INTERCESSORY PRAYER IS YIELDING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made of all men.”—I Timothy 2:1

 

The Holy Spirit has ignited the fire in people’s hearts to pray.  Prayer groups are springing up everywhere.  I am encouraged that people are gathering in small groups and through the internet to pray for the great awakening.   My prayer is that the Church does not fall back into the traditional fleshly prayers that are of little effect. 

 

During the early 1980’s, people’s hearts were turned toward prayer.  Intercessory Prayer Groups sprung up within Charismatic groups world-wide.  Teaching on spiritual war-fare became a hot topic in the ensuing years.  The swords of the spirit was banished about, the louder you were the more anointed you must be so the hotter the prayer was, demonic spirits were the vanquished foe; or, so we thought.  What the Church did not realize was that the works of the flesh were in operation most of the time, and very little was Holy Spirit led prayer. 

 

Intercessory Prayer is not about the prayer list, how loud or quite someone prayers, or how many demons are bound or loosed.  Intercessory Prayer is about Jesus.  Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).  Intercessory Prayer is about yielding to Jesus so that He can work through you.  Intercessory Prayer is much more effective when we yield to the Lord, it is much easier, much less effort is required, and much more is accomplished, in a shorter amount of time.

 

Let me ask you a question.  Who is the intercessor?  You?  Me?  No, it's Jesus.   "He is the great high priest…and He is ever living to make intercession for us" (Hebrews 4). So it is He who is the intercessor. Scripture tells us that, "God looked for a man to stand in the gap" and that HE FOUND ONE (Isaiah 59:16). His name is Jesus.   

 

Everything that goes to God must be initiated BY God. It's Jesus by His Spirit that works through you as you yield to Him in your praying and interceding.  You make yourself available and His Spirit will move on you, in you and through you. When it's Him it's not hard. The anointing comes on you and you may weep over China, or Korea. As He moves on you, you may declare some things, you may speak scriptures, you might speak in tongues, you may dance, you may sing, or you may laugh.  BUT IT LIFTS because it's not you, it's Him.

 

Religious Spirits can turn Intercessory Prayer into false burdens that allow the spirit of battle to operate instead of the Holy Spirit.  The false burdens makes it feel like it is all up-to-you—Your Responsibility to fight every foe.  Jesus has won the battle!  IT IS FINISHED!  Yield to the Holy Spirit. You personally can not change anyone or make anyone do anything.  It is only the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people and governments that can bring about a change.  Jesus didn't run around Jerusalem, or Galilee or Bethany trying to meet every need. He did what the Father told Him to do, no more and no less.  And as a by-product, there were miracles and deliverances that were awesome and God got the glory. 

 

Remember, God never anoints what you do; He anoints what He does.  It is yielding to the Holy Spirit as He moves through you.

 

Prayer—Father today I yield to the Spirit of Truth who teaches me and guides me into all truth. Lord show me if I have had a false religious spirit of battle instead of Your true spirit of prayer.  Today I repent of any false burdens and false responsibilities in prayer.   May the truth of your intercessory heart beat within me as I yield myself to You to pray, supplicate, make intercessions, and give thanks for all people, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.