PRAYER #7: INTERCESSORY PRAYERS

• Intercession is a term points to a specific type of prayer. Intercession is a prayer on behalf of others. In intercessory prayers, we do not pray for ourselves, but for others, for our church or other churches, for our country or for other countries, etc. Naming individuals, churches or countries in our prayers is actually not too difficult. Intercessory prayers however is more than merely naming other parties in our prayers. When we pray for others, we are actually taking their burden, the burden of our church and the burden of our country. A true prayer for the hungry is not as simple as shouting: 'God, give them food please!' A true prayer for the sicks is not as simple as crying: 'God, heal them please!' A true prayer on behalf of others is an action of taking part in their burden, disability and suffering.

• The true example of an intercessor is Jesus himself, especially when He performed the drama of the cross. He died on behalf of us to satisfy the wrath of God. Jesus was not responsible to die for us. Jesus loves, and He knew that He is the only one who can satisfy the wrath of God. His genuine love led Him faithfully to 'climb' the via Dolorosa. Someone who prays for others is standing before God on behalf of the one(s) he/she intercedes. The very price of interceding the hungry is to give them our food. The very price of interceding the sick is to trade our health over his/her sickness. The very price of interceding the jobless is to give them our job. The very price of loving others is to love them as we love ourselves (Mat 22.37-40). Those statements while are scary, are true. We are not playing in our prayers, aren't we? We pray for others because we truly love them, otherwise our prayers are simply lip-services. Are our prayers for others sincere? Please listen to one of the greatest theologian, John Calvin: 'Our prayer must not be self-centered. It must arise not only because we feel our own need as a burden we must lay upon God, but also because we are so bound up in love for our fellow men that we feel their need as acutely as our own. To make intercession for men is the most powerful and practical way in which we can express our love for them.'

• Thus, powerful intercessory prayer and loving others cannot be separated. Dick Eastman wrote a beautiful book of prayer called, Love on it's Knees. We cannot pray for others if we do not love them. We cannot pray for our church, if we do not love our church. We cannot pray for our country, if we do not love our country. We cannot pray for our leaders, if we do not love them. The tears in prayers are therefore far from a sentimental and emotional feeling. The tears in our prayers represent the pain and burden of those whom we pray for, and the love we have for them. When pain blends together with love, a powerful prayer is already there. Intercessory prayers are painful, but at the same time full of love. Are we ready for this challenging and glorious ministry of intercession? - a question that humbly invites all of us to longing for revivals through intercession.