Intercessory prayer

Dear beloved: I spoke yesterday about intercessory prayer and binding and loosing. I'd like to elaborate on that some more today. As we mature in our walk with the Lord, our prayer life will start to focus not so much on our own needs, but more upon the needs of others. It's fine to pray for yourself and your specific needs(prayer of petition), in fact Jesus said in the Lords's prayer, pray ye like this, " give us this day our daily bread". That is a prayer for our provision and daily needs. But as you pray and fast God will bring to your mind and place before you people that have needs, ranging from a need to be saved to deliverance from demonic oppression, freedom from sickness, prayers for those who are your enemies and persecute you, and on and on.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:18 "Truly whatever I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. v19 Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven". That is why corporate prayer is so powerful, the more multiples of twos there are praying together, an exponential effect takes effect. And likewise if you have no other to agree with you, there is still two with you and the Holy Spirit. When Daniel was in intercessory prayer for his people in Daniel 10 he had no others praying with him, Dan 10:2 In those days I, Daniel, had been mourning (in intercession) for three entire weeks v3 I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat nor wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all, until the entire three weeks was completed. Yet we know that God heard and answered his prayer. v12 then ( the angelic messenger) said to me, "do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself (fasting) before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words." So God hears your every word as you pray and intercede for the needs of your lost or sick loved ones.

So what is it you are binding? In Daniel's case he was binding the demonic realm standing in the way of the deliverance of his people, who were being held in captivity in Babylon. v13 but the prince (demonic principality) of the kindom of Persia was withstanding me for 21 days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes (angelic messengers) came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. v14 now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.....note that the time of Daniel's fasting and mourning was the exact same time it took for Michael to overcome the demonic prince of Persia. As you intercede for people, bind the demonic entities in their life if you know what they are, naming them specifically, for God said he heard EVERY WORD! Mark 3:26 And if satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but he is finished! v27 but no one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strongman, and then he will plunder his house.

So what is it you are loosing? As we see in Daniel 10, God dispatched His angelic messengers. V10 and behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. v11 and he said to me, "oh Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you" And when he had spoken these words to me, I stood up trembling. All through the bible we read of God dispatching his angels to render service to His people in response to their request or at God's pleasure. Hebrews 1:14 Are they ( in speaking of the angels) not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

How does the Holy Spirit help us when we go into intercessory prayer for our lost or sick loved ones? Paul explains it in Romans 8:26 and in the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself also intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. What is Paul talking about here? He is talking about tongues, the language of prayer between God and man. 1 Corinthians 14:2 for one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. So intercede in your prayer language if you have one, for in so doing your spirit connects through the Holy Spirit directly with the Spirit of God, and no man or demonic entity can interphere. If you don't have a prayer language, pray to receive one, and in the mean time, intercede with utterances of your mind as the Spirit leads you. 1 Cor. 14:15 what is the outcome then? I shall pray with the spirit (tongues) and I shall pray with the mind also(understanding); I shall sing with the spirit and I shall sing with the mind also. v16 otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fill the place of the ungifted say the "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? This is only a problem in corporate worship or prayer, and is not a factor in private intercessory prayer times.

God is calling us, fasters, to intercede. Jesus Christ himself shows to us the spirit of intercession . Isaiah 53:12 ...yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors. And again in Isaiah 59:16 and He (God) saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; then His own arm(Jesus) brought salvation to Him, and His righteouness upheld Him. Bless you this day fasters as you intercede. Take on the spirit of intercession that Jesus shows to us by His death on the cross, by shedding his blood for all sinners that we could be reconciled back to God! God bless you, in Christ, Jim