The twelfth chapter of the book of Acts tells that Herod seized James, the brother of John, and slew him. When he saw that it stirred up so much favorable comment among the Jews that were anti-Christian, he put Peter in prison, thinking that after the Passover he would bring him out and kill him, also.
But what happened was a little different: prayer was made without ceasing by the church on his behalf and the result was that an angel came and smote Peter, awaking Him. The chains fell off. The angel said, “Gird thyself,” and Peter clothed himself.
As they walked out past the guards, the gates sprang open and Peter found himself standing out in the street, still thinking he was having a vision.
Then he realized it was not a vision; it was happening, and he went down to the house of Mary, the mother of Mark, where many were gathered, praying. Little Rhoda came to the door and ran back to tell them that Peter was there! They would not believe her. She affirmed that it was true, but they said it was his angel.
The word “angel” is used interchangeably with messenger in the Word of God, but what they were actually saying was that Peter’s spirit must have materialized before her. They could have been referring to it as an angel, but it is not likely because it would not look just like Peter. When they saw it was Peter, he exhorted them and took off to the next place of ministry.
We do not realize how dispensable ministries are if the whole Body is not functioning together. If a spiritual foundation is laid well, it is perpetuated when the ministries go on; but if it is not properly laid, you could start into a real walk with God and lose out because you are not fed and sustained by a ministry whom God has ordained to be essential.
The same is true of the pastor, of the elder, or of any ministry whom God has raised up. You cannot exist without them; you are not supposed to exist without them.
Conversely, how can the pastor or elder or any other ministry exist without the people being burdened to pray for them? And people still minimize a ministry of intercession.
Paul knew the necessity of it and wrote, entreating the people who were his own converts to pray for him. He sensed his utter dependence upon a people who really were his own spiritual children. Peter was in prison, but prayer was made, without ceasing, for him, and God delivered him.
Why didn’t God deliver James? His death was a great loss to the Church; he was one of three in an inner circle who knew the secrets, one of the three who had been on the Mount of Transfiguration and had seen the glory of the world to come, one who had seen Moses and Elijah and heard the communication concerning the Kingdom to come.
Peter, James and John—now James was gone. That looks like a real tragedy. If the Church had not been sitting down, too much at ease in Zion, they would have been praying and seeking God; but they did not and James was lost. Was it the will of God? We will have to assume it was because it did one thing: it got the Church on their knees, praying and seeking the Lord.
God can get along without any one of us and Satan knows that. God does not have a hard and fast plan that is irrevocable.
He says, “This is what I want done,” then lays it in the lap of the Body to do it. The hand of God is not sovereignly accomplishing anything in this end-time move because it is the day of the Body of Christ functioning, with the individual members submissive to the Head and opening their hearts to worship the Lord in everything God tells them to do.
They are the ones who will do the miracles and signs and wonders in the earth. When judgment comes, it will come through the Remnant; when deliverance comes, it will come through the Remnant. The restoration will be to the Remnant. God is raising up a people and He is going to use them.
We are in one of the most critical times we have ever been in, and God is giving that extra thrust in the Spirit to reach into the things He has for us now in this Kingdom walk. We must move into it with all our hearts in the name of the Lord: we do not dare to draw back, but we must press in and God will bless us in it.
As the years have passed we have watched various phases of restoration come. The Lord would bring the revelation of it. Then we would go through the warfare to possess it and we would see the first evidences of the promise come into being, step after step after step.
Some of the things which are now taken for granted have come the hard way, but always by a certain pattern: a revelation, satanic struggle over it, appropriation, moving into it under battle, then seeing it firmly established.
The things that God has spoken sometimes are taken only after a long range battle. We keep battling and think there will be no end to it, but suddenly, it is there and the victory is great and wonderful!
Hosea 6:3Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and the former rain unto the earth.
“His going forth is as sure as the morning,” is a better translation. Can the devil hold back the dawn? Then can he hold back what Christ is bringing forth in His people? His going forth is as certain as the morning!
Ephesians 6:18–20. With all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, and on my behalf, that utterance may be given unto me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
This is a famous conclusion of the wonderful passage on warfare: Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against all the wiles of the devil. Verse 11.
The passage goes on to speak about the pieces of armor but it ends with the continued dedication of prayer. We always find that for the church to go ahead there must be a burden on everyone to intercede.
When we read about the Apostle Paul, we find he is praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, continually making mention of his people in his prayers, day and night.
Intercession was an integral part of an apostolic ministry.
Certain prophets and teachers at Antioch were ministering to the Lord continually with fasting and prayers. It was a part of a prophet’s ministry.
There is no such thing as a pastor who does not pray and intercede for his flock? I wonder if there can be an elder’s ministry without his praying and interceding for the people.
In the New Testament, the flock was constantly exhorted in the Spirit to pray for those who were over them in the Lord. “Obey them, be submissive to them, for they watch for your souls” (Hebrews 13:17).
Technically, intercession may be an individual, specific ministry, but it is a spiritual reality that intercession always goes hand in hand with another ministry.
Where there is a specific ministry, intercession is always involved. Whoever you are, technically, you have the ministry of intercession. Whatever your ministry, you have a ministry of intercession.
In Acts 6:3–4, the apostles said, “Find some deacons to take care of this work; we will give ourselves continually to the word of God and prayer.” There was a constant dedication to it.
Intercession may be a specific ministry, but we will be much wiser if we consider that everyone in the church, regardless of what ministry they have, should be deeply involved in intercession.
When anyone begins to exclude all other activities to intercede, there is a tendency to fall into spiritual pride or some problems.
God is bringing us to a place now where nothing will move—unless there is some real intercession. Some may be anointed very greatly for it, but all of us should be participating in intercession now, especially at the birth of this great step in the Kingdom. I am sure that God will be pleased with some real prayer.