He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother

July 7, 2014

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with an urgency to pray. I don’t often know the exact circumstances or need, but I pray anyway until I fall asleep or the urgency leaves. This might have happened to you. It might happen a lot.

It’s intercession, the fourth type of prayer.

I dug into the subject and found out that it’s not just one thing. Nope, there are lots of types.

Here’s the scoop:

– Issues intercessors: do injustices against others cause you to mount up in prayer? Can you think of something that makes you pound the table and weep?

– List intercessors: Do you pray over the same people consistently? When asked to pray for someone, do you start by making a list? Would regimented prayer release you or inhibit you?

– Soul intercessors: do you have a burden to pray for lost souls on a regular basis? When you are with a stranger, do you find yourself wanting to know if that person is saved? Are the lost automatically drawn to you?

– Personal intercessors: do people often seek you out to confide personal prayer needs? Would you rather pray for individuals or the masses?

– Financial intercessors: do you have bold faith to believe God for large amounts of money? Do you get excited about seeing individuals, groups or organizations prosper?

– Mercy intercessors: are you deeply grieved over issues that you know are breaking the heart of God? Do you struggle with or judge people who don’t seem sensitive to the root of pain going on in the hearts of others? When people share their pain with you, do you have difficulty letting it go?

– Crisis intercessors: are you commonly awakened with an urgent need to pray about a person, place, or problem? In your regular times of prayer, are you often struck with the sense of a pending emergency? Do you find you have no rest in prayer until the crisis is over or until you have the assurance that your assignment is completed?

– Warfare intercessors: do you struggle with sitting still at prayer meetings where the enemy is not being confronted? Are you apt to move out in forcefulness in your prayer time? Do you look for the battle when you are praying?

– Worship intercessors: do you often sing your prayers or use a musical instrument to commune with the Lord? Does God give you a song to sing over a person, situation or land? Does praising God occupy much of your prayer time?

– Government intercessors: do politics stimulate you? Are you interested in policies for schools, churches and political situations? Would prayerwalking the schools, churches and government buildings in your neighborhood excite you?

– People group and Israel intercessors: has the Lord given you a love for Israel, God’s firstborn? Do you identify with the heart of mercy toward a people group? Are you drawn to a particular group of people based on background, status, residence, occupation, health, knowledge, religion, race, or nationality?

– Prophetic intercessors: do people usually say that you prayed exactly what was on their hearts? Are your prayers often reflective of what Scripture says over a person, place or thing? Does God speak to you through dreams, visions, songs, proclamations, symbolism or prophetic acts?

We are all called to intercession. What type or combination of types might you be?
Whatever it is, listen to God and follow His lead in praying for other people or causes. Lift up your brother or sister, taking their place in the battle line until they are able to resume the fight.

Man your post in bringing heaven to earth, you warrior of the Kingdom.

Intercessor types courtesy of INTERCESSORS; Femrite, Alves, and Kaufman; Regal Books, 2000

this is part 20 of a series on warfare

Part 1| This Means War!