The Revelation of Intercession
I. THE PRIMARY WAY THAT GOD GOVERNS THE UNIVERSE
A. Intercession is the primary means that God has chosen to release His government both in His relationship with Jesus
within the fellowship of the Trinity and with His people now and forever. The majesty and mystery of intercession is seen first
and most in Jesus’ relationship the Father.
25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always
lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)
34 Christ…at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)
B. Mystery of intercession: we tell God what He tells us to tell Him (to releases His power).
C. Majesty of intercession: Jesus intercedes to create and govern under God’s authority.
II. GOD GOVERNS HIS CREATION THROUGH INTERCESSION
A. God governs (or releases His power) the universe in partnership with His people via intercession. The governmental
center of the universe is the “Prayer Room,” which includes all the holy prayers in heaven and on earth that converge in
unity before the Father’s Throne. God has given His people a dynamic role in determining some of the measure of the
“quality of life” that we experience. We make significant contributions in the quality of life by intercession, obedience and
meekness. He chose intercession as the primary means in which we could govern with Him.
B. God has given the human race great dignity. We have a free will. In other words, we have the ability to make
choices that make a real difference. These choices for righteousness or sin bring either blessing or evil to us (and those
around us). We affect the quality of life by our choices.
C. God opens doors of blessing and closes doors of oppression in response to our prayers. The choices we make
provide the legal entry for both angels and demons to be more active in the natural realm. If we choose righteousness, we
can open doors of blessings in the spirit realm on our life, on those around us and for cities and nations. If we choose sin,
we open doors of torment and judgment in the spirit realm (1 Corinthians 5:1-5; Revelation 2:22-23).
2 You do not have because you do not ask. (James 4:2)
21 This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. (Matthew 17:21)
D. God is waiting for our persistence in prayer before Him. Isaiah taught that He longs to release His grace and
power, but actually waits until He hears the cry of His people in intercession.
18 The LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on High to have compassion on you....19 He
will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. (Isaiah 30:18-19, NAS)
E. There are blessings that God has chosen to give, but only if His people rise up in the partnership of prayer. Some
“trust” the sovereignty of God in a non-biblical way by “trusting” God to do the role that He has assigned to us. This is not
truly trusting God, but rather it is presumption before Him. We cannot do God’s part and He will not do our part. Some
misapply the truth that if God wants something that He will do it. This is true in some of the main issues of what God will do.
Yet, there are many things that God will not give us until we ask. God wants all to be saved, but it does not happen
because God will not violate our free will in our salvation (2 Peter 3:8-9)
F. Ezekiel taught that God searched for one who would stand in the gap between Himself and Israel, someone who
would pray in a way that would cause God’s judgment to be withheld.
30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of
the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. (Ezekiel 22:30)
G. The spirit of prayer is the rarest and most difficult weapon to attain and sustain. Yet, it is the most effective. The
saints in heaven intercede for justice to be released on earth.
10 They (martyrs) cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and
avenge (bring justice) our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10)
III. JESUS’ INTERCESSORY PRINCIPLE AS GOD (AT THE TIME OF CREATION)
A. The Father has deep thoughts (plans) burning in His heart. The Son spoke them out before Him. The Holy Spirit
responded to Jesus’ words by releasing great power. The Father chose that Jesus would speak the Father’s thoughts as
the way to release the Holy Spirit to bring them into existence in the natural world. This is what I refer to as the
“intercessory principle” in Genesis 1.
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void...and the
Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was
light. (Genesis 1:1-3)
9 God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered...” and it was so…11 God said, "Let the earth
bring forth grass”...and it was so. 14 God said, "Let there be lights in the...heavens to divide the day from
night; and let them be for signs and seasons...” (Genesis 1:9-14)
B. Jesus is identified as the creator who spoke and said, “let there be light” in Genesis 1.
2 God has…spoken to us by His Son...through whom also He made the worlds. (Hebrews 1:2)
6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made… (Psalm 33:6)
16 For by Him (Jesus) all things were created...in heaven and that are on earth. (Colossians 1:16)
C. Jesus sustains the created order by speaking the God’s word to the Father in intercession.
3 Who (Jesus)...upholding all things by the word of His power… (Hebrews 1:3)
17 He (Jesus) is before all things, and in Him all things consist (hold together: NIV, NAS, RSV). (Colossians 1:17)
IV. JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD
A. The Father has deep thoughts (plans) burning in His heart. Jesus gives voice to those thoughts as God’s way to
release the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Word that was with God the Father.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word (Jesus), was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the
beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him (Jesus functioning in intercession), and without
Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3)
B. Jesus’ name is the Word of God
11 Behold, a white horse. He who sat on him was called Faithful and True…12 on His head were many
crowns…13 and His name is called The Word of God. (Revelation 19:11-13)
1 That which was from the beginning…which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and
our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life... (1 John 1:1)
V. JESUS RELEASES GOD’S JUSTICE BY INTERCESSION
A. In the parable of the unrighteous judge and the persistent widow, Jesus taught that justice would be established
through night and day prayer. Justice is God making wrong things right.
7 Shall God not avenge (release justice, NAS) His own elect who cry out day and night to Him... (Luke 18:7)
A. Jesus is the ultimate social reformer and king of justice. He was the first man to connect the idea of the release of
justice and social reform to night and day prayer. This is God’s method now, in the Millennium and for all eternity. The two
sides of God’s justice are judgment and salvation.
1. Judgment (punishment, vengeance) to the rebellious. God’s justice must be released on the kingdom of darkness
to stop rebellion.
2. Salvation (deliverance, vindication) to the responsive. God’s justice involves the manifestation of His power to make
wrong things right.
B. Examples of God’s justice (judgment/salvation) that makes wrong things right.
1. Healing: God’s judgment on sickness is seen in the manifestation of healing power.
2. Revival: God’s judgment on compromise is seen as reviving the Church by the Spirit.
3. Soul winning: God’s judgment on the kingdom of darkness is seen when people get saved.
4. End-Time judgments: God’s judgments against the evil governments and their actions
5. Righteous legislation: God’s judgment on unrighteous legislation (abortion laws, etc)
6. Unity (reconciliation): God’s judgment on division in the family, society and the Church
7. Holiness: God’s judgment on sin, anger, pornography, drugs and rebellion, etc.
C. Jesus requires night and day prayer on earth as the condition to release “speedy justice.” Therefore, night and
day prayer is a very practical expression of the commandment to love one another in that it changes the spiritual
atmosphere of a region so that multitudes are blessed and delivered.
D. Every aspect of justice (every good thing) that God does for us is by Him speaking His Word
17 Every good gift (justice) and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights…
18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His
creatures. (James 1:17-19)
E. Jesus will rule in the Millennial Kingdom by making decrees that the Father gives Him (by intercession). By
intercession, Jesus will break every institution on earth that resists God’s will.
7 I (Jesus) will declare the decree: The LORD (Father) has said to Me, “You are My Son, today I have begotten
You. 8 Ask of Me, and I (Father) will give You (Jesus) the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the
earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a
potter's vessel." (Psalms 2:7-9)
VI. THE INTERCESSORY ROD OF JESUS’ MOUTH
A. Jesus will rule through speaking to the Father in intercession (called the rod of His mouth). The rod of His mouth is
what He strikes the earth with. It is the same rod that He used to create in Gen. 1. It is a direct parallel to the rod of Moses
that struck the earth in judgment. The rod of His mouth (Revelation 19:15; 12:5; Psalms 2:7, 9; 110:2; Isaiah 11:4;
Ephesians 6:17-18; Revelation 2:27 with saints).
4 He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
(Isaiah 11:4)
2 The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule (in the Millennial earth) in the midst of Your
enemies! (Psalm 110:2)
5 A male Child (Jesus) who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. (Revelation 12:5)
B. The sword from His mouth is another term for releasing God’s power through His words.
15 Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. He Himself will rule them
with a rod of iron. (Revelation 19:15)
17 The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17)
C. The breath of Jesus’ mouth is another way of expressing how He releases God’s power through His mouth. Jesus
will blow on His enemies as He blew on the apostles to release the Spirit. The Spirit hovers over the earth waiting to
release God’s power when God’s words are spoken.
4 By...the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. (Isaiah 11:4)
8 The lawless one (Antichrist) will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth.
(2 Thessalonians 2:8)
22 He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22)
33 Tophet was established of old…he has made it deep and large; its pyre is fire with much wood; the breath
of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, kindles it. (Isaiah 30:33)
VII. EMBRACING WEAKNESS
A. God is committed to use the things that appear as weak to men.
27 God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise…has chosen the weak things of
the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things
which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence…31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the
LORD." (1 Corinthians 1:27-31)
B. Intercession is a form of “voluntarily weakness” (as are fasting, persecution, giving, etc).
9 My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore…I will rather boast
in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
C. The desire for partnership – the illustration of my sons doing the dishes with mom.
D. Prayer positions us to receive freely from God rather than earning us God’s power.
VIII. FAITHFULNESS IN INTERCESSION: CONTRIBUTES TO TRANSFORMING US
A. God’s words are spirit and life (John 6:63). They are the vehicle that caries and imparts the life of God. When we
speak His words, the life of God works in us to progressively transform us.
63 The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63)
51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death. (John 8:51)
B. Principle: the Spirit moves when God’s Word is spoken by any who live in covenant agreement with the Father.
This agreement includes obedience as well praying in God’s will.
C. Intercession causes us to internalize God’s Word by saying it back to Him throughout our life. Each time we say what
God says, it marks our mind and spirit and changes us. In intercession, we declare God’s mind many times. This process
progressively dominates and saturates our mind. Our inner man is renewed like rewriting many lines of code on a
computer. This process protects us while partnering with God in governing with Him.
D. The Father’s word should abide in us which is, in essence, the fuel for intercession. It is the speaking of the Word
that abides in our heart. (John 5:39; 8:31-32; 15:7). Jesus spoke about the need of the Word abiding in us. The Father’s
Word abides in us as it was abiding in Jesus.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
(John 15:7)
E. The truth of God’s word renews our inner man when it takes root in us.
31 Jesus said…, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know (experience)
the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)
F. Intercession is a brilliant strategy for government because it draws us into intimacy with God as it humbles, transforms
and unifies God’s people as it trains them to operate in His government. It trains us in wisdom as it writes God’s Word on
our heart. It reveals our weakness and humbles us so that when the answer comes in power we can be protected from our
pride. It gives us hope while waiting. In other words, in intercession we participate in His government, while experiencing
intimacy with God and community with His people.
G. God will use the saints in the Millennial Kingdom to have power over the nations or to govern the earth. This
involves dashing the nations like Jesus will do as seen in Psalm 2:7-9; Revelation 19:14-16.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, 7 to execute
vengeance (justice) on the nations, and punishments (justice) on the peoples; 8 to bind their kings with
chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 to execute on them the written judgment-- this honor have
all His saints. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 149:6-9)
26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works…to him I will give power over the nations. 27 He shall rule
them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces… (Revelation 2:26-28)
H. The saints will rule by speaking God’s word. This the same principle in which Jesus will govern.
19 So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the
enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. 20 "The Redeemer will
come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," Says the LORD. 21 "As for Me," says the
LORD, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your
mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of
your descendants' descendants," says the LORD, "from this time and forevermore." (Isaiah 59:19-21)
IX. GOD IS SOVEREIGNLY RAISING UP A WORLDWIDE PRAYER MOVEMENT
A. There are 3 different dimensions of missions work necessary. Preaching (words): evangelizing the lost. Mercy
deeds (deeds): providing food and clothing and building hospitals, orphanages and schools, etc. Intercession (prayer):
changes the spiritual atmosphere of the region where preaching and mercy deeds are done. Corporate intercessory
worship is the primary means God has chosen to release His power. It is the highest expression of His government in
time and eternity and is the most powerful weapon that exists.
B. The bowls of intercession in heaven will be full in the End-Times.
8 The 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden Bowls full of incense, which are the
prayers of the saints. (Revelation 5:8)
C. Jesus will release grace to establish night and day prayer before His return. The premier example of the watchmen
set on the wall in Jerusalem is Anna before Jesus’ first coming (Luke 2:37)
6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace (be silent) day or
night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and…
makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. (Isaiah 62:6-7)