What Does It Mean to Be Called as an Intercessor?
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a heavy burden on your heart for someone or something? What you might have dismissed as insomnia could actually be God calling you into a deeper relationship with Him through intercession. Understanding what it means to be an intercessor can transform not only your prayer life but also impact families, communities, and entire cities.
What Is Intercession?
Intercession simply means "to go before, go in between, to stand in the gap." Just as Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, advocating and interceding for us, we are called to stand in the gap for others. When we intercede, we're not praying alone - we're partnering with Jesus in prayer.
The biblical foundation for intercession is clear. In Ezekiel 22:30, God says, "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it. But I found no one." God is still looking for people who will stand in the gap today.
How Do You Know If God Is Calling You to Intercession?
The Midnight Wake-Up Call
One of the most common ways God calls intercessors is through those middle-of-the-night moments when you can't sleep and feel a burning burden on your heart. Before understanding this calling, many people simply consider themselves insomniacs. But God might be saying, "Hello, remember me?"
In these moments, you have a choice: Will you listen to the Holy Spirit and respond to what He's asking, or will you value your sleep more than your relationship with Jesus?
A Stirring Unlike Any Other
Intercessors often experience a unique stirring in their hearts - a feeling that calls them into prayer meetings or specific times of intercession. This isn't just emotional; it's a spiritual discernment of God's voice calling you to partner with Him in prayer.
Why Does Intercession Matter?
Real Lives Are at Stake
During one 24-hour prayer meeting, intercessors felt an overwhelming burden to pray for someone who was about to take their life. They didn't know who it was, but they stopped everything and began weeping and praying, asking God to intervene with a knock at the door or whatever it would take.
Later, they discovered that someone's son had indeed attempted suicide that very night. There was a knock at the door with no one there, but it was enough to change his mind. This is the power of standing in the gap - we may never know all the lives that are touched through our prayers.
Cities and Nations Are Transformed
Throughout Scripture, we see the power of intercession:
When Abraham prayed, cities were spared
When Moses prayed, nations were forgiven
When the church prayed for Peter, prison doors opened
God wants to move mightily in our homes, schools, and cities, but He chooses to partner with us in this work.
What Does God Look for in an Intercessor?
Humble Hearts, Not Experts
God isn't looking for people who have it all figured out or expert intercessors. He's looking for humble people willing to say, "Here I am, Lord. Use me." You don't need years of experience - you just need a willing heart.
Intimacy Before Intercession
Like Moses, who spoke with God face to face as a friend, we must know God personally before we can effectively intercede for others. We need to cultivate our relationship with Him first. We don't pray out of obligation or guilt - we pray because it's a privilege.
How Does Intercession Work?
Aligning Our Hearts with God's
The key to effective intercession is asking God to align our hearts with His. When we pray according to His will, not our own, He will do what we're asking. As we say "God, I'm here," we must also ask Him to align our hearts with His purposes.
Partnering with Jesus
Intercession isn't just standing in the gap for someone else - we're doing it with Jesus. It's about cultivating intimacy with the Lord. As our intimacy with Him grows, our prayer life grows. We get to partner with Jesus in those sacred moments of prayer.
What Should You Expect as an Intercessor?
Not Always Seeing Immediate Results
Sometimes we pray for years without seeing answers. One person prayed for their sister for eight years before seeing her return to the Lord. Others pray for their children for decades. But even in the waiting and the unanswered prayers, there is peace and intimacy as our relationship with the Father grows.
Heaven Meeting Earth
When we intercede, it's like heaven coming down and meeting us where we're at. We may not always get to hear the outcomes or know how God intervenes, but we can trust that God is moving. Sometimes confirmation comes years later, revealing how our prayers made a difference.
How Can You Start Your Journey as an Intercessor?
Begin with Your Own Relationship
Before interceding for others, make sure you have a personal relationship with Jesus. If this is new to you, it starts with a simple conversation: "Lord, I want to know you more. I know I don't always do things right. Would you come into my life and forgive me of my sins?"
Listen to the Holy Spirit
Pay attention to those stirrings in your heart. When you feel burdened for someone or something, don't dismiss it. Ask God what He wants you to pray for and how He wants you to stand in the gap.
Join with Others
Intercession is often more powerful when done in community. Look for opportunities to pray with other believers, whether in organized prayer meetings or informal gatherings.
Life Application
This week, pay attention to the stirrings in your heart. When you wake up in the middle of the night or feel a burden for someone, don't dismiss it as random thoughts. Instead, ask God if He's calling you to intercede. Start with just five minutes of prayer each morning, talking to Jesus and asking Him to align your heart with His.
Consider these questions as you reflect on your calling to intercession:
What burdens has God placed on your heart recently that you might have dismissed?
Are you willing to value your relationship with Jesus over your comfort or sleep?
Who in your life needs someone to stand in the gap for them through prayer?
How can you cultivate more intimacy with God so that your intercession becomes more effective?
Remember, God isn't looking for perfect people or prayer experts. He's looking for ordinary people willing to say, "Here I am, Lord. Use me." When we kneel in prayer, we stand in the power of Jesus, and that's where transformation begins - in our hearts, our families, and our cities.
