The dictionary defines intercessor to mean, “An entreaty in favor of another, especially a prayer or petition to God in behalf of another”. Ronald Dunn mentions in his book Don’t Just Stand there, Pray Something, about a time when he experienced an intercession prayer of a friend. He awoke one morning to a 4 a.m. call from his brother that their mother had passed away. A month later, he was sitting down with a friend when he mentioned his mother’s passing. The friend immediately asked what the date was and then ran quickly into her room. She returns holding a notebook, and flips to show him a page. On this page was a prayer that she had said the very morning, at the very time, when Dunn received the phone call about his mother. The Lord placed it on her heart that she needed to pray for him and his family. Wow, this is an example of God’s desire for us to pray for others, or intercessory prayer, put into action!

     Praying for others requires persistence and desperation. In the beginning of chapter 11 of the book of Luke, the disciples make a request of Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus responds with the following parable: “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him', and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.”(11:5-8, NASB)

      We see here the importance of being persistent in praying for the needs of others because God listens to the requests of His people. Not only should you be persistent in your prayers for others, but as we see with the man in need of bread here that there is a tone of desperation. As we see needs in the life of others, we will desire to seek the Lord’s help because we desperately realize He is the only one who can answer. If you desperately and persistently seek the Lord on behalf of others, God will answer those prayers. Mark those moments down in a journal, or in your bible. You never know when you, yourself, may be sitting with a friend who shares about a need that God supplied. What testimony you will be able to give in that moment about the power of an intercessory prayer said on their behalf!