The Life And Calling Of The Intercessor

By Bob Sarbaugh

Intercessors have been used by God to change history. Once again, God is raising up an army of intercessors to work with Him to accomplish His will on the earth. However, many intercessors live lives unnoticed and unknown by those who benefit from their work for the Lord. Many often feel alone, strange, and separated because of how they are led to pray and what they experience in their lives. This book is intended to help intercessor understand who they are and to walk more confidently in the calling that the Lord has given them. It is also a guide for those who have felt the Lord calling them into intercession to train them up in how to walk out this amazing life of serving the Lord of the all. Drawing on personal experience, interaction with many intercessors, and study of the lives of intercessors and scripture, this book gives an understanding of prayer, intercession, what the intercessor can expect to experience, and how the Lord has called us to live. Each chapter provides biblical instruction along with practical thought-provoking exercises for journaling your walk and life with the Lord in intercession.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098013424

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The Life And Calling Of The Intercessor

Bob Sarbaugh

Copyright © 2019 by Bob Sarbaugh

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Cover illustration, Ever Interceding by Nathan Greene, © 2004, All Rights Reserved, Used By Permission www.nathangreene.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Prayer and the Believer

Intercession Understanding What It Is

Intercession Based on Who God Is

Intercession Based on How God works

Intercession Our Example: Jesus and Holy Spirit

The Key to Intercession

Attaining the Place of Intercession

Authority and Intercession

Assignments of the Intercessor

The Life of the Intercessor

Spiritual Warfare and Intercession

Introduction

To be an intercessor is to be one called for a high purpose by God. It is not something to be taken lightly, nor something to boast or brag about. It is a call to do the work of the King of Kings. It is not a part-time job or a fleeting fancy. It is something that consumes who you are, what you do, and how you see and understand the world around you. You may be saying, This sound like an exclusive calling that I must have, or I cannot participate in this activity. That is not the case anymore than one must be an evangelist to evangelize. However, though anyone can (and in my opinion, everyone must) take part in the activities of intercession, there are those whose calling from God is to a life of intercession. Therefore, this book is designed to help all understand the life of one called to intercession so all may live a life of intercession. All will be called at one time or another to stand in the place of intercession, and the life of one called to intercession is firstly that of one called to follow Jesus Christ as Lord of their life and Lord of all.

Chapter 1

Prayer and the Believer

To understand intercession, we must first begin with understanding what scripture teaches about prayer, what it is and its place in the life of the believer. In this chapter, we will establish a biblical foundation of prayer on which we will build our understanding of who the intercessor is, what they do, and how they live. It is imperative to begin our discussion here as I have found that often there is an assumption that prayer is intercession. I would propose to you that prayer is the tool of the intercessor, but it is not intercession. There is a difference between these two activities. I realize that this may go against the teachings of many fine men and women of God, and I have no intention of trying to start an argument. I am simply laying forth that which I have learned from being involved in intercession and being married to and working with those who are intercessors.

Prayer in Scripture

To gain a better understanding of what prayer is in scripture, it is important to know the words used for this activity. There are several words used throughout scripture which are translated prayer. It is important to look at these words because our English Bible is a translation of scriptures, not the original language. There is a truth in the expression that there is something lost in translation. This is many times true in our translations of the Bible. Thus, it behooves us to look at the meaning of the original words used to gain a better perspective of what is being talked about.

Old Testament Words

פָּלַל (palal). This verb means to pray, intervene, mediate, judge. It is used eighty-four times in the Old Testament. Four times it is in the intensive verbal form which expresses the idea of mediating or coming between two parties (always human beings).

If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death. (1 Samuel 2:25; emphasis added)

Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters (KJV, which hast judged thy sisters). Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous. (Ezekiel 16:52; emphasis added)

Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too." (Genesis 48:11; emphasis added)

But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. (Psalm 106:30; emphasis added)

The remaining eighty times this is used, it is in the reflexive or reciprocal form which carries the idea of praying on behalf of (first use of this word being Genesis 20:7). Vine’s Dictionary explains the reflexive form as follows. The reflexive form points back to the subject, perhaps pointing to the role of the person praying in his prayers. It can also be reciprocal between subject and object perhaps emphasizing that prayer is communication (two-way) (Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1984, pp. 185–186).

תְּפִלָּה (tĕphillah). This is the general Hebrew noun used for prayer and means simply prayer. It can mean both liturgical and nonliturgical, poetical and non-poetical prayer. Poetical prayer is prayer put to music (Habakkuk 3:1; Psalms 72:20).

New Testament Words

In the New Testament, there are many words translated prayer. There are four main verbs and four main nouns. The verbs used include the following:

εὔχομαι (euchomai). This word means to pray (to God) and is translated at times as I wish, I wished for, I could wish (Acts 26:29; 2 Corinthians 13:7, 9; James 5:16).

προσεύχομαι (proseuchomai). This word means prayers to gods or to God. It is most frequently used in the New Testament to speak of the act of praying to a god (Jehovah or any other god). As such, it is a very generic use of the concept of speaking to a deity, and could be translated as talk to God (Matthew 6:5–7; 14:23; 26:36; 1 Corinthians 11:4f).

ἐρωτάω (erōtaō). This means to question or to ask (request, beseech, entreat, beg). It is used both of human interaction with other humans or deity. It is usually used in the context of asking someone to do something (Matthew 15:23; John 14:16; 16:23, 26; 17:9, 15, 20).

δέομαι (deomai). This means to to ask or to beg, to pray or make supplications. This word carries the idea of asking concerning a need (Matthew 9:38; Acts 4:31; 10:2).

The nouns used include the following:

εὐχή (euchē). This speaks of a prayer to God, a vow. It conveys the idea of wishing something by petitioning God in prayer or by consecrating oneself with a vow (James 5:15; Acts 18:18; 21:23).

προσευχή (proseuchē). This is the most frequently used noun in the New Testament for prayer. Proseuchē is a generic word meaning simply a prayer to God. It can also refer to a suitable place set aside for prayer (Matthew 17:21; 21:22; Ephesians 6:18; James 5:17; proseuchē prosēuksatō—to pray fervently, literally prayer to God, prayed).

δέησις (deēsis). This word is used to speak of a wanting or a need, an asking, entreaty, or supplication. This word carries the idea of imploring God’s aid, help, or assistance in a particular matter or for others. In the New Testament, it is always used when the petition is addressed to God (Luke 2:37; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Peter 3:12).

ἔντευξις (enteuxis). This carries the idea of a falling in with, meeting with, an interview (a coming together, to visit, converse, or any other cause), that for which an interview is held (a conference or conversation, a petition, or supplication) (1 Timothy 4:5).

So just by understanding the words used in scripture for prayer and to pray, we get an idea of what prayer consists of. We have a sense of prayer being entreaty, expressing our desires, needs, and wants to God. It is talking with God about the needs of others and asking strongly for Him to assist or aid them. Prayer includes asking God to do something for ourselves or others. This is done by an expression of words either spoken or in song.

Jesus and Prayer

Now that we have seen the words used in the biblical languages and translated as prayer in our English translations, I want to turn our attention to the attitude of Jesus toward prayer. As He is our Lord and Master, the role prayer had in His life becomes the example for our own lives.

As we study the life of Christ in the gospels, we soon see that Jesus frequently got alone and prayed. Prayer was an intricate part of His life and ministry. He would pray before major decisions, before miracles, and after hearing of certain happenings. Prayer was not something Jesus did as an afterthought or as a last resort. It was His normal way of life. His life was characterized by preemptive, proactive time with the Father, seeking His will, and understanding His heart. Let’s look at the place prayer held in the life of Christ.

In Matthew 14:23 (Mark 6:46), it says, After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone. Jesus had just heard the news of the death of His cousin, John the Baptist. He left the crowds to get some solitude for Himself and His disciples only to be faced with a demanding multitude that figured out which way He was heading and got there before Him. After ministering to them the word, He performed His miracle of producing enough bread and fish to feed the whole group numbering over five thousand. He put his exhausted disciples in a boat and told them to go ahead of Him. He then dismissed the crowd and got away alone with the Father. Right after this time with Father, Jesus walked on the water to the amazement of His disciples who spotted Him on their way to the other shore by boat. It was in prayer where He received rest, comfort, and direction of what He was to do.

Jesus made a habit of pulling away for times of prayer. Luke 5:16 states, But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Prayer was not something He did at a retreat or because there was a need. It was a regular part of His life and ministry. He prayed during the events of His life. Luke 3:21 tell us He prayed while He was being baptized (before the heavens opens, and God affirmed who He was): When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened. John 11:41 records that it was through prayer that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead: So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me.’ Jesus lived and worked in and through prayer.

Major decisions, proclamations, and events in Jesus’s life were preceded by time alone with God. Before choosing the twelve disciples, the gospel records, One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God (Luke 6:12). He spent time in prayer between campaigns of preaching and signs and wonders. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1:35). It was out of a time of prayer that Jesus confronted His disciples with the question prompting Peter’s great profession of who Jesus really was. Luke 9:18 states, Once when Jesus was praying in private and His disciples were with Him, He asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’ This led to the question, "Who do you say that I am? [emphasis mine]. The night before His greatest work on the earth was spent in prayer. Matthew 26:36, 39, 42, 44 (Mark 14:35, 39; Luke 22:41, 44) records the following, Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’" Jesus’s life showed that He knew everything He needed to do in life, and ministry had to be done from the place of prayer—from the presence of the Father.

The Bible also shows us that prayer was also the mode of Jesus’s ministry. Much of what He did was done in and through prayer. His teaching on prayer came out of His practical life of prayer. In Luke 11:1, we read, One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ His disciples had seen Him pray so much that I can imagine