The need for prayer warriors and true intercessors is of critical importance in the end times. The end-time remnant, therefore the true Bride of Christ, is going to need a lot of prayers to remain standing, to endure, to overcome and also to fulfil its task of fulfilling the Great Commission. A lot of fervent prayers are also needed to pray for the lost, the forgotten, the broken, and the downtrodden.
It says in “James 5:16: The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” We are involved in a spiritual war (if we like it or not), and we live in terrible and perilous days of darkness, but those who seek His righteousness and follow God can stand upon the Word that one’s prayer avails much! Prayer of the righteous will thus be useful and beneficial, all to the glory of God.
One man who knows about the power of prayer in difficult times is John Knox, who was born in Scotland in about 1514. Converted to Protestantism from Roman Catholicism in 1543, Knox lived during a time when it was often very dangerous to be a follower of Christ.
When the Roman Catholic Mary Tudor (also known as “Bloody Mary” because of her ruthless persecution of the Protestants) became queen in 1553, Knox, who was in England at this time, was forced to hide. He eventually landed in Geneva where he met John Calvin, who became his mentor. Knox returned to Scotland in 1559, the year after Queen “Bloody Mary” died and was succeeded by the Protestant Queen Elizabeth. He remained in Scotland, bringing reformation to the church until his death in 1572.
Today people remember Knox as the leader of the Protestant Reformation in Scotland and the founder of Scottish Presbyterianism. But what others don’t realize is that by the end of his ministry, he became better known for his prayer than for his other ministries. The devout Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, is reputed to have said, “I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.”
She saw the impact of Knox’s prayer. From a human point of view, it was the prayer of Knox that sparked the Reformation in Scotland. His prayer became the fuel of the ongoing reformation during his time. His prayer shook the land of Scotland, causing a revival among God’s people.
Perhaps of all the prayers of Knox, “Give me Scotland, or I die” is the most quoted one. It was not an arrogant prayer but a passionate plea, showing his intense desire for the conversion of the people of Scotland. His prayer was an expression of his great confidence in God. His prayer also echoes the Apostle Paul’s prayer in Romans 10:1, “my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”
Knox remained prayerful even to death. It is said that during his dying hours that he was much engaged in meditation and prayer. Knox was not perfect, but we can definitely learn from his prayer life.
Prayer is not an option for the believer. It is a necessity to fulfil God’s purposes in the world and in our individual lives. Time spent in prayer is not time wasted but time invested. As we embrace the will of God, as we live before Him in the righteousness of Christ, as we seek to fulfil His purposes, nothing will be able to hinder our prayers, and we will begin to understand Jesus’ saying, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
Indeed, we need prayer warriors like John Knox! We need true intercessors who spent time at God’s feet, lifting up the Bride, and praying for the lost to find their home to Christ!
It says in “Ephesians 6: 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
We often read about the armour of God, but so often we neglect a very important piece of the armour – prayer! And remember, the armour of God is critical to understand and grasp because in this spiritual war we always need to wear it and keep the armour polished and functional. We are urged to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
A dedicated and functional prayer life is vital in our dangerous times, as we continuously seek the Lord’s will, His ways and His truth. And when we speak by the Spirit, this can imply always praying as led by the Spirit, or speaking in the heavenly languages as given by the Spirit. Either way, Romans 8:26 holds true: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” The most powerful prayer is one prayed in the Spirit, even if it is in your earthly language because it is driven by God Himself. There is great power in prayer!
Prayer is of critical importance! After all, there are dozens of real-life accounts in the Bible where Jesus and other disciples battled in prayer. God shut the heavens and prevented rain from falling for three years at Elijah’s request. He parted the Red Sea for Moses to lead His people through. He cast out demons; Jesus healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, and on more than one occasion, raised people from the dead, like Lazarus.
The power of prayer isn’t in the words you utter. It’s not about what you pray or even how you pray. Prayer can be defined as talking to God, but it is much more than that. Prayer is an act of worship that glorifies God and reinforces our need for Him. Through living a life of prayer, we communicate with the very source of and purpose for our existence. Prayer flows from intimacy, from fellowship with God and a deep love for Him.
David was one of the greatest men who ever lived. He was a man after God’s heart. He was a descendant of Abraham, Israel and Judah. He was a great warrior, builder and king. He was the first of his dynasty, which was chosen by God to bring forth the Messiah, the ultimate King of Israel and the nations. David was a prophet. And he was a poet and musician. And he prayed a lot – about everything. He wrote down many of his prayers, and put them to music, creating the Book of Psalms.
He wrote most of the book of Psalms, which has been the prayer book of Israel and the Church for 3,000 years. David knew how to pray.
Following Pentecost and at the time of the birth of the Church, in Acts 2 we read of how the disciples would regularly meet to fellowship. The church experienced a vital growth, not only because they adhered to the truth, but because they continued steadfastly in prayer. When facing great danger, the early disciples sought the Lord and prayed. Yes, prayer is powerful! It is also vital and as believers of Christ, we need to pray more. As believers, we are constantly facing threats, so as the corporate Bride, we need to seek the Lord n prayer. This calls for unity, just as the disciples, in the beginning, were united with Christ and each other.
Years ago, the Lord placed in my heart the absolute necessity for 24-hour prayer houses. God calls for a praying Bride, who seeks His will day and night. The devil knows that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, He wants believers to stop praying, or to pray less. He keeps us busy, for if we start praying collectively as the Bride then surely the gates of hell shall be shaken!
Our English word “intercession” is derived from the Latin for “to come between,” which means both “obstruct” and “to interpose on behalf of” someone. Christ stands between us and the Father. That’s why we pray “in Jesus’ name” because it’s by His sacrifice that we are made righteous and can approach the throne of God. Believers are, therefore, able to bring the needs of other people before God through Christ.
While we may not all be gifted as intercessors to be steadfast in prayer (Colossians 4:2), we are all called to pray. Paul exhorted the church to pray that he would boldly declare the gospel (Ephesians 6:19). He told the church to pray for one another with “supplications […] and thanksgivings,” (1 Timothy 2:1), and he prayed for them too. “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfast hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:2). We all need intercession, even believers. Paul was moved and encouraged by prayer on his behalf.
You can say intercession is a prayer that pleads with God for your needs and the needs of others. But it is also much more than that. Intercession involves taking hold of God’s will and refusing to let go until His will comes to pass. Intercession is warfare — the key to God’s battle plan for our lives. But the battleground is not of this earth. Intercessory prayer takes place in this spiritual world where the battles for our own lives, our families, our friends and our nation are won or lost.
Intercessory prayer is simply a pointed, persistent pleading on behalf of someone else for a deep need. Specifically, in the New Testament, we read that Jesus and the Holy Spirit interceded on behalf of God’s people for various reasons.
The reality is that we need a lot more intercessory prayer in the Body of Christ, and especially intercessors to heed the call for 24-hour prayer houses. We live in times of so much deception, that all believers need prayer right now, and we need to pray day and night for the lost and the broken.
Remember, the Lord or the devil doesn’t sleep. While we are human, we are also many in the Body of Christ. More than ever there should be greater unity in the Body of Christ, where together believers take hands to pray and to stand in the gap. Through prayer, particularly intercession, the Body of Christ truly takes up its place on the watchtower while the spiritual war wags and the ancient dragon seeks to devour. In prayer, we must declare God’s will, His glory and truth.
Intercession is vital these days as it has always been important throughout the Bible. Abraham interceded on Lot’s behalf to save him from the destruction of his home town (Genesis 18-19), Jonah (though begrudgingly) interceded for the town of Nineveh (Jonah 3), and in the greatest act of intercession, Jesus came down to earth to live as one of us and interceded for our salvation (John 17:20-26; Luke 23:34).
As believers, we are not praying enough. 24-hour prayer houses are of critical importance for the devil is on a rampage to destroy, kill and steal. Now is the time to pray for the youth, marriages, the Bride of Christ and for those still lost in the wilderness. It is time that all believers continue steadfastly in prayer, with the intercessors at the forefront of this mighty battle.
There is great power in prayer. We cannot only be occupied with preaching and teaching God’s word, but we need to pray the word, and we need to seek the face of the Almighty day and night! 24-hour prayer houses. It is time. In every city and every town. Constant prayer across the globe, interceding and seeking the Lord’s will and that His hand shall move in power.