Confessions of an Intercessor

Are there people you know who need to be saved?

Most of us have probably prayed for the harvest but sometimes we pray with unhelpful bias. We had three tries at getting this right… May the humour in this piece carry truth to your heart and your prayers to God’s throne of grace.

First Try: Confessions of an Intercessor

I confess that I love You Father, and I feel Your heart of compassion that none should perish!
I confess I love You Jesus. Thank You for coming to earth as God’s Son and dying in our place so sinners like me can live eternally with You!
I confess I love You, Holy Spirit. Lead me, to do whatever my Lord commands!

Luke 10:2-3 “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you…”

Of course Jesus, if You say so, I will pray for harvest workers! But I confess I don’t understand harvest workers. They are out there. I’m in here. They are impossibly ‘out there’. My part is praying. I hope it’s not my role to do what they are called to do.
Lord, I confess I don’t know how to pray for harvest workers. Teach me how to pray what’s on Your heart.

Second Try: A Prayer of Thanks for Harvest Workers

Father, Thank You for loving our world so much, You sent Jesus – so that all who receive Him as Lord can live eternally!

Jesus, Thank You for assuring us that the harvest is plentiful. There are many people around us whose hearts are wide open to receive the good news! But did You say there are not enough people who will tell them the good news? Lord, how can that be if You have so many followers?

Holy Spirit, I pray You will convict the followers of Jesus with His compassion so they love the world as You do, and so they will tell the people they know Jesus offers them eternal and abundant Life!

Thank You for Your gifts to help them – the evangelists who are equipping them with all that Jesus taught – so they can tell our own testimony in a minute and the gospel in three! Holy Spirit, You are showing me that as they partner with you, they will be in the right place at the right time to meet the ones who are searching. Thank You for the tangible love, the words of knowledge, healings and miracles that will open up people’s eyes to see You are real!

Thank You for putting the right words in their mouth, as Jesus promised. They will know the joy of salvations, the celebration of heaven…

John 20:21 “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’”

Jesus! Do you mean You are sending me too? OOOh!

I confess my pride, fear, shame and disobedience. I am a disciple.

I am an intercessor. Lord, teach us how to pray before we go into the harvest, as we go and as these precious ones are discipled and sent.

Third Try: Intercession for Souls

Holy Father, I humbly stand before You TODAY to intercede on behalf of Your sons and daughters who are perishing, lost, stolen, confused and broken.

I hear the enemy’s accusations day and night. I recognise that the sins of Your precious ones open a legal judgement against them that gives access to the enemy’s torment, lies, murder, theft and destruction. They are lawful captives, blind, deaf and ignorant because their sin, and its consequences, have veiled their minds and kept them in the dark, unable to see the light of the gospel and the glory of Christ.

Only the blood of Your Son Jesus can save them, Lord, but they don’t know this yet. They don’t yet know Your goodness and loving kindness. They don’t yet know Your grace and mercy available to them. They don’t yet know You are waiting to forgive and restore them.

So, on behalf of these brothers and sisters, I stand in the gap to confess before You our sins.

Lord, I confess our sins as intercessors, and as church members, and as unbelievers. We are guilty of ignorance, of mockery, fear, self-protection and hard heartedness, complacency, self-sufficiency, independence and rebellion. I confess our sins of pride and putting other gods and ungodly heroes, habits and comforts before You.

Father, we come to Your throne of grace and mercy, asking that you wash us clean from sin with the blood of Jesus, and apply your mercy and grace to us so the veil over our understanding is removed and we can see the Truth about who Jesus is, embrace the Truth and walk in His Way, Truth and Life.

I pray that we all will share the good news with the people around us, so we all have opportunities to turn from our sin and receive Jesus as our Saviour & Lord. May this day come soon, Lord.

I pray that all who received Jesus yesterday or in the past, will be baptised in water, filled with the Holy Spirit’s comfort, power and leading, and be loved, healed and discipled to follow Jesus, as His harvest workers.

I pray this with the Holy Spirit, and in the name of Jesus Christ who lives to intercede for us.

Please say Amen.

If you want to pray for a local harvest team and go with them, check out What On for prayer times and outreach training. You can also write to us: sue@partnersinprayer.org.au

Take a minute to Take Courage – by Linda Conant