Intercessory Prayer

The Basic Idea

Do you remember those fairy tales we were told as children and the themes which were reflected in them? I recall especially the ones where the action of the story turned upon someone being given three wishes. The underlying message of the story was, "you had better watch what you ask for, because you are just liable to get it".

Such stories always seemed to be of someone getting three wishes andusing them on themselves. Well, intercessary prayer is about an infinate number of "wishes" (well, sort of) for use on behalf of others. However, the principle rasied in the fairy tales remains jsut as true, You'd better watch what you pray for, you migh tjust get it.

I had this insight brought homw to me when a similar theme was rasied in a sermon by Colon Morris in Wesley Chapel, London in June, 1971. My wife and I were backpacking around Europe after University, an had dropped into the famous chapel just tosay we had been there. Morris, out of South Africa, was addressing the problem of the Bangladesh floods that were taking place at the time. He opened his message with:

I want to lead you in intercessory prayer this evening, but I want to do it at the end of my message, rather than at the first because after hearing what I have to say, you may not wish to take part. Intercessory prayer is one of the most dangerous activities one can enter into as a follower of Christ because it means laying your life at his disposal in regards to a situation that is on your heart, and saying "I am willing to be the means of your dealing with this situation, or any other situation which seems more appropriate to your purposes.

Morris went on to say words to the effect that, if you pray tonight for the Bangladesh situation, you might just end up on a boat bound for Bangladesh, or perhaps on a walk next door to deal with a situation much closer to home, but of no less difficultly. Where we end up working is unimportant. There is a lot of work to be done in the world. it all has to be done. What is central is your willingness to become involved in that larger task. Are you willing to lay your life at Christ's disposal in this task of addressing the needs of the world?

That is what Intercessory prayer is - and it is the adventure of a lifetime.

navigation