DAILY ENCOUNTER
INTERCESSION AND HEALING
"And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before." Job 42:10
Glory to God! Intercession is one of the most powerful ways to get things turning around for our good. Intercession is praying for others and standing in the gap spiritually for other people's needs. It is one thing to pray for others when everything is going on well with you, but it's a whole new level to pray for others when you are going through a difficult season. Humans are naturally selfish and will want their own problem solved first before thinking about someone else. From our opening scripture, God is teaching us how to do things differently, how to turn things around for ourselves through thinking and genuinely caring for others to the point of praying for them. Job is a remarkable example of this principle. He had experienced tremendous loss and pain; he was accused wrongly by his friends, and even his wife turned against him. Yet, in the midst of his own suffering, God instructed him to pray for his friends. This is not fair, some people will say, but God's ways are not our ways. When Job prayed for them, God turned his own captivity around.
Healing most times comes through a heart given to loving and caring for other people. It is through purpose; pain is handled. Purpose is not self-seeking; purpose is people-centred. God is teaching us that while it is normal to pray for ourselves, it is more powerful to pray for the healing of others. Intercession shifts our attention from ourselves to others. It's like a pipe of water being a channel through which water gets to others; it will be impossible for the pipe to lack water while taking water to others. That is what makes intercession the most powerful way to change our own lives. When we become a channel through which God's grace is transmitted to others, it becomes impossible for us not to partake of that grace in our own lives. When we stand in the gap for others, we become a channel through which God is glorified in the lives of men and, by extension, in our lives. Our Lord Jesus is an intercessor and still intercedes for us to date. He prayed for His disciples and even prayed for those who would believe in Him through their message (John 17:9, 20). His ministry shows us that prayer is not only about asking God to bless us; it is also about standing in faith for others. Job's restoration came as he prayed for his friends. His story reminds us that God can use our prayers for others as part of the process of bringing healing into our own lives. It's time to stop talking about people and start praying for them. Your miracle is in your intercession. Hallelujah!!!
FURTHER STUDY
James 5:16; 1 Timothy 2:1; Isaiah 53:12
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Who do I need to intercede for today, especially concerning their healing or restoration?
- Am I willing to keep interceding for others even when I am personally going through a difficult season?

Intercession is a Mighty tool to get out of stagnation
ReplyDeleteLord give us the grace to intercede for others even in difficult season ๐
ReplyDeleteprayer is not only about asking God to bless us; it is also about standing in faith for others
ReplyDeleteLord give me the grace to continually intercede for other even when even going through difficult seasons๐๐พ Amen
ReplyDeleteI will be a channel to others
ReplyDeleteI received Grace to think about others and also pray for them ๐
ReplyDeleteHealing most times comes through a heart given to loving and caring for other people
ReplyDelete