From God comes…
From God comes intercession. Intercession can mean to help, to intervene, to request, or to pray for others.
The Holy Spirit intercedes for us during our times of weakness. (Romans 8:26-27) When we don’t know the words to say during a prayer, the Spirit intercedes for us. The Spirit feels what we are going through. When we don’t know what to pray or how to express ourselves with words, the Spirit searches our hearts and intercedes for us.
Jesus made intercession for us by dying on the cross. (Isaiah 53:12) This intercession does not mean He was protecting us from a harsh God. Sin comes with a penalty and Jesus paid that penalty for us. He gave His life to pay our penalty for sin. He intervened or interceded for us. This intercession continues today—not only through His death but through His resurrected life. (Hebrews 7:25)
Intercession can also mean to pray on behalf of others. Prophets of old did this all the time. (Jeremiah 27:18) The Bible is full of examples of praying for others. Abraham prayed for God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 18) Moses prayed for the children of Israel. (Exodus 32:11-14) Stephen prayed for those who persecuted him. (Acts 7:59-60) The churches prayed for Peter while he was in prison. (Acts 12:5-17)
As children of God, we should be interceding for others through prayer, as well. (1 Timothy 2:1) These intercessions are not begging and pleading for what we want done in a person’s life, but asking God for His will to be made manifest. God knows every circumstance. He knows what is best. However, we are the ones who must come before God on their behalf. Let’s face it! If we don’t pray for certain loved ones or others we meet, who will? Who will lift them up to God?
From God comes intercession through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They intercede for us. As God’s love is manifest more and more in our lives, we will be interceding for others.
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“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”
~James 1:17 (NLT)
