As we seek to advance God’s kingdom through intercession, it is essential to discern and step into our place of intercession.
This place of intercession occurs when God calls and anoints us to take up a specific partnership with him to advance his kingdom in a particular sphere. That sphere could be your family, your place of work, your church, your community, or it could be your nation, a specific issue, like education or healthcare, or a particular leader like a prime minister, state governor or president.
This call to intercession often comes as a response to either a great opportunity for kingdom advancement or as a reaction to the enemy’s work seeking to hinder and block the Gospel. In either case, the intercessor’s role is to cooperate with the Lord in praying in the things the Lord wants to see accomplished and praying out what the enemy is seeking to do.
A place of surrender
The place of intercession is fundamentally a call to surrender self and to abide with Jesus Christ. Our thoughts, desires, and ideas about what is happening have to be surrendered and laid down so that we can follow the Lord’s plans. Such surrender places the intercessor is a position that transcends the physical. In effect, the intercessor has one foot in heaven (seated with Christ in the heavenly realms) and one foot in the reality of the earth.
We can see Jesus step into his place of intercession in the garden of Gethsemane as he surrendered in obedience to the Father when he said, “not my will but yours.” Our place of intercession is entered when we say, “not my will but yours Lord.”
This place of intercession is not a comfortable place to be. At times, it can confuse people who hold differing social or political views and don’t understand how intercession transcends these views.
An example from the life of Rees Howells
Rees Howells gives us an excellent and amusing example of the challenges of being in a place of intercession.
When Rees stepped into times of prayer and intercession, he would remove his hat from his head in respect. At one point in his life, however, the Lord called him into a season of full-time intercession. That required him to go without a hat, even in public. At this time, such a thing was unacceptable. Rees’ challenge was to go against this cultural norm, which could bring both himself and his family into disgrace. It was even more disconcerting when he travelled to London and caused some serious concern, at first, to his London host. But Rees persisted in his place of intercession and remained hatless during this time.
In the following three videos, Brad explains and expands upon this concept of our place of intercession.
Part #1 The Experience of stepping into Your Place of Intercession: The Model of Rees Howells
Brad looks at how Rees Howells models stepping into a place of intercession included removing the dictators’ blocks to the advancement of the Gospel. Rees was praying at a time when many could not see the dangers of Fascism and Nazism. Brad describes how his place of intercession was to pray for two unpopular American Presidents— Bush and Trump.
Part #2 Defining the Place of Intercession: The Model of the Old Testament Prophet Amos
Brad looks at the example of Amos. The Lord calls Amos from Judea to speak to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This call was more than a shift in geographic location. It was stepping into his place of intercession. Amos was brought into the dynamic of speaking God’s word. He entered this extraordinary dynamic in which in response to his prayers, “God changed His mind.”
We will also be called into our place of intercession, where we will be empowered to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. This is a place beyond politics in which we take part with God in advancing His Kingdom plans on earth.
Part #3 How the Lord May Call You into Your Place of Intercession: Give You a Role in Fulfilling His Kingdom Plans
Once in your place of intercession, you will discover that God will use you in the most amazing ways to fulfill His Kingdom plans. This statement of Amos really caught my attention: “Certainly, the sovereign LORD does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7 (NET) We find this is true. The Lord will bring us into His plans, and through our prayer and obedience will give us a part in fulfilling them.
This has profound implications for us. Are we part of fulfilling God’s purposes, or are we blocking them? Or worse, on Satan’s side? I share some reports of how I found myself in the role of shaping history according to God’s Kingdom plans during the 2016 election of Trump.
Further Resources
In the book “Called Beyond Politics to History Shaping Prayer,” Brad explores more about what it means to step into your place of intercession. It describes his journey of dynamic cooperation with the Holy Spirit, which transcends human politics and advances God’s kingdom in our fallen world.
You can download a free PDF version of the book here.
Print copies of the book are available from Amazon or you can call the PRMI office.
Hello Brad. I just wanted to tell you how amazing these videos are. They are clear, informative and filled with God’s truth. Thank you for this
Hi Brad! Know that God has used this teaching in a huge way in my circumstance. I have forwarded this to all those who God has placed around me in our battle against the works of the enemy and I know that this will bring us all together in seeing clearly what God is doing and our place together in it. Thank you!
Thank you Brad!!! A call to discern our place of intercession and to be all in!! How timely for the present moment we are in!
Such a powerful short series, Brad, especially your close of Part 3. God brought to my mind His call to me the day after the Democratic takeover of the legislature of my beloved Virginia earlier this month: to pray 2nd Chronicles 7:14 from now until the January beginning of our General Assembly. I realize now that was his beckoning me into His counsels and to “JUST PRAY.” Thank you for the timing of this, and for your being led “By His Spirit.”
For your consideration, Brad: did Abraham enter into the place of intercession in Genesis 18:22-23, for Sodom and Gomorrah? It says that Abraham stood yet before the Lord after the angels left, and he drew near. And is a specific “process” description of your place of intercession found in Hebrews 10:22? Let us draw near …
Just asking , I found it enlightening as a Scripture confirmation of what you described in lessons one and two.
David, in reviewing this series I realized that I had not responded to your question about Abraham . Yes I believe he did enter his place of intercession. And Abraham not Moses is really the first model intercessor.
Thank you Brad! Your messages are clear and informative! I’m right there with you too as you describe things! Praying for increase in all God has for his kingdom through PRMI and abundant provision to accomplish his heart on the earth!
God Bless!
I believe God has called me to intercession for Israel, and your lessons have taught me that I need more Holy Spirit to take total control. Thank you.