Back when I was in Overflow (youth ministry), we used to have intercession meetings on Friday nights in the church office. In some ways, having intercession meetings together was a good excuse for the young people to get together on a Friday night. But more importantly, intercession was a huge part of who we were as a youth group. Though we didn’t call it “listening prayer” at the time, that’s what we spent most of our time doing. We’d sit in worship, and practice hearing God’s voice and praying together. For so many of us, intercession really shaped who we were and how we learned to hear God.
The idea behind intercession is pretty simple, and easy enough for us to grasp as young people. A classic example is Abraham in Genesis 18. God plans to destroy Sodom, and Abraham pleads with God on behalf of Sodom. Abraham asks God, “If there are 10 innocent people in the city, will you not destroy it then?” Abraham goes out on a limb for the people of Sodom, pleading with God to not destroy the city. He stands before God on behalf of Sodom–he stands in the gap between God and Sodom, asking God to hold back His anger. This standing between Sodom and God is what makes Abraham an intercessor (a person who intervenes on behalf of another).
In intercession, we do the same thing–we stand before God on behalf of others. Of course, our intercesion doesn’t need to be as serious or dramatic as the Abraham story. Any time that we pray to God for others, we’re interceding for them–praying on their behalf. We stand in the gap between them and God. And this kind is prayer is not just for people who have a special passion for prayer. Prayer is for everybody. Like hearing God, intercession is for everybody, and it’s not even limited to our meetings on Wednesday nights (although there’s nothing like praying with other people!)
Who do you need to stand in the gap for today? Do you feel the tug to pray on behalf of someone? If so, take a moment to pray for them. We may be the only person in the world praying for them today, standing in the gap between them and Jesus. And the invitation is open to join us on Wednesday nights as we practice hearing God and interceding for others.