Thoughts for Life: #103 Maintaining the Intercessors

C. Peter Wagner shares
with us the importance of
maintaining our intercessors:

"In his concluding paragraph
of Ephesians 6, Paul provides
us with what I consider a model
of how we as leaders should
relate to our intercessors in order to maintain their interest and their faithfulness to do spiritual warfare on our behalf.

By this I do not mean to imply that their primary motivation is anything other than their desire to serve God and obey Him.

If God has called intercessors to pray for us, He will help maintain them. But I also think that, in His providence, God also gives us a role in keeping the relationship alive and well.

Paul sensed this, I believe, when he told them he was sending Tychicus to them. Back in those days before telephones, faxes and express mail, the preferred way to communicate was by personal messenger.

The messenger would often carry a letter, as Tychicus undoubtedly did in this case, but even the letter could not substitute for the personal words of the messenger.

What was Tychicus supposed to do when he met the intercessors? Two things:

Share information. 'That you may know our
affairs' Eph. 6:22.

Share Paul's love and encouragement. 'Comfort your

hearts' Eph. 6:22.

Personal prayer partners typically do not make high demands on the pastor they pray for. But they are extremely grateful if we provide for them the information they need to pray intelligently, and if we, from time to time, encourage them with words of appreciation for their ministry on our behalf."

#103 Maintaining the Intercessors,
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. 183-184)

By Regal Books

PRAYER SHIELD ChristianBooks - offered for $9.69
There are many of Wagner's books offered. Type in the
title of this book at top of page. It is the fourth one down…

Let’s pray:

Father, when our pastor

needs us to support him in

prayer, may we be faithful

to remember him before the

Lord.

It's true, we do long for
encouragements from our leaders.

I ask that they realize that they have this responsibility, and our need to be kept informed of special events.

My pastors do appreciate my prayers, I'm sure. I want to please the Lord by supporting them faithfully. Help me honor Your calling for me to pray for them. It's in Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Today’s awesome Bible verse: Rom. 15:13 NCV "I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Today’s quote: Karen Oglesby – “Sometimes it’s hard to keep praying for something over and over, sometimes for years, and not see your prayers come to fruition. It makes it even harder when others near you seem to be receiving the answers and blessings they are seeking. But God tells us to pray without ceasing. Not to pray until we get tired or think we’ve bothered Him with our petitions, but continually.”

Some thoughts today: Obey what God tells you, and leave the rest up to Him to deal with.

- God gives the gifts you need, when you need them. Trust Him.

- God's interested in restoration. Ask Him for a good way to handle a situation, so it will glorify Him.

24th- Thursday’s post: #104 Pray for Your Intercessors C. Peter Wagner

26th- Saturday's post: Will the Roof Really Cave In? Tammie Johnson

27th- Sunday's post: Christ Heals the hurting James Cagle

27th- evening's post: Discernment vs Criticism- Part 1 Jean Oathout

A popular post: The Stronghold: Satan's Prison Within
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Body of Christ actually mean?"