Prophetic Intercession

Job 1:8 NJKV

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?

Have you ever called someone and they told you, “We were just talking about you!” Or have you ever heard of a meeting where people were discussing you? This could be a good discussion that may have ended up with you being given a job or a profitable gig. It could also be a discussion where international rumors were developed, dissected, and spread regarding you. If later on you hear of such a meeting, you may easily dismiss it, or you may wish you were there so that you can defend your good name or even convince those in the meeting to make a particular decision. If Job ever heard of the meeting that took place between God, and the sons of God (Satan included), I am pretty sure he would have wanted to have a say in it. I mean, why would other entities make a decision that is about to uproot your entire life without allowing you to have a say in it?

In the supernatural world, such meetings happen all the time. It could be God bragging about you to his angels. Imagine God bragging about you! It could be a meeting where Satan (like in Peter’s case) asks for permission to sift you like chaff in the wheat. Or it could even be a meeting between the devil and his minions, coming up with a strategy on how to make your life a living hell. I don’t know about you but I would like to be present in such meetings so that if they say something I don’t like, I can plead my case or even frustrate such an unprofitable meeting. And whenever I can’t make it to such a meeting, I would at least like to have someone in my corner, telling me what happened in it so that I can be well prepared for what comes next. Someone like Jesus.

This is where prophetic intercession comes in.

Prophetic Intercession is made up of two key concepts in the spirit realm: prophesy and intercession.

The prophetic involves two main things:

Foretelling-seeing in the future

Forth-telling-Creating what you want to see

Simply put, intercession is standing in between. It involves midwifing, that is, helping a mother to deliver a child.

When combined, these two concepts create something truly incredible. They allow you to see in the future and in such meetings and stand in the gap, creating the reality you want to see instead.

The story of Job is one of the most painful yet hopeful stories ever.

It shows that there are things that happen in the supernatural realm that go beyond our righteousness, understanding, or even control.

Me thinks, if Job had someone interceding for him, he would not have gone through everything that he did. Unfortunately, he was the one interceding for others. Talk of someone who always has to be strong for everyone else, never having someone be strong for them. Been there, huh?

Ezekiel 22:30-31 NKJV

So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.

Unpleasant things happen when there is no one to stand in the gap. Crazy things happen when there is no one to intercede. The Lord would not have consumed the people with the fire of his wrath if He found just one person, interceding for the Israelites.

Intercession is powerful since this is one of the areas in which God has constrained Himself to work through men. God is calling us to stand in the gap before Him on behalf of the land. He is calling us to partner with Him. He is calling us to bring realities from the spiritual realm into our physical world. To foresee in the spirit and create in the physical. But before we get deeper, let us look at men who interceded in the bible:

1. Abraham (An individual interceding)

Genesis 18:17a AMP

The LORD said, “Shall I keep secret from Abraham [My friend and servant] what I am going to do…?

One of the relationships that really excite me in the Bible is the relationship between God and Abraham. God considered Abraham a friend. He took this so seriously that He was not willing to keep a secret from Abraham when He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Imagine being so tight with God that He keeps you updated on His plans, whether they involve you directly or not!

God knew that Abraham was going to become a great and mighty nation. He also knew that for this to happen, He had to get Abraham out of his father’s home and take him to an unknown land. God commanded him to move since there are some environments that, God, even in His omnipresent nature, will not be there. These are the environments that may have some limiting factors. They are also environments where, for one reason or another, you may not even be able to hear Him. And when we find ourselves in such places where God, like in Abraham’s case, will command us to leave. I digress…

At the point of the Lord revealing His secrets to Abraham, the wickedness in Sodom and Gomorrah had become so full that its cry reached to God.

Gen 18: 20-21 AMP

And the Lord said, Because the shriek (of the sins) of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is exceedingly grievous, I will go down and see whether they have done altogether (as vilely and wickedly) as is the cry of which is has come to me; and if not, I will know.

It, therefore, remains true that if the cry of wickedness can reach God’s ears, then the cry of righteous will definitely reach Him.

When Abraham learned of God’s plan for Sodom and Gomorrah, he did not just go home rejoicing because God considered him a friend enough to reveal His plans to him. Rather, he took up his position as an intercessor and asked God,

Gen 18:22- 26 (NIV)

22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Abraham did not stop there, choosing to go further and ask the Lord if He would destroy the city if He found up to ten righteous people, and God said that He would not.

2. The church

Acts 12:1-3 (NKJV)

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.  Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also.

Any time that we do not intercede, the enemy sees it as an opportunity to attack us further.

It is the moment you stop praying, and the enemy intensifies his attacks, that you get to understand the extent and the strength of your prayers. If the church had not arisen and started praying constantly when Peter was imprisoned, chances are Herod would have gone even further, seeking to wipe out the early church.

It does not matter what you are facing. The Word of God is clear in that the fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much. To stop the enemy right at his door, you need to be in constant prayer; you need to take up your position as an intercessor and stay until things change.

3. Jesus praying for the church

Luke 22:31-32 (NKJV)

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.

Child of God, Jesus is already praying for you. He is praying for your family, for the church…that your strength will not fail. But as He intercedes for you, are you partnering with Him in that intercession?

May you receive the grace and the strength to partner with Jesus and stand in the gap. May you receive grace to intercede; to push, not until you get tired but until there is delivery.

Child of God travail!