God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you. Your part in intercessory prayer is … to bring them before His throne, and to allow the Spirit in you the opportunity to intercede for them.— Oswald Chambers
Intercession is the truly universal work for the Christian. No place is closed to intercessory prayer: no continent, no nation, no city, no organization, no office.— Richard Halverson
As we wrap up our reflections on the power of the blood, let us turn our focus to the call to intercede. Why? Because God is looking for people, men and women, young and old, to partner with Him for the fulfilment of the purposes Christ paid a dear price for.
Throughout history, we’ve seen the power of intercession. It has changed lives, families, communities, even entire nations. Intercession has brought about the fulfilment of God’s promises and released prophetic blessings. At the same time, it has stopped the enemy in his tracks, keeping him from gaining ground. But when intercession is absent, it’s like giving the enemy free reign. Intercessory prayer is a divine key that unlocks destinies and shapes history.
We see God move powerfully throughout Scripture, often because someone dared to intercede. God's desire has always been that His people would rise, take their place on the wall, and pray for their families, their cities, and their nations. And when his people rise to this call, he does mighty things that shake and shape society.
That’s why Queen Mary of Scots once confessed, “I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.” Knox wasn’t just a reformer; he was a relentless intercessor. His famous plea was, “Give me Scotland, Lord, or I die!” Even those who opposed him politically couldn’t ignore the weight of his prayers.
Knox didn’t pray like that for show. He prayed like that because the truth was under siege and he knew it. And today is no different. When truth is cast aside, society begins to unravel. But Knox’s power wasn’t in eloquence or public influence. It was in his utter dependence on a sovereign God who alone can save, revive, and reform. He understood that preaching and prayer were tools God uses to move.
Every believer is an intercessor in some measure. Just as land is distributed by inheritance, God assigns us spiritual territories: homes, workplaces, schools, cities, and nations. Perhaps you are where you are “for such a time as this.” When there are no intercessors, decline sets in. Darkness takes ground. What used to be common sense starts to vanish. We saw it in Isaiah’s day, and we see it now.
Isaiah 59 paints the picture:
Just as He was clothed, so must we be. Ephesians 6 calls us to wear the full armour of God including truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, the Word of God. These are not just for defence, but for intercession. Because intercession is warfare, clothing ourselves in the full armour is not optional. We do not wear it to hide. We wear it to fight the good fight of faith.
Isaiah 62 gives us another glimpse of what intercession looks like.
“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent… until her righteousness shines out like the dawn…” “… I have posted watchmen on your walls… give yourselves no rest and give Him no rest…”
In Ezekiel 22:30, God “searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the sake of the land…” Even now, He continues to search, not for the most eloquent, but for the willing. Will He find you?