"Intercede: Praying God’s Word" by @JenniferOWhite

Do you feel helpless watching someone resist the life God wants to give him or her? You know the joy of abiding and serving Him and you want them to know it too. You want them to want it, right.

Everything you’ve tried and hoped for may have failed. But God does not fail and He invites you to partner with Jesus as an intercessor.

the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:27

…. He is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. Romans 8:34

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 1 Timothy 2:1

You have a VERY important role in this ministry of reconciliation. You are responsible for agreeing that God wants this and can do this.

Pray God’s Word

Speaking God’s truth out loud is a powerful weapon in the battle against the evil that ensnares us and everyone else. His Word is the ultimate sword (Eph. 6:17). It cuts through the dark works of the evil one.

In faith we can declare the reality God wants for others and ourselves. We act in faith just as Noah built an ark in faith that God was true to his Word and that rain was on its way.

When someone doesn’t love God back yet, we can pray for him/her the words of King David, a man after God’s own heart.  In Psalm 63, David affirms that nothing is more satisfying to him than God.

Join me now in declaring this will also be our friend’s reality. When you do this, you are saying to God, “I believe You are able to move this mountain in ______’s life. I see it in my heart before I see it in my world.” As you speak these words out loud, remember to listen for God’s “Yes” and watch for His nod. His Spirit is agreeing with you and delighting that You want what He wants.

_______________’s soul will find no fulfillment in earthly things. ______ soul will long for You God. You are _________’s helper and __________ will know that well. 

_______________ will see Your power and Your glory and be satisfied. ______ will know that You satisfy him/ her more than the richest feast.

_______________ knows that Your love never fails him/her. ___________ finds nothing in this world to compare with Your love.

__________________ trusts You God and praises You day and night. ____________’s life is spent with lifted hands in praise and prayer to You God. ______________ praises You with songs of joy.

___________________ lies awake thinking of you, meditating on You through the night. ___________ is captivated by Your majesty. His/her thoughts are always on You.

In the shadow of Your wing, ________________ finds rest for his/her soul and sings songs of joy regardless of his/her circumstances.  ____________ clings to You. 

Your strong right hand holds ________________ securely. Every plan Satan has to destroy  ___________ will come to ruin because You, the Victorious God, are fighting for Him in the spiritual realm. 

How do you feel after praying these things for your friend? Do you feel stronger? Celebrate!! God’s Word is so powerful. Do you feel like this isn’t quite right? Don’t fret. Just lift your concern up to God and ask Him to reveal His truth about praying this way to You. He is your prayer coach and always ready to help you accomplish His will. 

Jennifer O. White is an author, speaker, and encourager to those seeking a life of hope, peace, and confidence. You are invited to join her on a brave life, marriage, and world-changing adventure with Jesus at her blog: Prayerfully Speaking. 

info@jenniferowhite.com

When They Don’t Love God Back: Intercede by @JenniferOWhite

Yeah, Beth Moore rocked my world with the “loving God back” phrase. She shared on a Breaking Free Bible study video that God prompted her to say to Him, “I love you back.” Why? We are easily distracted from the truth that He loved us first and actively loves us now.

You and I have both struggled to receive God’s love. We’ve pushed through some really hard times, crying out to Him for help. Each time He answered our “help me Jesus” cry, we experienced His love a little deeper. We saw Him caring about us and reaching toward us with help we could not muster on our own. Each answered prayer made it easier to love God back. It was a process of drawing near to God, and God drawing near to us (James 4:8). The drawing near is an incredibly beautiful cycle of love.

Do you deeply care for someone who doesn’t appear to want to live for Jesus? Are you frustrated? I have been there. Wanting them to read God’s Word. Wanting them to listen to God’s music. Wanting them to want to serve God with at least their extra moments.

It’s a healthy tension: the wanting them to want Him and not being able to make them go there. God wants you to want it and He knows it is not in your power to get them there. God’s enemy who desperately wants to keep your dear one content and complacent brings an unhealthy tension into the mix. He will encourage you to be their Holy Spirit and try to convince you that it’s your responsibility to fix this problem. He will cheer you on with thoughts and feelings that look nothing like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.

It could be that they are not yet sure that God radically loves them.

How can we lovingly pursue God’s love for this person? How do we live out Gods’ purpose in this place without assuming the pressure to make it happen?

Intercession with the Words of God

Jesus is already interceding for the one(s) on our heart (Romans 8:34). The fact that you are concerned is VERY likely because His Spirit has prompted you to see the issue for the purpose of intercession.

So we partner with Jesus as an intercessor. We go to battle on his or her behalf with the only offensive weapon God offers: His Word, our supernatural sword (Ephesians 6:17) It. Has the power to cut through every idea the enemy is using to distract them from the amazing truth of God’s extravagant love.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (NLT)

Jesus fought and won the battle declaring God’s truth in response to Satan’s schemes. He is our example. We can fight for our friends and family the same way.

In the next post, I will share with you specific prayers from God’s Word that will slice through the darkness so His light can bring life and the joy of salvation. Until then, ask God to confirm your role as an intercessor in this situation. 

Jennifer O. White is an author, speaker, and encourager to those seeking a life of hope, peace, and confidence. You are invited to join her on a brave life, marriage, and world-changing adventure with Jesus at her blog: Prayerfully Speaking.

info@jenniferowhite.com