James 5:16 | NKJV (16) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
James 5:16 | AMPC (16)…The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
James 5:16 | TPT (16)…for tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer!
Remember, prayer is all about your two-way communication and fellowship with God.
Oral Roberts said, “Prayer is the foundation of every Christian endeavor. Regardless of any man’s ability, he will fail if not backed by prayer. Failure of all Christian enterprise is a prayer failure”.
Ephesians 6:18 | NIV (18) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
There are different rules that apply to different kinds of prayer – just like there are different rules that apply to different sports.
We separate prayer into these different types to study them and understand them better, but we cannot become rigid and clinical with them. Learn to move in prayer as the Holy Spirit directs. He will never lead you and me astray. He knows best what is needed.
Different Types of Prayer:
- The Prayer of Faith – prayer of petition, prayer to change things.
- The Prayer of Consecration – the dedication of our lives to God’s use and His will for our lives.
- The Prayer of Commitment – casting your cares upon the Lord in prayer
- The Prayer of Agreement
- Corporate or United Prayer
This is when a group of believers come together collectively in unity, speaking and praying the same thing.
- Prayer of Intercession – standing in the gap in prayer between a person or persons, to plead one’s case
There was a misbelief in the Body of Christ years ago that intercessory prayer was the only kind of prayer or that it was the most important kind of prayer.
You would hear people say that they were going to an “Intercessory Prayer Meeting” at church because it was all lumped together and called that.
Just as the Prayer of Faith has the primary ingredient of faith, there are some primary ingredients to the Prayer of Intercession:
- The first primary ingredient to the Prayer of Intercession is love.
Faith is there also, but the main motivation of the heart of intercession is love. Love is the driving force behind it.
Just as the “agape” love of God is not passive, the love of God that fuels intercession takes action.
Ask God to cause His love for people to become your driving force in prayer. You already have the love of God in you by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 5:5)
- The second primary ingredient to the Prayer of Intercession is compassion.
Compassion is not pity.
When you have compassion, you don’t just pity someone who’s in trouble, you suffer with them.
Pity will shake its head and say, Isn’t that a shame.” Compassion draws you so that you hurt because someone else hurts and you do something about it.
We saw this in Jesus earthly ministry, and He still does this now!
Romans 8:34 | NKJV (34) Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Hebrews 7:25 | NKJV (25) Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
“Entugchano” – This is where we stand in the gap for another person and bridge two people together. It means to fall into a situation or happen into a circumstance with someone else.
Intercession is when someone is under pending trouble or judgment, one stands in the gap for them to stop the danger.
I recently read this illustration: Intercessory prayer is like jumping on a hand grenade for someone else to protect them from the harm it would cause.
We can pray for lost people in this world and ask God to pour mercy on them.
Micah 7:18 | MSG (18) Where is the god who can compare with you– wiping the slate clean of guilt, Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, to the past sins of your purged and precious people? You don’t nurse your anger and don’t stay angry long, for mercy is your specialty. That’s what you love most.
Ezekiel 33:11 | NLT (11) As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?
God does not delight in seeing people receive judgment. He delights in people receiving mercy.
Ezekiel 22:30 | NLT (30) “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 | TPT (1) Most of all, I’m writing to encourage you to pray with gratitude to God. Pray for all men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion. (2) And pray for every political leader and representative, so that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts. (3) It is pleasing to our Savior-God to pray for them. (4) He longs for everyone to embrace his life and return to the full knowledge of the truth.
We are to pray and intercede for our leaders and cry out to God on their behalf.
Declare God’s Word over these people and remind God what His Word has said and what His promises are.
Proverbs 21:1 | NKJV (1) The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.