Intercessory Prayer: How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven & Earth (Paperback)

Chapter One

I knew the person I was going to pray for was very ill. What I didn't know was that she was comatose with a tracheostomy in her throat, a feeding tube in her stomach and had been in that condition for a year and a half. Seeing her for the first time was like expecting a prescription and receiving brain surgery. Her sister, who had asked me to visit this young lady, had not given me the whole story for fear I wouldn't go at all. She knew if she could just get me there once, I'd probably go back. She was right!

The doctors gave Diane (not her real name) no hope for living, let alone coming out of the coma. Even if she did regain consciousness, she would basically be a vegetable because of her extensive brain damage, or so the doctors believed.

Have you ever stood beside someone in this kind of condition and asked God for a miracle? To stand beside death and ask for life can be intimidating. It can also teach us a lot-about life, about death, about ourselves and about our God. Especially when we stand beside the same person 60 to 70 times, for an hour or more each time, throughout the course of a year.

Confronted with the Unexpected

It didn't work out as I expected. Life rarely does, does it?

I expected the Lord to heal this young lady through our prayers in a dramatic, easy, quick way. After all, that's how it happened with Jesus.

· I didn't expect to invest three to four hours of my life
each week for a year (including the travel time).

· I didn't expect humiliation and insults from the staff
of the nursing home where she stayed.

· I didn't expect to cry so much.

· I didn't expect to be so bold at times.

· I didn't expect to be so intimidated at times.

· I didn't expect it to take so long.

· I didn't expect to learn so much!

The Miracle

Yes, God restored Diane! He healed her brain, the outer layer of which the doctors said had been totally destroyed by a virus. Every part of it was covered with infection. "No hope," they said.

The front page of the Dayton Daily News (not the real place or newspaper) read, "Woman Awake, Alive, Healthy After Two Years in Coma." The doctors called it a "medical miracle." "We have no explanation," they said, though they stopped short of giving God the glory.

It actually happened on a Saturday morning when she was all alone. Earlier that week Diane had been moved from the nursing home to a hospital for treatment of an infection. After administering more tests, the doctors determined her condition had grown worse and informed her family that she would probably die soon.

When Diane's sister relayed this information to me, I dashed off to the hospital.

Knowing comatose people can often hear and understand everything happening around them, I spoke much to her. As we later learned, because of the damage to her brain Diane was not hearing me. But on this Wednesday afternoon, I spoke to her as usual.

"This nightmare is almost over," I said with tears streaming down my face. "Nothing can keep us from receiving our miracle. Nothing!"

The memory is forever imprinted on my mind. As I exited the hospital weeping, I remember saying to myself again and again, "Nothing can keep us from our miracle. Nothing!"

* * *

We don't wait well. We're into microwaving;
God, on the other had, is usually into marinating.

* * *

It was not just a strong hope I had at this point but a great faith. I had turned to God many times throughout the course of that year asking Him if He had really sent me to this little girl. Each time I received His assurance: "I sent you. Don't quit."

The Power of Persistence

Now, I've been accused of being quite a stubborn fellow, and I suppose that's true. In fact, I've "stubborned" myself into a lot of trouble, including two major concussions playing football when a couple of fellows had more size and muscle behind their "stubborn" than I did.

Stubbornness, however, can be channeled into a righteous force called persistence or endurance. I've found it to be one of the most important spiritual attributes of the Christian life. Charles Spurgeon said, "By perseverance the snail reached the ark."

A lack of endurance is one of the greatest causes of defeat, especially in prayer. We don't wait well. We're into microwaving; God, on the other hand, is usually into marinating. So I persisted for a year, and as I did my faith grew until I knew deep inside we were going to win. My motto had become Galatians 6:9: "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary."

My persistence was rewarded when, three days after that Wednesday in the hospital, Diane woke up with full restoration to her brain. News about the miracle spread to other nations. In fact, the nursing home where she had stayed received inquiries from Europe wanting to know about her incredible recovery.

Every hour and every tear I had invested became worth the wait when I saw Diane awake and heard her speak the words, "Praise the Lord."

What did I learn from that year-long endeavor? Much, plus a whole lot! And I'm still learning.

In "The Last Days Newsletter," Leonard Ravenhill tells about a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village who walked by an old man sitting beside a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one tourist asked, "Were any great men born in this village?"

The old man replied, "Nope, only babies."

I've learned that no one is born a prayer hero. They are shaped and refined on the practice field of life.

A Hollywood talent judge said of Fred Astaire, one of the top singers, dancers and actors of all time: "Can't act. Can't sing. Can dance a little." I'm sure Satan has passed his judgment on me at times in my life: "Can't preach. Can't lead. Can pray a little." Thank God for His grace, patience and commitment to me. I've stumbled forward more than backwards in life.

So Many Questions

From this and other prayer journeys-from failures as well as victories-from hundreds of hours of study, I've formed some thoughts to share with you. I believe they will answer many questions such as:

· Is prayer really necessary? If so, why? Isn't God sovereign?
Doesn't that mean He accomplishes what He
wants, when He wants? If so, why pray?

· Is God's will for a Christian automatically guaranteed
or is it linked to prayer and other factors?

· Why does it often take so long to get a prayer
answered? Why is persistence required? Jacob wrestled
with God. Is that what we are to do in prayer? I
don't like the thought of wrestling with God, do you?

· What about prayer for the lost? How can I be more
effective? I get a little frustrated trying to think of
new ways to ask God to save people, don't you? I
thought He wanted to save them. Then why do I feel
as though I'm trying to talk Him into it? Is there a
better way? Do I ask for their salvation again and
again or simply petition Him once and then just
thank Him in faith?

· What about spiritual warfare? If Satan is defeated and
Christ has all authority, shouldn't we just forget about
the devil? Does God bind the devil or do we?

· What exactly is intercessory prayer? And don't just
tell me it's "standing in the gap." Enough religious
quotes and spiritual jargon. I know the thought is
taken from the Bible, but what does it mean?

· What about protection? Is everything that happens to
me or my family simply allowed by God? Or is there
something I need to do to procure our safety?

· How do we "bear one another's burdens"? (Gal. 6:2).

· Is there a right time for answers to prayer or does the
timing depend on me?

Are you getting tired of all these questions? I know I am-so I'll stop. You may even be tired of asking yourself some of them. I know I was. Many people stopped asking them long ago, and probably stopped praying, too.

Please don't do that!

Keep asking! I've discovered that the right answer begins with the right question. I've also discovered that God is not offended by a sincere question. He won't satisfy the skeptic and He is not pleased with unbelief, but He loves an honest seeker. Those who lack and ask for wisdom He does not rebuke (see Jas. 1:5). He is a good Dad. Will you pray this prayer with me?

Father, we need more understanding-not more knowledge. We have so much of it now that we are becoming confused. Yes, and even cynical at times because our knowledge has not always worked. In fact, Father, our Bibles often seem to contradict our experiences. We need some answers. We need a marriage of theology and experience.

We've been encouraged by the stories of other great prayer warriors-the praying Hydes, the David Brainerds, the Andrew Murrays and the apostle Pauls. But frankly, Lord, it gets a bit frustrating when our prayers don't seem to work. And intimidating as well because we don't know if we will ever be able to pray two to three hours a day, as these great intercessors did. We need more than inspiration now. We need answers.

So, as Your disciples did, Lord, we say, "Teach us to pray." We know it often requires hard work, but can't it also be fun? We know there will be failures, but how about a few more successes? We know "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7), but couldn't we see a few more victories? ... Souls saved? ... Healings?

We are tired of cloaking our ignorance in robes of blind obedience and calling it spirituality. We are tired of religious exercises that make us feel better for a while but bear little lasting fruit. We are tired of a form of godliness without the power.

Help us, please. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Chapter Two

Because I Said So!

"Because I said so!"

Don't you just hate it when that's the reason given for doing something? Not only is it frustrating, but it's also a motivation killer. It's one thing when the question "Why?" stems from a rebellion-rooted resistance, but when one sincerely doesn't understand why, this answer can be a real bummer. I remember having my knuckles rapped with a ruler for asking the simple question, "Why?"

Whack! "Because I said so! Now be quiet and do it."

I still wish I could rap that teacher's knuckles with a yardstick and not tell her why! (Don't worry, we'll deal with forgiveness and inner healing another time.)

None of us wants to do something just because someone else said so. Oh, I know God requires things of us at times without the full knowledge of why, but they are usually occasional obedience and trust issues-not the way He expects us to live life on a regular basis. We are not programmed robots who never ask why. He does not require an ostrich mentality of us: head in the sand, blind to the truth, the issues, the facts.

I Wonder Why

God has given us a Bible full of answers to the whys of life. The one I'm interested in is: Why pray? I'm not speaking of why in the sense of needing this or that. Obviously we ask because we want or need something. I'm speaking of why in the context of God's sovereignty.

Do my prayers really matter all that much? Isn't God going to do what He wants anyway? Most people, even if only subconsciously, believe just that. The proof is in their prayer life, or lack thereof.

Can my prayers actually change things? Does God need me to pray or does He just want me to pray? Some would argue an omnipotent God doesn't "need" anything, including our prayers.

Can God's will on earth be frustrated or not accomplished if I don't pray? Many would brand me a heretic for even raising the question.

But these and other questions deserve answers. I've discovered that understanding the why of doing something can be a great motivating force. The opposite is also true.

As a kid I wondered why the sign said "No diving" in the shallow end of the pool. Then one day I hit my head on the bottom. I don't do that anymore.

I used to wonder why I shouldn't touch the pretty red glow on the stove. I found out.

I wondered why a fellow in front of me in the woods said, "Duck."

I thought, I don't want to duck. I don't have to duck. Then the branch whopped me upside the head. Now I duck.

I Need to Know

Someone said, "To err is human, to repeat it is stupid." I'm sure I've even qualified for that once or twice, but not with these three because now I know why! However, we're not talking about bumps, burns and bruises here, we're talking about eternal destinies. We're talking about homes, marriages, the welfare of people we love, revival in our cities-the list continues.

When God says, "Pray," I want to know it will matter. I'm not into religious exercises and my time is valuable-so is yours. Was S.D. Gordon right or wrong when he said, "You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.... Prayer is striking the winning blow ... service is gathering up the results"?

If God is going to do something regardless of whether or not we pray, then He doesn't need us to ask and we don't need another waste of time. If it's all que sera, sera, then let's take a siesta and let it all just happen.

If, on the other hand, John Wesley was correct when he said: "God does nothing on the earth save in answer to believing prayer," I'll lose a little sleep for that. I'll change my lifestyle for that. I'll turn the TV off, and even miss a meal or two.

· I need to know if that cyst on my wife's ovary dissolved
because I prayed.

· I need to know if I was spared in the earthquake
because someone prayed.

· I need to know if Diane came out of her coma with a
restored brain because we prayed.

· I need to know if my prayers can make a difference
between heaven and hell for someone.

Is Prayer Really Necessary?

The real question is: Does a sovereign, all-powerful God need our involvement or not? Is prayer really necessary? If so, why?

I believe it is necessary. Our prayers can bring revival. They can bring healing. We can change a nation. Strongholds can come down when and because we pray. I agree with E.M. Bounds when he said:

God shapes the world by prayer.

Continues...