Category: Intercession

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Holy Spirit Intercession Prayer

Perpetual Intercession

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) Prayer is our privilege and responsibility of engaging in sacred communication with the Creator of the universe. The completed work on the cross has given us access. We can share our heart with God through prayer and deepen our love relationship with Him. Prayer is the avenue through which we maintain a vibrant connection with the One who created us and redeemed us. Doing life in the rugged terrain of a fallen world often emphasizes our weaknesses and our human frailty. We are susceptible to fear, despair, and apathy. In those times of weakness, the Holy Spirit helps us. The Person of the Holy Spirit lives in us and knows us intimately. He engages in the ministery of intercessory prayer on our behalf. Have you ever been in a season in which you did not know what to pray? Perhaps you would say that you are in that season now. Be assured that the Holy Spirit living in you is interceding for you in alignment with God’s will. Your name and your circumstances are being brought before the Creator of the universe. The Holy Spirit is your constant Companion. He will comfort you. He will guide you. Even when you don’t know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit takes your burdens to the Lord through intercession. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Intercession Prayer Spouse

Participating in Your Children’s Future

“He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” Prov 18:22 (NIV) Have you ever thought about participating in your children’s future by praying for their future spouse? Even if your children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren are young, you can invest in their future by praying for their future spouse. Just as you pray for your children, your grandchildren, or great grandchildren, you can pray for their future spouse. What specifically would you pray for? Commit to pray for their salvation. Pray that their future spouse would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Ask God to reveal His love to them and to bring them to the place of recognizing their need for salvation. Ask God to bring godly people into their path to help point them to Christ. You can also pray for their spiritual maturity. Ask God to give them vibrant godly examples to follow. Ask God to steer them to environments that are Christ exalting. Praying for your children’s future spouse is a tangible way for you to participate in your children’s future. Think about the value of looking into the eyes of your children’s future spouse and being able to say to them, “I’ve been praying for you since you were a child.” Can you imagine the impact that will have on their lives? Your prayer life is important, not only to your own future, but also to your children’s future. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Intercession Prayer Salvation

Praying for Your Children’s Salvation

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) Enjoying sacred communication with the Creator of the universe is one of your highest privileges. Praying to God for your children is one of your greatest investments in their future. Pray for their salvation. As you pray for your children’s salvation, be sure to join God in His redemptive activity. Your witness matters to your children. They are watching you. Let them see the evidence of the salvation you have in Christ. Let them observe the fruit of the Spirit exhibited through your life. As you pray for your children’s salvation, seek to live out the life of peace and abundance provided to you in Christ. God does not want anyone to perish. However, everyone has to respond to God’s offer of salvation by placing his or her faith in the completed work of Christ on the cross. The atoning work of Jesus on the cross is applied to those who turn from their sin and trust in Jesus alone for salvation. Your children have the freedom to choose Christ or to reject Christ. Pray for them to receive the gift of eternal life. You can impact your children’s forever through the avenue of prayer. Commit to pray for your children’s salvation. Commit to pray that they will come to see their need for the Savior. Pray for their heart to be tender toward God and sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Intercession Prayer

Covered in Prayer

“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Eph 1:16 (NIV) Is somebody praying for you? I want you to begin to calculate where you would be had it not been for the people who have prayed for you. Your name, your circumstances, and your future have been placed before the throne of God by those people who have prayed for you. God has a unique way of prompting people to pray for you. He will nudge them with a gentle reminder of your life. They may respond by praying for you to realize God’s will. Maybe they pray for you to have a heightened awareness of God’s presence and activity. Paul exhibited a deep love for the saints in Ephesus. He constantly thanked God for them and for their obvious faith in the Lord and their love for their fellow believers. Paul consistently remembered them in his prayers. They were as natural to his prayer life as water to a fish. Carve out a few moments right now to thank God for the people who have prayed for you. This could get emotional! It’s okay. You matter to God and He deeply loves you and cares for you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Intercession Prayer Praying

Praying For Others

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16 (NIV) You may have been taught to not air out your dirty laundry. In other words, you may have been taught that some things are to be kept within the confines of secrecy. However, in God’s economy, confessing sin to a trusted fellow believer is healthy and demonstrates obedience to God’s Word. We are commanded to confess our sins to each other. Confide in a mature follower of Christ who cares about you and who wants to see you reach your God-given potential. That trusted friend who is yoked with you in Christ will help you experience the liberation from the bondage of sin that you are confessing. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Gal 6:1-2 (NIV) “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Col 3:12-13 (NIV) Doing life together with fellow believers who have the heart of Christ and the love of Christ will be an encouraging journey. We are to walk in such community and fellowship with other believers that confessing sin to each other and praying for each other becomes normal. Of course, the need to confess sin to others will decrease as you turn from sin and embrace the life God has for you. Pray for others with the same passion that you have when you are praying for God’s wisdom for something you are facing personally. Try to get in their skin to feel what they are feeling and to pray with compassion. Think about a safe and spiritually mature person in your life who would be the person you would go to in order to confess sin. Begin asking God who He would have you to be praying for. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Intercession Prayer Praying

Asking For Prayer

“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” James 5:14 (NIV) The Christian life is not a solo flight. God never intended for us to live out our faith in isolation. As followers of Christ, we have Jesus at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us (Rm. 8:34) and we have the Holy Spirit interceding for us with groans that words cannot express (Rm 8:26-27). God has also given us fellow believers who can stand in the gap for us in prayer. The Apostle Paul asked for the believers in the church at Ephesus to pray that he would fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel (Eph. 6:19). Paul asked the church at Colosse to pray that God would open a door for his message so that he could proclaim the mystery of Christ (Col. 4:3). Paul asked the church at Thessalonica to pray for he and his ministry partners that the message of the Lord would spread rapidly and be honored and that they would be delivered from evil and wicked men (2 Thes. 3:1-2). James affirms the need for outside prayer support for our lives. If you are experiencing spiritual weakness or even a physical illness, ask a spiritual leader to pray for you. If you are walking through a challenging situation or combating a difficult season, ask a spiritual leader to pray for you. Surround yourself with prayer warriors who will do warfare praying on your behalf. Don’t be afraid to ask for prayer support. God has placed people within your sphere of influence who can stand in the gap for you in prayer. Do you have someone praying you through? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Impact Intercession

IMPACT (6)

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Tim 2:1-4 (NIV) You can make an eternal impact through intercessory prayer. Intercession is simply speaking to God on behalf of another person. If I were to tell you that I am praying for you, it means that I am going to be speaking to God on your behalf. I am going to intercede for you. Intercession is building a bridge for others through prayer. As you pray for individuals, seek to get in their skin to identify what they need and what they are experiencing. The Holy Spirit will prompt you to pray specifically for the needs of those individuals. I am deeply moved by the reality of intercessory prayer. As I pray for others, I am joining the Holy Spirit in His intercessory prayer ministry. I am also joining Jesus, who is at the right hand of the Father, in His intercessory prayer ministry. Feast on these verses: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34 (NIV) Let’s commit to make an eternal impact through embracing intercessory prayer. Who is God placing on your heart right now? Speak to God on their behalf. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor