INTERCESSORY PRAYER
By Dr. Barry L. Davis
"Here are my directions: Pray much for others; plead for God's mercy upon them; give thanks for all he is going to do for them." (1 Timothy 2:1 LB)
1. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN INTERCESSOR
Identification
"...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:21)
Sacrifice
"But now, please forgive their sin--but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." (Exodus 32:32.
Authority
For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it. (2 Cor. 10:8)
2. HOW TO PRAY FOR OTHERS
Pray that they Know God's Will for Their Lives
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. (Col. 1:9)
· Pray that they Will Do God's Will for Their Lives
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (Col. 1:10)
o Knowledge
o Attitude
o Behavior
· Pray for Productivity in Their Lives
(See Col 1:10 Above - "bearing fruit")
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." (John 15:16)
· Pray for Them to Have a Growing Relationship With God
(See Col 1:10 Above - "growing in the knowledge of God")
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Phil. 4:11-12)
· Pray for Power in Their Lives
...being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (Col. 1:11-12)
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15:13)
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. (1 Cor. 4:20)
· Pray for Them to Have a Right Attitude
...to be made new in the attitude of your minds; (Eph. 4:23)
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 2:5)
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. (1 Pet. 4:1)
3. BENEFITS OF PRAYING FOR OTHERS
· Where you once focused on Receiving, your concern has shifted to Giving.
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)
· Where you were once concerned with your Injuries, your focus has changed to Healing.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Col. 3:13)
· Where you once thought about your Problems, your focus is now on God's Power.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psalms 62:8)
Note: Use the prayer below as a guide for intercession:
Father,
Cause ____________ to be filled with the full, deep and clear knowledge of Your will. May ____________ have a comprehensive insight into Your ways and purposes and have an understanding and discernment of spiritual things.
May ____________ walk in a manner worthy of You and be fully pleasing to You. May ____________ desire to please You in all things and bear fruit in every good work. May ____________ steadily grow and increase in the knowledge of You, having a fuller, deeper and clearer insight into recognition of and acquaintance with You.
May ____________ be invigorated and strengthened with all power, according to the might of Your glory. May ____________ exercise every kind of endurance, patience, perseverance and forbearing and do it all with joy. May ____________ be well-grounded and settled and steadfast in his/her faith, not shifting or moving away from hope in You. May ____________'s love display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment. May ____________ learn to sense what is vital and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value, recognizing the highest and best and distinguishing the moral differences. May ____________ be pure, unerring and blameless with a sincere and certain heart.
May ____________ not do anything to cause others to stumble. May ____________ abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness. May ____________ be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in their inner person by the Holy Spirit. Make Your home, Lord Jesus, in ____________'s heart.
May ____________ be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love. May ____________ have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp and understand what is the breadth, length, height, and depth of Your love. May ____________ be filled with Your fullness, being flooded with You.
May ____________ not have a spirit of fear, timidity, or cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and love, and a calm, well-balanced mind. May ____________ be disciplined and self-controlled.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
(Prayer based on the Amplified Bible: Col. 1:9-12,23; Phil. 1:9-11; Eph. 3:16-19; 2 Tim. 1:7)