Our Focus On Prayer- Intercession

(All Christians should pray for the needs of humanity- that is intercession- standing in the breech of needs and God.

We share this to stimulate others to consider God's call to make this ministry your own as God lays it on your hearts.)

Intercession has been the chief focus in our daily prayers in the morning for several years. We usually start out with recalling the innumerable blessings of God in our lives from birth, and before, of our Christian heritage and down through our life of the continuous protection of God in health, traveling, sufficiency, and now in retirement, still being able to live together in good health. Our house seems to be such a suitable place of comfort, especially in the winter where we are secure from the elements. All this wells up in our hearts in praise and thanksgiving.

But soon our hearts' emphasis shifts to other concerns. Our family is important, and the growing number of grandchildren who are married and settling into vocations of life; and those who are considering with whom they will be establishing life partners. We long that they all seek first God's will for them in partnerships and establishing a means of support, yet putting God''s kingdom first and their subsistence security secondarily. We pray that each new generation will live in the fervor of our heritage, and even more than ever, committing themselves to service in the Kingdom, either as a vocation, or as a priority in their livelihood.

Then there are our Belizean children with whom we keep in contact at least monthly. For several single mothers and two couples, all with children. These all we have been in contact with closely in our years in Belize, some living with us. Nearly all find surviving economically very difficult. We pray for jobs for them constantly, that they earn a honest living, and wisdom to manage their meager income. We pray for the health of the children, some of which have chronic problems of sickle cell anemia. We pray for their spiritual growth, pure living, knowing some of their temptations in their poverty. We pray that they find believers to stand with them as they are weak in faith and not rooted in church fellowships. We long for them to raise their children to know God, however weakly they follow Christ themselves. We pray for the purity of youth, focusing on education, not to be sidetracked by passions and immaturity.

We often pray for our own congregation of worship. Especially toward the end of the week for God to prepare our leaders to know and share his will for us as a congregation. We think and pray for all American churches for the same, and that God would sink deeply into hearts by his Spirit, what he wants his people to know about his will for their lives. We rejoice in the faithfulness of the church in reaching out into the world, and pray this will be magnified.

Everyday we pray for the Middle East conflict in its various dimensions. For refugees, their security, provision, hope, their turning to God for help. We hope that they can re-establish their homes and livelihood- so much for those who have lost almost everything. That the God of justice would bring justice to rulers: bringing down the unjust, raise up worthy leaders who care about their people. That he would curtail evil doers of violence, let their plans of destruction fail. In His own way bring peace for many. For visions of God to those who are disenchanted with Islam with a hunger to know the real God. In his own way, may God hasten the day of peace among peoples and nations, working together for decent living for the citizens.

We pray for mission and relief workers around the globe in troubles areas and elsewhere. For courage for their daily witness, strength to endure hardship, wisdom on how to relate in every situation, for rewards in their work, success so that they can keep on serving with confidence, for a lengthening of their ministry. For protection in every way. We pray for God to call many more into the ministry of the Gospel abroad, for those in training to be prepared, for the church in America to be majorly dedicated and grow in vision to carry out the Great Commission.

In praise we recognize that God is doing a greater work than ever in establishing his people in great numbers, like in Ethiopia, Guatemala, and many countries. We rejoice for the wonderful work he is doing in establishing his people like in resistant places China and India. We pray that many leaders may be established and gifted for the many new churches in many countries. We pray for those churches that grow where there is opposition, for persecuted Christians that they be strong, and not give up. For protection of all such believers that they can continue their ministries.

We pray for a new sense of commitment and dedication of the church in America. So many gifts, strength of training, and finances that the church needs to be stewards of, to dedicate in much greater fashion, all this for carrying out of the Great Commission. That people free their gifts and resources sacrificially for the sake of the Gospel.

We feel intercession should be a calling for many Christians. It's a serious commitment to be involved as a work God calls a Christian to do faithfully. It is not a casual or occasional matter. Prayer without ceasing is the motto for intercession. It is serious business. Abraham challenged, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Moses challenge God that He would be discredited if he destroyed his disobedient people. We have pleaded God continually: Do something about all the evil in the Middle East conflict. Tame town the violence of evildoers, let their plans fail! Do this in your way, and do not delay, and do it sooner rather than later. We pray that many in Islam may hunger for real truth, having visions of Jesus; we pray for a whole new view of Jesus among Muslims where He is seen as who he really is, the Savior and Lord of the earth, more than just a prophet. With all this praying, we notice when we see and read of God answering our pleading for the Middle East and Islam.

All the works of God are causes for praise and thanksgiving that he is doing what is right. It is not clear why or how we are partners with God in him carrying out his desires for all people. It just seems so definitely that it is our job to continue this as long as his calling lasts. As we see that many persons in history have cried out with tears, so we may be involved in a ministry of intersection daily. God is doing so much; His task is so great as we see it, he wants our partnership in all the work he wants done in his Kingdom. He wants to make known to the world, his wonderful redeeming love for all mankind, to be his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.