The privilege of the intercessor

One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, "Tell her, 'You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?' (2 Kings 4:11-13)

The account of Elisha and the Shunammite woman reminds me of the privilege of intercession. The lady blesses Elisha by setting aside a room in her house so he can stay there every time he visits her town. One day, Elisha calls his servant Gehazi, to her ask how they can repay her goodness. He doesn't give her a physical gift in repayment. He says, "Now, what can be done for you? Can we speak on behalf to the king or the commander of the army?"

Intercessors do that. They speak to the King and the Commander of the Army (The Lord of Hosts) on behalf of others. I find that a great privilege. When we were in Kwang Lim, there were some days when I would fast lunch. But there was one day when I felt God wasn't calling me to do that, and I joined our team for a truly satisfying meal of Kimchi, squid, veg and soup. That day was special because there were some Korea missionaries sitting at the next table, who were back for a retreat, and they shared their fried chicken with us. Like good Asians, we shared (Serena's) little anchovies with them. And we even got the convenience store to open up, so we could buy ice-cream for dessert - it was the best meal we had while up on the mountains!

Call it a divine appointment. After lunch, a Korean missionary and his wife asked if we could pray for them. Their ministry is in Argentina. His wife's mother was due to go for a simple surgery for appendicitis in October, but the doctors wrongly injected her with antibiotics and she was now in a coma. There and there, in the dining hall, a group of us from Singapore gathered in a circle and called out to our God Most High to heal the elderly lady and bring her out of the coma. The Holy Spirit's presence was so strong among us. It was electric! It was the body of Christ coming together. And we had the peace in our hearts after that, she was healed. Amen!

Even now, all I can think of is what a great privilege it was to intercede to the Great King on behalf of the missionary. These are people who have given their lives to God; who no doubt walk closer to Him than us, yet, they were willing to share their struggle with us and ask us to pray for them...

I pulled this out from the RCCM website:

Nine Attributes of an Intercessor…

1. Abandonment – Willing to abandon all self-interest about what is being prayed;

2. Acceptance – Willing to accept the assignment to pray for someone that you do not even like;

3. Accountability – Faithful to the call and life of prayer. Willing to loan God your vocal cords;

4. Advocate – Willing to go in another person’s place and plead their case before God, acting like Jesus;

5. Agonising – Willing to bear the hurts of others and feel what they feel. Jesus was touched by our infirmities;

6. Armour – Willing to be a soldier who never retreats; who faces the devil in the Name of Jesus under the authority of the His Blood, knowing that the armor is your spiritual protection for your front parts. God protects your back parts. He is your rear guard. The Blood of Jesus and the Word of God are the whole armor of God;

7. Availability – Willing to always be available for God; holy, submissive, yielded, and humble. The world looks for ability. God only needs availability He can enjoinder and equip;

8. Awareness – Willing to be sensitive, and look beyond the person to make it happen for someone else;

9. Authority – Willing to go boldly before the Throne of God without begging, understanding the authority that belongs to the born-again believer.

Prayer today: Father God, what a privilege to be used as an intercessor in your Kingdom. I pray for your grace, O God, that you may grant me these qualities and help me grow in the calling you've placed on my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.