The power of intercession
Christ … who also makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34).
Many years ago, Mr Jack Packer, who ran the Sunday School which I went to, had a severe heart attack. In the Lord’s goodness, he made a remarkable recovery and was eventually sent home. One day I went to a local park with my friend Paul to practice our rugby skills. On the way home, we had to pass the street where the Packers lived. The road we walked down was full of shops. I suddenly had the idea of buying Mr Packer some grapes and suggested this to Paul. He agreed. So we went into a fruit shop and bought some grapes. On reflection the grapes were definitely not from Eshcol and the brown paper bag did not add to their appeal, but on we pressed and arrived a few minutes later at Mr Packer’s home. Mrs Packer answered the door, and we presented our gift in a bag which had become quite damp. Mrs Packer thanked us very much, and we went on our way. When Mr Packer had recovered, he and his dear wife invited Paul and me to their home every Thursday evening. Mr Packer taught us to play chess, and Mrs Packer introduced us to fruit juices and cakes we had never tasted before. For a long time, they devoted their Thursday evenings to show us the kindness they had learnt from their Saviour. I can never remember them preaching to us, but on many occasions the conversation touched on spiritual things.
This taught me how God can move, without the intervention of anyone else, in the mind of a young person to make a tiny decision which would result in his blessing. And how God can
move His people to take opportunities to develop relationships and use their homes for the spiritual benefit of others.
At that time, people were praying for me. We should never underestimate the power of prayer. It is essential to intercede at the throne of grace to ask the Lord Jesus to intervene in people’s lives. Over recent times we have felt our prayers were too general and imprecise. God wants us to be precise and transparent in our prayers. This is not because God doesn’t know what our needs are, but because it makes us more compassionate. Compassion is feeling the needs of others in our hearts. It teaches us the feelings of Christ, our Great High Priest. Prayer brings us into the presence of God. There we understand our weakness and inability to change things, but find ourselves in the presence of the One who can. At the same time, there are occasions when God allows us to be overwhelmed by a deep need, and we are unable to express ourselves clearly. But these prayers are articulated by the Holy Spirit, “For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession” (Romans 8:26). They become the clearest of prayers. And as the Holy Spirit intercedes while in us and with us on earth, in heaven “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” (Romans 8:34). Through prayer we are in touch through the intercessory ministry of the Spirit of God and the Son of God with our Father in heaven, which assures us nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (read Romans 8:26-39). In this powerful atmosphere, our prayers are heard. It is a privilege we should never neglect.
