Travailing Prayer
Shared By Mark Flippo
Vessels of Agony and Travail
The life of an intercessor is one that is chosen by God Himself where his or her body becomes a vessel of honor in the realm of persevering prayer. In intercession, the intercessor becomes a carrier of the burden of the Lord. In other words, what is a pain and burden in the heart of God concerning the people becomes a pain and burden upon the heart of the intercessor. This burden and pain are generated from deep within the intercessor’s innermost being, which is called in scriptures “bowels of Jesus Christ!”
(Philippians 1:8).
The main component of the bowels of Jesus Christ in an intercessor is mercy. Mercy is the foundation of all apostolic intercessory prayers (Col 3:12). In order to possess the heart of Jesus whereby we can be touched with the feeling of the infirmities of others, we must have a personal bond with Jesus.
Galatians 6:2, “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The prophets who went before God in intercession would constantly use the term “me and my people” and this is because they felt the burden and the love of God for His saints. This is why God had a special bond with Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.
Though all Christians are called to intercede and bear the bowels and burden of Christ, an ordained intercessor is able to bear the burden of Christ in a way that no other can. They enter into a realm where the desires and burdens of Christ become alive in their spirit, soul and body. That means, they literally feel the pain of the agony of the Holy Spirit. This is why the prayer of an intercessor is called “travailing prayer” or “agonizing prayer”. Casual prayers are done with eloquent words, while intercessory prayer is done with weeping, mourning, agonizing and travail, as though in a labor room in childbirth. In other words, an intercessor cries over God’s children in the same way that Jesus cried over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37.
There is a concept circulating in the Church that prayer moves the hand of God. We must understand that prayer and Intercession cannot move the hand of God whether we cry, howl or fast. Nothing can move the hand of God except Himself. What prayer and intercession do is touch the heart of God. Whenever the heart of God is touched His heart is then moved with compassion (Mat 14:14, Mark 1:41). When God's heart is moved with compassion, He then moves His hand to heal, save and deliver.
http://moderndayparablesrcf.com
Shared By Mark Flippo
Vessels of Agony and Travail
The life of an intercessor is one that is chosen by God Himself where his or her body becomes a vessel of honor in the realm of persevering prayer. In intercession, the intercessor becomes a carrier of the burden of the Lord. In other words, what is a pain and burden in the heart of God concerning the people becomes a pain and burden upon the heart of the intercessor. This burden and pain are generated from deep within the intercessor’s innermost being, which is called in scriptures “bowels of Jesus Christ!”
(Philippians 1:8).
The main component of the bowels of Jesus Christ in an intercessor is mercy. Mercy is the foundation of all apostolic intercessory prayers (Col 3:12). In order to possess the heart of Jesus whereby we can be touched with the feeling of the infirmities of others, we must have a personal bond with Jesus.
Galatians 6:2, “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The prophets who went before God in intercession would constantly use the term “me and my people” and this is because they felt the burden and the love of God for His saints. This is why God had a special bond with Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.
Though all Christians are called to intercede and bear the bowels and burden of Christ, an ordained intercessor is able to bear the burden of Christ in a way that no other can. They enter into a realm where the desires and burdens of Christ become alive in their spirit, soul and body. That means, they literally feel the pain of the agony of the Holy Spirit. This is why the prayer of an intercessor is called “travailing prayer” or “agonizing prayer”. Casual prayers are done with eloquent words, while intercessory prayer is done with weeping, mourning, agonizing and travail, as though in a labor room in childbirth. In other words, an intercessor cries over God’s children in the same way that Jesus cried over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37.
There is a concept circulating in the Church that prayer moves the hand of God. We must understand that prayer and Intercession cannot move the hand of God whether we cry, howl or fast. Nothing can move the hand of God except Himself. What prayer and intercession do is touch the heart of God. Whenever the heart of God is touched His heart is then moved with compassion (Mat 14:14, Mark 1:41). When God's heart is moved with compassion, He then moves His hand to heal, save and deliver.
http://moderndayparablesrcf.com