Intercessor
Humility or Pride?
Be real in all aspects of life
I’m a widow living alone. After my church’s online Easter service, we moved to Zoom to share and pray. I shared that I was feeling depressed, not that I am left alone by my church family. I get calls and emails every day, and I make calls every day. Not only that after I’ve placed my online grocery order, a friend picks it up and delivers it to me.
I am blessed.
Pride tried to stop me from sharing my feelings. How could I say I am depressed? I head up Tender Loving Care ministries in my church. I head up a team of three to prepare and post our weekly prayer bulletin to the church each Saturday morning, and I frequently receive emails and calls asking me to pray for specific situations. Cheerful, upbeat, me, always ready to listen and help others. No one must see me depressed and defeated. However, I felt compelled to share, I cried, and my friends prayed, my sin washed away and my burden lifted!
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2, KJV)
Pride was defeated!
All of my Christian life, God has called me to be an intercessor. It’s only this week I acknowledge this openly. I feared people would see me as a show-off, a braggart announcing that I am an intercessor. But God helped me to see that he put this mantle on me. It’s none of my doing I always knew I was an intercessor, that’s why I sometimes weep when I am praying, but I didn’t want to say it out loud, for fear people would scorn me and say, who does she think she is giving herself this title.
Soon after I came to know the Lord, I shared with a friend in the church that I felt sorry for a little lady called Hattie. I told her I have to fight back the tears. She explained that God was burdening me with Hattie’s problem.
I was to intercede for Hattie
Although the word intercessor only appears once in the Bible, there are many illustrations of people interceding in prayer; for example, women who wanted children. Hannah prayed and wept before the Lord because she was barren and desired to conceive. She agonized so much that Eli thought she was drunk.
In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. (1st Samuel 1:10, NIV)
Our church has many cell groups. I meet with the three I belong to during the week. Sunday after morning service, Monday morning with my ladies Bible study group, where we share, catch up with each other, and pray. And my Tuesday night prayer group. All through Zoom.
What a blessing it is to share our troubles and pray for one another.
Not only that, but obey the instructions of the Lord.
Affirmation
Truthfully I tell you that countless times people have commented on my praying, with comments like, ‘There’s something special about you, I love to hear you pray and so on.’ I smile, and say well, and trail off without further comment. Instead, I should explain, and then encourage my brother or sister to recognize their giftings, even point out what I see in them. We should encourage and affirm one another in the faith.
I had the spirit of pride and perhaps fear. But today I am liberated.
Today, with the COVID 19 occupying and terrifying the minds of the masses, it is our chance to share the gospel so that fear, pride and terror is replaced with love, joy and peace.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16, KJV)
I’m smiling as I type this verse because I’m bold beyond measure when I go to the throne of grace. We need to acknowledge and recognize whatever gift or mantle God has bestowed upon us it is our duty as children of the King to share what we know is true.
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