Comments on: Intercession http://www.revivaljournal.com/2006/08/25/intercession/ Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:28:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: David Copeland http://www.revivaljournal.com/2006/08/25/intercession/#comment-86 David Copeland Sun, 27 Aug 2006 00:16:26 +0000 http://www.revivaljournal.com/2006/08/25/intercession/#comment-86 Good word! We in America have catagorized everything....ad naseum! But when the church prays, miraculous things still happen! Good word!

We in America have catagorized everything….ad naseum! But when the church prays, miraculous things still happen!

]]> By: Weston http://www.revivaljournal.com/2006/08/25/intercession/#comment-85 Weston Sat, 26 Aug 2006 20:59:49 +0000 http://www.revivaljournal.com/2006/08/25/intercession/#comment-85 It is interesting how the church today has delineated the "task" of intersession to a a select company of people, who are "known" as "intercessors." I, for one, appreciate those who have prayed and do pray for me. And, I certainly pray for others. We are enjoined to do so. However, it is difficult in the matrix of New Testament ministry to point to a category of people who defined their Christian service as an "intercessor." It is even more difficult to find apostolic stratagy that employed the creation of such teams in a church. Yes, there are those who prayed, and there are requests for prayer by those who travelled in apostolic teams ... but Paul instructed the entire church in one city to "pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). A familiar passage, but written to a group of people who were enduring significant persecution. A special "class" of those comprising that church was not created to employ specific startegies to confront the persecution. Rather, all were enjoined to pray, and their example of steadfastness in the midst of their difficulty was an inspiration to an entire geographical region (1 Thess. 1:7). Remarkably, there is no instruction to pray for the persecution to end. "That no man should be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation, even as it came to pass, and ye know" (1 Thess. 3:3-4) "Intercessors are the the stewards of the prophetic promises of the chruch." A statement that certainly has merit and illicts a pause for contemplation; however, a more accurate statement might be: "The church is the stewart of the prophetic promises of the church." It is interesting how the church today has delineated the “task” of intersession to a a select company of people, who are “known” as “intercessors.” I, for one, appreciate those who have prayed and do pray for me. And, I certainly pray for others. We are enjoined to do so. However, it is difficult in the matrix of New Testament ministry to point to a category of people who defined their Christian service as an “intercessor.” It is even more difficult to find apostolic stratagy that employed the creation of such teams in a church. Yes, there are those who prayed, and there are requests for prayer by those who travelled in apostolic teams … but Paul instructed the entire church in one city to “pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17).
A familiar passage, but written to a group of people who were enduring significant persecution. A special “class” of those comprising that church was not created to employ specific startegies to confront the persecution. Rather, all were enjoined to pray, and their example of steadfastness in the midst of their difficulty was an inspiration to an entire geographical region (1 Thess. 1:7). Remarkably, there is no instruction to pray for the persecution to end. “That no man should be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation, even as it came to pass, and ye know” (1 Thess. 3:3-4)
“Intercessors are the the stewards of the prophetic promises of the chruch.” A statement that certainly has merit and illicts a pause for contemplation; however, a more accurate statement might be: “The church is the stewart of the prophetic promises of the church.”

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