Intercession: The Throne Ministry # 2

Intercessory Prayer (continued)

6. An intercessor will have discernment as to how and what to pray and will lead the Body of Christ into effective praying; and an intercessor will know what is hindering the Body of Christ from coming into fullness.

There are two kinds of discernment. One kind of discernment is the gift of discernment as found in 1 Corinthians 12:10; Acts 8:14-24;  1 Kings 3:9-12; and Isaiah 7:14, 15. The other kind is growth in discernment through the Word, as given in Hebrews 5:11-14. Both are needed in the Body of Christ.

Through discernment, Paul knew to write the Corinthians concerning their carnality (1 Corinthians 3:1), and he prayed for them accordingly. However, in Ephesus, he had discernment that these brethren could receive the highest knowledge that God had to give and thus prayed Ephesians 1:15-23. An intercessor has to have this kind of discernment - how to pray for the Body of Christ, whether it be to pray for an error in doctrine, for carnality, or for the maturing of the Body.

7. An intercessor will yield to the Holy Spirit for God's thoughts (Romans 8:26, 27; Acts 8:26-39; Hebrews 7:25).

8. An intercessor is not an escapist from trials and testings, for it is in these things that we learn how to conquer and become a full, mature intercessor of the Lord. An intercessor cannot be an escapist because he cannot understand the trials and troubles of others and intercede for them if he escapes from his own - "tribulation ... distress ... persecution ... famine ... nakedness ... peril, or sword" (Romans 8:35).

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I have come through a process of persuasion to the settled conclusion that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things about to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37).

9. An intercessor stands against death and against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. In Ephesians 6:12, the Word says five times "against:" once the Word says we are "not against flesh and blood," but as God's intercessors, the Word says four times we are against the spiritual tyrants of evil:

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

10. An intercessor is: God's enemies are the intercessor's enemies.

These Are God's Enemies:

John 8:44 - "the devil, the father of the lie";
Ephesians 4:25 - the Lie = Greek: "wherefore put away the lie..";

2 Thessalonians 2:7-11 - "the mystery of iniquity";
Romans 1:25-31 - The operation of the mystery of iniquity is listed here with the inventors of evil  things which are against the Logos, the Word of God: the inventors of evil "who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen."

Hebrews 11:34 - "armies of the aliens";

1 John 2:21, 22 - "antichrist";

Revelation 13:1-18 - "the antichrist, the false prophet, the mark of the beast";

1 Corinthians 15:26 - "the last enemy ... death";

Revelation 12:9 - "the great dragon ... that old serpent, called the devil, and satan, etc. ..."

These are God's enemies; therefore, they are our enemies.

11. An intercessor will be known in hell. "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" (Acts 19:15). If we are intercessors, we will be known in hell. It has to be that when we pray as Daniel did in Daniel 9 and 10 that all hell moves to stop it.

12. An intercessor of God will be a fighter and a fellow soldier; he will be one who has come into active warfare (Philemon 2; Philippians 2:25; 2 Timothy 2:3).

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 3)