Intercession and sympathy are often addressed in My Utmost for His Highest.
Sometimes with a warning.
Oswald Chambers spent long hours in prayer. He knew, understood, and lived the power of prayer changing things. (August 28, My Utmost for His Highest)
He also knew the need to spend hours in prayer.
He knew and understood the frustration of prayer.
Especially not having God immediately answer by snapping His fingers and shouting, “Yes!”
Sometimes that happens.
Hallelujah.
Then there’s the rest of the time.
How do we use intercession and endurance when praying?
As the Apostle Paul reminds us:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.
God is not surprised when we pray over and over about events and circumstances.
As the Scripture indicates, He expects us to come to Him with the burdens on our hearts.
Jesus even tells a parable about a widow who continues to plead before a judge until the judge relents. (Luke 18:1-8; ESV).
Intercession and sympathy
Should we use our emotions when we pray?
Doesn’t God allow for intercession and sympathy for the person?
Of course. Sympathy often is what motivates us to pray for people.
We want to see God solve their problems.
We sympathize with their situation.
However . . .
It’s not just time spent. Consider your attitude.
The “key” to “success” in prayer is our attitude.
After all, we’re talking to the Creator of the Universe when we pray.
Oswald Chambers warned:
“Beware of imagining that intercession means bringing our personal sympathies into the presence of God and demanding He does what we ask.
“Our approach to God is due entirely to the vicarious identification of our Lord with sin.”
My Utmost for His Highest, May 4
Too many of us pray or intercede for others by presenting various demands to God.
In a sense, we toss down a gauntlet before God and say, “Do it!”
(Do you like it when people treat you that way?)
The only reason our sins are forgiven is because Jesus’ death tore that Temple veil in two.
Intercession and sympathy are necessary tools for talking with God on behalf of others.
We need to pray broadly, with both imagination and knowledge of Scripture.
Can we intercede for something contrary to Scripture?
Thank you for your intercession and sympathy for someone.
But if your prayer doesn’t align with or agree with the Bible, you ask in vain.
Our (often too sympathetic) hearts can get in the way of effective prayer.
Chambers again:
We do not identify ourselves with God’s interests and concerns for others, and we get irritated with Him. Yet we are always ready with our own ideas; our intercession becomes only the glorification of our own natural sympathies.
My Utmost for His Highest, May 4
In essence, we’re using intercession and sympathy to explain to God why He’s wrong and to suggest our better idea.
Chambers turns the prayer table and asks us to examine our own hearts:
“Spiritual stubbornness is the greatest barrier to interceding for others in the way we should. If we are spiritually stubborn, we sympathize with something in ourselves or in others which doesn’t need sympathy; rather, it needs to be atoned for by the blood of Christ.”
My Utmost for His Highest, May 4
Long ago, my prayer partner and I learned a simple and effective prayer for our kids:
“Lord, let them hit bottom sooner rather than later. We know that when they reach the bottom of their sin and are broken, they’ll find Jesus.”
What’s the good of intercession and sympathy?
Sympathy often is what motivates us to pray for someone.
We need to be careful our love doesn’t get in the way of praying for what they need (not want).
Chambers ends the reading this way:
“Intercession means that we deliberately substitute God’s interests in others for our natural sympathy with them.”
It can be hard. But would you want it any other way?
Thoughts? Reactions? Lurker?