Intercession

Again, this morning's reading in My Utmost is a fresh revelation and a conviction. It defines intercessory prayer in a whole new light that makes so much more sense than all the postulations of preachers and teachers for decades. I, like so many others, have secretly struggled with the “practice” of prayer for most of my life. For many years it was somewhat more of an obligation and a duty more than anything else.

Much of what is taught about prayer seems to be based on “formula thinking”. We often think that people who pray a lot are more religious than others and that may be true. But again, I believe there is a vast difference between religion and spirituality. As Oswald Chambers states in this passage, “God is amazed at such thoughts about prayer”.

I found his definition of “intercession” to be most helpful in restructuring my opinions about effective prayer. “Intercession means raising ourselves up to the point of getting the mind of Christ regarding the person for whom we are praying (see Phil. 2:5).” This really deflates the idea of imploring God to do something we want Him to do for another person or for a situation. It really takes us back to a reevaluation of what the Great Controversy is all about – saving us for heaven or vindicating the truth about what God is really like. In harmony with the first vein the passage goes on to say, “Instead of worshiping God, we recite speeches to God about how prayer is supposed to work.... When we lose sight of God, we become hard and dogmatic. We throw our petitions at His throne and dictate to Him what we want Him to do. We don't worship God, nor do we seek to conform our minds to the mind of Christ. And if we are hard toward God, we will become hard toward other people.”

I need to be reminded of this principle often. It is very easy for me to feel hardened, especially toward certain people. And is this statement holds true, that is simply an indicator that, despite all my profession or assumptions about my relationship with God, in reality my heart must be much harder against God than I can perceive myself.

The last paragraph is a needed rebuke for my inherited penchant toward criticism of others in the church. “Do you find yourself thinking that there is no one interceding properly? Then be that person yourself. Be a person who worships God and lives in a holy relationship with Him. Get involved in the real work of intercession....” (My Utmost for His Highest 3/30 edited version)

I want to have the mind of Christ as it is my privilege and honor to have. I want to have the eyes of heaven to see people the way God sees them, to have compassion for the pain they try to hide inside, to have a spirit of instant forgiveness when they attack me in their pain, to have the unconditional, accepting love toward others that they have never experienced before and can hardly believe even exists. That will be a supernatural miracle if it is seen coming from this source. But that is what I pray for today. And I am glad you are interceding for me too.