The Privilege of Standing in the Gap
Prayer has become one of the most familiar practices within the Church, yet true intercession remains one of the most misunderstood callings among Believers. Many people pray when they are in trouble. Others pray out of routine. Some pray because they know they should, but intercession is something far deeper. It is the privilege of standing in the gap, between God and humanity, with a heart that reflects His compassion and His purposes.
Intercession is not merely presenting our own needs before the Lord. It is petitioning God on behalf of others. It is allowing His burden to become our burden and His desires to shape our prayers.
Scripture reveals that because sin separated mankind from God, righteous individuals often stood before Him, seeking reconciliation on behalf of others. Abraham interceded for Sodom. Moses cried out for the people of Israel. Even Pharaoh pleaded with Moses, "Plead for me" (see Exodus 8:8, 28; 9:28; 10:17). These examples remind us that true intercession is marked by selflessness. It seeks the well-being of others rather than personal gain.
Reflecting the Heart of Our Great Intercessor
Ultimately, every Old Testament picture of intercession pointed toward One Person... Jesus Christ. Hebrews reveals that Jesus is our great High Priest. He is our Mediator, our Reconciler, and our Intercessor. He prayed for Peter before Peter's greatest failure. He prayed for His disciples in John 17. While hanging upon the cross, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34 NIV).
Even now, His ministry of intercession continues.
"Therefore He is also able to save forever those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25 NASB)
What an incredible reality! The Son of God is still interceding for His Bride. We aren't left alone in our weakness, either. Romans 8 tells us that the Holy Spirit helps us when we do not know how to pray as we should. He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Photo via Picryl)
Prayers Made on Behalf of All People
Because of our relationship with Christ, Believers have been invited into this ministry of intercession. Paul wrote, "First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people" (1 Timothy 2:1 NASB). Yet many Believers stop short of experiencing the fullness of this invitation.
During the days of the tabernacle, worship involved progression. The people entered the outer court. The priests ministered within the Holy Place. Only the high priest could enter beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies, where God's manifest presence rested above the mercy seat. Today, because of Christ, we no longer approach God through ritual, tradition, or human effort. We enter through the righteousness of Jesus. However, while access has been granted, intimacy still requires surrender.
God is not looking for people who simply attend services. He is seeking sons and daughters who desire a relationship. He wants more than emotional moments during worship. He desires a lifestyle. Many have experienced the touch of God in a service, but an experience is not the same as an encounter. Experiences may inspire us for a moment, but encounters transform us from within.
Prayer was never meant to be an emergency response. It was designed to become our way of life. The deeper we go in prayer, the more religion loses its grip. It's less about preferences and more about His presence. It's less about titles and more about transformation. It's less about what we can gain and more about what He desires to accomplish through us.
Called to the Priesthood
Peter reminds us: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9 NASB). You have been called to more than attendance. You have been called to the priesthood. (Photo via Unsplash)
Jesus still extends the same invitation He gave to fishermen beside the Sea of Galilee: "Follow Me" (Matthew 4:19). Those disciples immediately left their nets. They abandoned security. They released familiarity. They surrendered their own understanding to embrace His purpose.
Likewise, if we are to become effective intercessors, there are nets we must be willing to drop:
• We must lay down our own agendas.
• We must surrender our definitions of ministry.
• We must release the need for recognition.
• We must yield every ambition that competes with His will.
Intercession demands surrender, because it requires us to hear what He hears, see what He sees, and desire what He desires. It is in the place of prayer that assignments are received. It is in the presence of God that burdens are birthed. It is beyond the veil that impossible situations become opportunities for the glory of God to be revealed. Anyone can pray, but effective intercession flows from intimacy. It asks difficult questions:
• Will you stand in the gap for someone else's miracle?
• Will you contend for a prodigal son or daughter?
• Will you believe for healing when the diagnosis says otherwise?
• Will you battle in prayer for the addicted, the broken, and the hopeless?
Come Beyond the Veil
The ministry of intercession is not reserved for a spiritual elite. It is the privilege and responsibility of Believers who have been transformed by the presence of God. James writes: "A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much" (James 5:16 NASB).
Perhaps today the Lord is calling you beyond religious routine, beyond casual Christianity, and beyond the outer court. He is inviting you to know His heart, to encounter His presence, to discover His burdens, to receive His assignments, and to become an intercessor who carries Heaven into impossible circumstances.
When you truly meet God behind the veil, the things of this world begin to lose their appeal. His voice becomes clearer. His purposes become greater than your own. His presence becomes the place where you long to remain.
The Father is still calling. Will you answer? Will you drop your net? Will you move beyond an experience and embrace a lifestyle of intimacy and intercession?
The invitation still stands. Come beyond the veil.
Whatever you do, don't miss another ELIJAH LIST email! Subscribe at this link: elijahlist.com/subscribe.
Ryan Johnson
Ryan Johnson Ministries
Email:Â info@ryanjohnson.us
Website:Â www.ryanjohnson.usÂ
Ryan Johnson is dedicated in helping equip the Body of Christ to awaken the nations with a prophetic call of a rising Ekklesia. He is a son of God, husband, and father of four. Ryan has devoted his life to the righteousness of Christ, with the demonstration of the Father's heart in regions, individuals, and the Church across the world. Ryan is the author of Illegitimacy: The Battle Over Your Identity, How to Contend for Your Miracle, and Racism: The Church and The Nation. He has had many articles released through Charisma Magazine, Charisma News, The Elijah List, and Spirit Fuel. He has also appeared as a guest on The Shaun Tabatt Show, Elijah Streams, Engaging the Supernatural, and Sid Roth's It's Supernatural. Ryan is the host of The Blacksmith Chronicles Podcast, an Instructor at Summit School of Revival, and travels throughout the United States and the Nations as a full-time itinerant minister.
To receive more words like this in YOUR inbox, subscribe FREE to the Elijah List at this link: elijahlist.com/subscribe.
Thank you for making the always-free "ElijahStreams" possible. To partner with us, click here.
Your donations truly help us keep these emails free for you. Donate at:
Find us on:
* Facebook click here
