in secret, only to be heard by God and those who were praying. All in absolute confidence.
No one's prayers go unheard by God, but when the world has weighed folks down, or their strength has waned, and they are at the end of their rope, they need strong prayer warriors to assist them as they call out in desperation. They need the reassurance that joining in prayer gives them, and additional help in placing their hand once again in their Heavenly Father's. Pastor E. M. Bounds wrote these words regarding the intercessor…
"He who prays stands midway between God and people" - E. M. Bounds
This is one of those calls to action in Christendom where the veil between heaven and earth becomes very thin; it is a moment when an intercessor stands in this gap that hurting people can feel in their very souls, and with it comes an awesome responsibility. I remain humbled to have had this experience, and although I would often feel both the weight and joy of it for days following my Monday nights in prayer, I still feel it today. Even now I will get called on to pray by people from churches across the nation, and around the world. You see, Satan doesn’t rest and the world doesn’t cease to assault us. The phone will occasionally ring at night or when I least expect it with a pressing prayer need that calls me to my knees, and into prayer. Time is an earthly thing, and God comes to us whenever one of His children needs us to pray… whether it be day or night. Are we ready to answer these calls when they come? Are we prepared to be awakened in the night and respond “Here am I Lord!”?
Bounds also wrote...
"Prayer connects earth to heaven and brings heaven in close contact with earth.” - E. M. Bounds
The intercessor stands with his face pressed into the veil, holding the crippled hand of a man in his one, and the healing hand of God in his other... then he joins them together through his prayers once again. Scripture speaks of both elders and lay people; one doesn't have to be an elder to pray in intercession for those around them. Paul made a point of asking for an entire church to pray for him. He knew that when people joined in prayer they had strength, and we read of such a request in Romans as he asks the Roman church to pray for him…
“Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;”
Romans 15:30 KJV
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Matthew 18:20 ESV
So, are we ready to lay our hands on the sick, and anoint the hurting among us with oil? Are we prepared to press our faces deep into the sheer veil that separates heaven and earth on such occasions? Are we ready to join with those who need a touch from God, a brush against the great healer, and help from the provider of all things? Are we ready to answer this call to heartfelt prayer with sobs, tears, and sometimes wails, as we call out to God at a moment’s notice?
Prayer:
Thank you Father for giving us the privilege of coming before you with the needs of others. Bless us Father, and forgive us, and them, that we might come into your presence washed clean with the blood of Jesus. Holy Father, thank you for the intercessory prayers of those who join together with us to place the needs and concerns of your suffering children into your hands. Help us to see and feel the power of your promise in our prayers as we lay hands on one another and pray fervently. Lord, in these moments when we humble ourselves before you, let the separation between your holy kingdom and the created earth be exceptionally thin. Let the sweet incense of heaven wrap us in its smoke as we engage in this holy endeavor. Abba, it is comforting to know that we are not alone, and to feel the prayers of the elders, and those of others surrounding us, as they serve to remind us that you too are with us here... just as you are always. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who makes provision for us in prayer, and Holy are you who hears our pleas, and answers them with care. Hear Jesus as he stands before your throne in intercession for us, and taste our tears as they fall upon our hands.
You have taught us to pray for one another Lord, and with hands laid powerfully upon those who seek you, and the scent of anointing oil fresh in our nostrils, we call out to you in prayer and seek your miraculous affirmation… Join us Father, and hear all men say…
Amen! Amen! Amen! May all glory and Honor be to the Lord our God, now and forevermore!
Rich Forbes