11/07/2025
Who will we come in contact with today? Is there some “Chance” happening that isn’t quite as random as it might seem, and that the Lord has orchestrated specifically for His purposes? There are many opportunities for intercession that occur in our daily lives that we think of as less than significant because we are unable to see and think as God does… do we pray for them anyway, or do we pass them by for something we consider more important? God knows the beginning from the end and thus there are no chance happenings when it comes to Him. Are we prepared to pray for good in the midst of the bad, and for the least before the greatest?
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 KJV
“and [Jesus]said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.””
Luke 9:48 ESV
We seek out and read scriptures such as this when there are happenings in our own lives that are less than optimal, but have we ever considered ourselves to be one of those good things that God has placed into the life of another… even the least among us? Has it ever occurred to us that we might not be just any old good person, but the very spark that brings Christian enlightenment into the life of a lost soul? Let’s read what Pastor Oswald Chambers wrote regarding how we are meant to change the world through our “Chance” encounters...
“Your part in intercessory prayer is not to enter into the agony of intercession, but to utilize the common-sense circumstances God puts you in, and the common-sense people He puts you amongst by His providence, to bring them before God’s throne and give the Spirit in you a chance to intercede for them. In this way God is going to sweep the whole world with His saints.” - Oswald Chambers
I was once the junior member of a three-man intercessory prayer team of elders at my church. We made ourselves available at the altar each Sunday morning to all who needed prayer, and every Monday night in a dedicated room from 6 until 8. Although these were our official times of prayer, we also receive calls throughout the week when either the church, or someone in it, was in need of immediate prayer. All of this was part and parcel to what we did without fail every week. Although I had replaced a man who had been the eldest team member but had gone on to be with the Lord, I continued to be the youngest member of the group for many years… thus, while in my late 50s and sixties, I had been its youngest member. You see, the prayers of our group had been ongoing for over 40 years before we disbanded during the Covid-19 epidemic and spanned three generations of elders. However, as Christians each of us is a member of an amazing prayer team, and this amazing intercessory prayer team has been in existence since the first prayers were offered.
Every day, and during every waking moment, we are placed into situations and positions in which God desires us to pray. He brings people into our lives and inserts us into situations during the day when He means for us to prayerfully intercede in some way. It may be a child at the breakfast table who confides in us that they are facing a trial at school, a workmate that we see is having difficulty with an illness or family problem, or quite possibly a homeless person sitting on the curb who could use a warm meal and to hear about the saving grace we receive in Jesus Christ.
One Monday night I arrived for prayer before the others, and as I sat there waiting, I began to pray over the room and our upcoming evening with those in need. Then, when I had concluded my prayer, I sat back in my chair and thought about all of the many thousands of prayers that had been offered up in this place. I remembered those who had come here during my tenure, and the amazing healings, and other works of God that I had been privileged to watch Him perform as we prayed for those in need and called out for them in the name of Jesus Christ.
Later that night, as I drove home, it occurred to me that although I had been praying in a valuable and important manner during my role on the intercessory prayer team, I had actually been praying for others all of my Christian life. Sometimes I would pray for someone as we stood together and I laid my hand upon their shoulder, sometimes in groups before games or meetings, but many times I prayed for others without their even knowing it. It dawned on me that all those people, circumstances, and things which touched my heart also touched the heart of God. You see, we are meant to intercede and to bring the needs and concerns of others before the Throne of God each and every day.
Do you consider yourself an intercessor and are you doing this every day? When you hear of over two dozen people killed in a Texas church by some deranged gunman are you saying to yourself “How horrible. I hope they catch him!” or are you going immediately to the Lord in prayer for the souls of the dead, and the suffering of the living who mourn? When an acquaintance comes to you expressing their grief and how disturbed they are by such events, are you saying “yes, that is really tragic”, or do you respond by saying, “let’s pray for those people and families right now.” Our prayers on behalf of others are powerful; they might even bring healing and comfort to those who will never hear the words you pray in secret. And, our prayers for others will settle and heal our own spirits as well.
Since I first started praying for those where I work I have been approached time and time again by people there who are in need of prayer. Just because a person appears to be alright that doesn’t mean they are. Some of the most urgent requests for prayer have come from those I least expected to have a particular problem. I always conclude such prayers by asking the Lord to move in the life of the requester, and I find that the conversations regarding faith that follows such prayers are precious. People want, and need, to talk about their salvation and Jesus Christ. They just don’t know how to begin the conversation... prayer gives them relief from whatever challenge God wants to address in their lives, and in this way He allows us to begin a conversation regarding their faith and salvation.
We should never discount the opportunities we have to pray for others nor underestimate the impact that the many small and seemingly insignificant prayers we offer bring to the lives of others. Every intercessory interaction with God is significant, and each time we pray with someone who comes to us, who we encounter in life, or who needs our help in reaching out to the Father, presents an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to act upon that life. In this way we are being used in amazing ways, and the kingdom of God is increased. Let’s look around ourselves today and not pass by a single opportunity to pray.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for the prayers you give me the opportunity to pray for others. I thank you for allowing me to lay hands on a hurting soul and to lift them up to you. I pray Father that you will continue to use me in this way, and that not a single opportunity will pass by that I don’t reach out to you in intercession. Help me Lord to do your bidding and to lead those who need a touch from you to you through your Son Jesus. Holy Father, I am so grateful for the blessing and comfort that my prayers for others bring to my own soul as I lift them up. You touch my heart and heal my own wounds as I pray for my fellow victims in the midst of their trials, sadness, and tragedy. My heart aches when I hear of the martyrdom of your saints and I pray that my prayers for them will bless them and those who mourn for them, just as they soothe my own soul like a salve. Father bring comfort to the souls of all those who pray for the hurting and needy around them. Thank you for the infectious nature of your mercy and grace which fills each of us as we kneel in your presence and ask that you work whatever troubles us in our prayers for good. Praised be your name Holy Father, because all things do work together for good for those who love you. Hear us Lord as we pray and as we give you all the glory and honor for each and every one you answer, and for every life you change and soul you redeem through our prayer filled obedience to your will. Hear our voices as we call out unto all creation… Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord our God who answers prayer and loves us in the midst of our storms. Holy is His Son Jesus who stands before Him and intercedes for us as we seek to become righteous and pleasing in His eyes.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Rich Forbes