A Christian's Essential: Intercession

I prayed again in my vital group after being off for a while. We have just joined the college conference and the words were so empowering we young ones to be vitalized to prepare for the coming back of the Lord. We now have been so clear that beyond the situation we're coping with, God actually wants to reveal to us the heavenly vision but He needs us to cooperate by exercising our spirit because the spiritual vision can only be seen in spiritual realm which simply requires us to be in our spirit (not just in our mind or emotion). The vision we need to see during this age is the vision that God is now sitting on His throne up there in the heaven and that He is ruling over all things in the universe. Like, this world is now coping with the global issue coronavirus, but all these things happening now has been arranged according to the heavenly government. We also need to see that God doesn't stop working. He is working behind all universal scenes and like Romans 8:28 says, all things are for our good.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

 That means even this frantic situation has been utilized by Him to make growth in us and to prepare for His coming back. But indeed, seeing differs from doing. One can see but not always do. After recognizing these facts, we need to cooperate with the Lord in carrying out His word. Daniel was still young when he was exiled into the idolatrous Babylon. But being under such a terrible situation, he and his companions were among those who were separated to God alone. That made him qualified to receive the heavenly vision. He also was able to touch God's desire through reading His word. Not just that, he being responsive reacted to the reading by praying and fasting. And the result after 21 years of praying, Israelites were able to return as God promised them. God granted promises but He needed men of prayer as Daniel to carry out His desire. 

Now it's no different. Daniel was praying for the recovery of the good land to prepare the way for the Lord to come for the first time. Now the Lord is on His way coming back as He had promised us. But He needs channels of prayer tho, people who are willing to pray for His interest. And this also leads us to the key factor in bringing the Lord back. The Lord won't come back without His bride being ready. The church is being prepared to be Christ's bride. Tho all believers are consisting Christ's body, the bride only consists of overcomers, those who overcome among the degradation of the 7 churches in the minor Asia. That's why we Christians cannot stop running the race because the prize is set right before us: to be the overcomers, consisting Christ's bride. The word during the college conference leads us to the peak that is to actually and practically prepare His bride for His coming back. This is so clear yet so complicated to me, but I am so excited to learn this truth and partaking in the race of faith. I'm still hoping the Lord will still reveal to me His desire freshly and being faithful in listening to Him. 

As a Christian, I am personally awaken by the word, pointing to the urgent need for us to intercede. To intercede like the widow to the unrighteous judge in Luke 18 is not a usual habitual prayer. Instead, it is something particular to do in such a particular time. The widow said, "Avenge me of my opponent" (18:3). The church awaiting for the Lord is illustrated as a widow and the opponent obviously is the enemy, Satan. God is the judge, who is many times being misunderstood as unrighteous by letting His people suffered under the persecution of Satan and He seemed like doing nothing, but actually He is demanding us to pray like the widow, troubling Him, until He would "hear" and answer us.

Yet because this widow causes me trouble, I will avenge her, lest by continually coming she wear me out. 

So many people misunderstood God in this pandemic situation. But we Christians have to be clear that all situation is under God's arrangement to carry out His purpose, as for now is to bring Christ back. Knowing this, we should therefore stand up for God's interest, cooperate with Him, by partaking in the ministry of intercession. We during this urgent time, need to set aside our daily need and goal and taking God's desire as our own. We have to stop trouble God for our need, instead trouble Him for His need. This is the ministry of intercession. And this is essential for all believers. 

I have started this this week and found out that this is not as hard as some Christians probably ever imagined. To pray for God's interest is not being overly "holy", simply means to be separated unto God's purpose. I pray at noon with my roommates and at evening in my vital group. This is so practical to do in our church life, to prepare us to be overcomers for bringing the Lord back. Amen.