History belongs to the intercessors

There are different kinds of prayers. There are prayers of gratitude. This is when we thank God for something. There are prayers of confession. This is when we confess our sin and ask for his forgiveness.

There are also prayers of “intercession.” This is when we ask God to help someone. We are “intercessing” for someone before God. We are asking him to intervene. Perhaps it is a person who is sick, in need, desperate, or hurting.

I was recently made aware of a statement by Walter Wink: “History belongs to the intercessors.”*

First and foremost, history belongs to God, of course. But I think his point had to do with the colossal significance of intercessory prayer. In his sovereign goodness, God has chosen to work through the prayers of his people. Does he govern the world and work through our lives directly? Yes. But he also chooses to use prayer. So when he says that history belongs to the intercessors, he is saying that people who engage in intercessory prayer have a greater impact on history than other people.

I think this motivates us to be a people of prayer.

Paul was always asking other people to pray for him. One example is 1 Thessalonians 5:25: “Brothers and sisters, pray for us.” Why would Paul ask for so much prayer from others? Didn’t he already pray for himself? Of course he did. But he also knew the power of intercession.

Don’t just pray for yourself. Pray for others. Pray with honesty and urgency.

“History belongs to the intercessors.”

Notes:

-*Unfortunately, I don’t have the original source for this quote. It was attributed to him in another world. I would not agree with Wink on all matters, but this is a helpful word about prayer.
-Bible quotes are from the NIV.