Introduction to Intercession: The Basics 

Changing your point of view

By Cherrie Marsh

What do you think of when you hear the word 'intercessor?'

I've been a Christian for about 11 years now. In that time, I’ve heard people within the church describe an intercessor as:

• A saint who’s lopsided in his or her spiritual walk, too busy praying to be any earthly good.
• Someone who doesn't evangelize, but who prays for evangelism.
• A spiritual giant. Treat an intercessor with respect, but secretly say to yourself, “I could never have a walk like that. I'm not good enough.”
• A person who treats God like Santa Claus.
• Someone who approaches God with the church's needs.

Only the last definition comes anywhere close to the truth.

I would like to share with you my mental picture of an intercessor:

1. An old man so enraptured by God’s presence during their many walks together that – one day – God simply takes him away! (Genesis 5:21-23)  Enoch
2. A man building an ark because God told him to (Genesis 6:8-:17).  Noah
3. Another man who pled with his friend God over the impending destruction of Sodom (Genesis 18). Abraham
4. Another man pleading to save the people God called by his name, even offering his own life in exchange (Exodus 32).
5. Another man asking God to send more intercessors (Ezekiel 22:30 & Isaiah 6).
6. Another man on his knees interceding for his people to be released from captivity (Daniel 9:1-19).Daniel
7. I see untold men and women in their secret chambers, praying for a revival that will sweep the world.
8. I see an old woman praying for me as I play at her feet. I listen as she talks about a God who is her best friend – a friend she did everything with – and watch as she nods in and out of sleep between her adventure stories with God. Corrie ten Boom
9. I see a broken, bruised and bleeding man hanging on a tree in order to save all mankind.  our precious Savior, Jesus

Each of these people is an example of intercession.  I can think of no greater goal for myself than to walk even half as closely with God as these mighty men and women.

But what exactly is intercession?

Webster’s dictionary defines intercession for us this way:

1: the act of interceding; to come into a situation by way of hindrance or modification between parties with a view to reconciling differences: Mediate

Mediate:

1: occupying a middle position

2 a: middle position, b: exhibiting indirect causation, connection, or relation

All mediation needs a representative, or agent

Representative:

1: serving to represent

2 a: standing or acting for another especially through delegated authority, b: of, based on, or constituting a government in which the many are represented by persons chosen from among them, usually by election

Represent:

1: to bring clearly before the mind, to serve as a sign or symbol of, to portray or exhibit, to serve as the counterpart or image of to take the place of in some respect
2a: to act in the place of or for, usually by legal right, b: to serve especially in a legislative body by delegated authority usually resulting from election, to describe as having a specified character or quality, to serve as a specimen, example, or instance of
3 a: to form an image or representation of in the mind b: (1) to apprehend (an object) by means of an idea (2) to recall in memory

Agent:

1: one that acts or exerts power
2: a means or instrument by which a guiding intelligence achieves a result
3: one who is authorized to act for, or in the place of another, as a: a representative, emissary, or official of a government <crown agent> <federal agent> b: one engaged in undercover activities (as espionage), Spy <secret agent> c: a business representative (as of an athlete or entertainer) <a theatrical agent>

I am reviewing these definitions because they are so important in defining intercession.

So, a good definition of an intercessor is this:

Someone who comes into a situation to mediate between God and his creation. Someone who wants to reconcile their differences, and chooses to occupy the middle position. Someone who serves as a sign or symbol of another party. Someone who forms the very image or representation of God; someone who is authorized to act for – or in the place of – another man: as emissary, or official of a government of the king of heaven; a representative.

You too can touch the Lord’s face!

Intercession happens in our courts everyday. If you have ever bought a house through a real-estate agent, you have experienced the work of an earthly intercessor. If you have ever connected a prospective buyer or seller at work, you have been an earthly intercessor.

In this day and age we have over-spiritualized the art of intercession. God help us, but we have decided that only the spiritual giants intercede. It seems to require a mystical talent that others have, and so we just say, “I’m just not spiritual enough, so I'll leave it to someone else to do it.” We read books about intercessors and say, “Maybe they could do that, but I just don't have that kind of relationship with God.” Or, “Maybe one day I'll be able to do that, but I'm just a baby compared to them.”

Most often we choose to feel sad rather than seeking God for this kind of relationship, rather than refusing to be satisfied with anything less. Oh that the house of God would wake up and see that he longs to walk with every believer this way! He is the same yesterday, today and forever. You too can walk as the godly men of old have. You too can hear his voice. You too can know his deepest, most intimate feelings.

You need only seek him with all of your heart, and desire to touch his face.

It's why you were created!

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:26-27).

If you review the definitions, you will see that being ‘an image’ is very much a part of representing something and, therefore, of being a representative of God. And, being a representative has a lot to do with intercession.

Based on the previous scripture reference, it is safe to say that we were created to be God’s intercessors for this earth. However, since Adam sinned and we fell short of God’s design for our destiny, Jesus had to come into this world in human flesh to fulfill our role, making him the one true intercessor (1 Timothy 2:5).

When Jesus left, he gave us the same glory that the Father had given him (John 17:22-23).

    ⁵Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

    ⁶Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

    ⁸Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

    ⁹Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? ¹⁰Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. ¹²I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. ¹⁴You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

    ¹⁵"If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you (John 14:5-17).

As you can see, Jesus was trying to tell his disciples (who wanted to see the Father) that he was the very image of the Father.

In verses 12-14, he then tells the disciples that they will do what Jesus did and more. In this passage, Jesus states that he and the Father “are one.” In John 17, he repeats this in a prayer, stating once more that he and the Father “are one.” He prays that his believers will be one as he and the Father are one, and that we will be one with Jesus and Jesus will be one with God. Jesus states that this was his glory, given to him by God.

Now, bear with me on this…

• God is the originator, the beginning
• Jesus is the very image of God
• The church is the image of Jesus on earth
• The believer is the image of the church

Hallelujah! We are one with each other just as Jesus is one with God the Father. When we remain in him, we are growing into the image of God (God’s representatives here on earth).