#3 Examine Your Feelings
"If you have a gift of intercession, you will grow in your desire to pray.
The Bible says, "It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13, italics mine).
If you find after a period of time that intercession is hard work or drudgery and you do not look forward to doing it, chances are you do not have the gift.
But if praying for relatively extended periods of time is your joy and delight, begin to believe you have the gift.
Cindy Jacobs expresses it well. 'People who have the gift of intercession,' she says, 'love to pray.They would rather not do anything else.
When people ask me how long I pray in a day, I reply, 'As much as possible!'
Then she unplugs her telephone and spends whole days in prayer, 'Those days are pure bless to me!' she says. (Possessing the Gates of the Enemy (Tarrytown, NY: Chosen Books, 1991).
#4 Evaluate Your Effectiveness
Part and parcel of receiving a spiritual gift is to receive supper-natural help from the Holy Spirit to bring about the effectiveness of the ministry.
Are you hearing clearly from God? Are your prayers being answered with more than average regularity?
Do you sense special power being released through your prayers? If so, you may well have the gift.
#5 Expect Confirmation from the Body
I like the story that Graham Fitzpatrick, a confirmed intercessor, tells of how he discovered his gift.
He had read about the renowned Father Nash who would intercede for hours for the evangelist Charles Finney.
And he found it gave him great peace and joy to picture himself interceding for hours also.
But his problem was that he was immature in the things of the Lord."
{God used two people to confirm to him that God was speaking to him, that it wasn't his own imagination.}
"One more thing. If you do discover that you have the gift of intercession, do not be reluctant to acknowledge you have the gift.
Do not engage in false humility. You are not 'bragging' about being an intercessor any more that Billy Graham is bragging about his being an
evangelist or your pastor bragging that he or she is a pastor.
The enemy will use your reluctance to let others know you have a gift to neutralize its influence in Christian ministry.
And he found it gave him great peace and joy to picture himself interceding for hours also.
But his problem was that he was immature in the things of the Lord."
{God used two people to confirm to him that God was speaking to him, that it wasn't his own imagination.}
"One more thing. If you do discover that you have the gift of intercession, do not be reluctant to acknowledge you have the gift.
Do not engage in false humility. You are not 'bragging' about being an intercessor any more that Billy Graham is bragging about his being an
evangelist or your pastor bragging that he or she is a pastor.
The enemy will use your reluctance to let others know you have a gift to neutralize its influence in Christian ministry.
It is only part of good stewardship to thank God for the talent He has given you, and use it to bear fruit thirty, sixty and one hundredfold."
Today’s post -#27 3 More Ways to Check for the Gift of Intercession, in the series taken from C. Peter Wagner’s book, PRAYER SHIELD, How to intercede for pastors, Christian leaders and others on the spiritual frontlines. (pgs. 57,58) By Regal Books
Thursday's post: #28 Why Pastors Need Intercession
Saturday's post: He Meets Us Where We Are Tracy Crump
Sunday's post: The Silent Sermon GodVine
Today’s post -#27 3 More Ways to Check for the Gift of Intercession, in the series taken from C. Peter Wagner’s book, PRAYER SHIELD, How to intercede for pastors, Christian leaders and others on the spiritual frontlines. (pgs. 57,58) By Regal Books
Thursday's post: #28 Why Pastors Need Intercession
Saturday's post: He Meets Us Where We Are Tracy Crump
Sunday's post: The Silent Sermon GodVine
Father, we ask that You make it very plain to us if we are actually intercessors or not. May we honestly seek Your purpose in and through this gifting that may be for us. Open our hearts to what is Your heart and mind for us in praying for our leaders. We see that it is a very important ministry, and we truly ask that Your Spirit will enable us to be effective and fervent in our efforts. In Jesus' name we ask this, amen.
Today’s Bible verse: Col. 3:17 "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
Today’s quote: Mark Twain - “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become
great.”
Some thoughts today: Boast in Jesus as you go through your day. In Him all things are possible.
- Praise is our expression of our approval and admiration of God’s love and provision.
- When we want more of God, we’ll stand out. We can have as much of God as we want, no matter how old we are
A popular post: TRAVAIL, WHAT IS IT? : Prayer Note # 43 "How can a mere human have a part in birthing spiritual life? What do groaning, weeping and hard work have to do with it?”
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