The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer

“On behalf of a man he pleads with God.” Job 16:21 NIV

The Bible says: “So Joshua fought the Amalekites…and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired…Aaron and Hur held his hands up…So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army” (Ex 17:10-13 NIV). This story illustrates the power of intercessory prayer. Far from the crowd, but seen by the eye of God, are men and women who “hold up the hands” of ministries in prayer. And God is looking for more of them. Charles Finney had an intercessor called Abel Clary who traveled with him wherever he went. Finney wrote, “Mr. Clary continued as long as I did, and he did not leave until after I had left. He never appeared in public, but he gave himself wholly to prayer.” Finney may have impacted nations, but he didn’t do it alone. Job writes, “My intercessor is my friend…on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend” (Job 16:20-21 NIV). The ministry of intercessory prayer is: (1) a ministry of identification in which you stand with others; (2) a ministry of sacrifice that calls you away from the pleasures and comforts of life; (3) a ministry of authority, for your prayers move the hand of God on behalf of others. Today the God Who said, “I sought for a man among them, that should…stand in the gap before me for the land” (Eze 22:30) is looking for intercessors. You can be one of them!

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