Thoughts for Life: #52 Personal Intercession is Underutilized

C. Peter Wagner continues to help us understand the importance of intercession.

"In a brochure written to stimulate prayer for missionaries, veteran missionary Robert Bowers, a medical doctor serving with SIM International, describes this all-too-familiar scenario:

'Please pray for us,' a furloughing missionary says as he leaves a pleasant dinner. 'We will, we will,' his host responds warmly.

Bowers' comment is that this is a bit like saying hello and good-bye—a formality that carries little real meaning.

On the surface, a verbal contract was made that this Christian family would pray for the missionary. Their names were probably entered on the list of those who receive the missionary's 'prayer letter.'

But if this family was typical of thousands of others, the actual amount of powerful, effective intercession invested over the next four-year-term of service was practically nil.

Missionaries, pastors, teachers, denominational executives and other Christian leaders affirm the importance of prayer, but lack the know-how to actually make it happen.

As I said the first page of chapter 1 (of PRAYER SHIELD): The most underutilized source of spiritual power in our churches today is intercession for Christian leaders.

Fortunately, we are not starting from ground zero.

Many outstanding leaders today understand and receive personal intercession.

And some important people from the past report the power of intercession in their lives.

One of today's recognized prayer leaders and students of prayer, Armin Gesswein, tells me in a recent letter about Frank Mangs, perhaps the greatest of the Scandinavian evangelist.

Every morning Mangs would earnestly pray to the Lord, 'Bless my intercessors today.'

Then Gesswein, who moves constantly among those who pray, says, 'I never hear that from preachers today.'

I believe Armin has put his finger on a real problem.

We can go back to the eighth century. Boniface, that stalwart missionary to the pagan peoples of Germany, writes to the abbot of a monastery:

'We entreat the piety of your brotherliness that we may be helped by your devout petitions...that the few seeds scattered in the furrows may spring up and multiply.' Boniface apparently understood this power."

Today’s post -#52 Personal Intercession is Underutilized, 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. 102 103)

Let’s pray:

Father, when we see that it does make a difference in our pastors and leaders ministry when we pray for them each day, may we undertake the responsibility to support them.

Bring to mind what we know of their needs, and help us pray effectively and fervently for each of them.

Father, when You bring to mind the missionaries that we're conscious of, may we uphold them, too. Help us to learn about their needs, so we can pray and support them with our finances when we have the opportunity.

Two missionaries that I know are Pepe, in Mexico, and Suzanne Loucky, who is home securing support before returning to Vienna, Austria in April.

www.missiongo.org is Suzanne's contact link.

In Jesus' Name we pray for them and others we know. Amen.

Today’s Bible verse: Prov. 8:34 "Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors."

Today’s quotes: “I will never give up on my family. And I will never give up on God’s ability to move in their hearts.” Unknown

“Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition
you have encountered and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds." Unknown

Some thoughts today: Sexual immorality is a sin against our own bodies. It has profound implications, as the effect has touched our souls and others who are in our circle of influence.

- The marriage of one man and one woman is honorable and the proper use of sex. It's meant to last a life time. It's what the Almighty will bless.

- We need to take the time to spend quality time before the Lord. Make a date to meet Him daily, and you'll be surprised at the difference it will make!

11th- Saturday’s post: Warning! Tammie Johnson

12th- Sunday's post: Does God Love Me? Dr. Charles Stanley

14th- Tuesday's post: #53 What Faithful, Committed Intercession Brings C. Peter Wagner

16th- Thursday's post: #54 Intercession is Not Thought Of C. Peter Wagner

A popular post: I Feel Sorry For You Merlin Crothers shares with us, "Not everything seems good right away, but knowing that it will work for my good gives me great inner confidence in the One who created me."