INTERCESSORY MINISTRY
Intercessory ministry is made up of prayed – over believers in Christ, who are prophetically called by God to discharge responsibility laid onto them by God Almighty himself In St. Patrick’s Catholic Charismatic renewal (Amen Community) the ministry came to be in the year 1992 and they have been in the gape standing for God’s people till date.
The following had been shepherding the ministry from inception:
1st. Bro. Benneth Okorie
2nd Bro. James Ikeokpa
3rd Bro. Joseph Okoye
4th Late Bro. Peter Aninneji
5th Bro. Paulinus Edward
6th Bro. Franis Eze
7th Bro. Shadrach Inyiama
Intercessory ministry is a ministry in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Nigeria that is specially delegate to stand on gap between God and his people. Intercessory is all about pleading between two individual in this case, God and man. It is all about intervening. An intercessor is one who intercedes or who does the work of intercession he pleads the case of God’s people with God. He is a bridge between God and his people.
Intercession is high level of prayer not all prayer is intercession, intercession is more than prayer. It is like court case which involves the judge, the Barrister (lawyer) and the accused. In intercession, God is the Judge that judges the case while the intercessor is the defender of the accused, now God understands the language of the intercessor and the intercessor in return understands God. The intercessor uses the language which God understands to talk to him concerning his people. He makes sure that people of God get what they sought for. He watches over the city and warns the people of danger coming Ezk. 33v 1 – 20. For one to get the really meaning of the prayer of intercession, one must understand the terms we are using. The key word is intercession.
WHAT IS INTERCESSION?
The dictionary definition says it is a prayer petition or entreaty in favour of another. From this we derive similar words such as: Intervene, mediate, plead, ask on somebody’s behalf negocaite arbitrate, act as mediator. We can then refer to intercessor as a go – between, intermediate, a mediator, negotiator, moderator.
One who stands between one person and another. We can further and look like attorney, advocate, legal representative, they all imply someone who stand for another in a case and the aim is to ensure that the one stood for closes not lose the case, or fail to receive the favour sought after.
An intercessor is one who stand in a gap.
WHAT IS A GAP?
A gap is a hole, an opening, a breach, a slit, a fissure, a crack, a chasm, a space, a break in continuity. (Uche Njoku).
A gap according to Francis Frangiparce is the distance between the way things are and the way things should be” that is the disparity between the way things are the way God wants them to be; The difference between the blessing of favour intended by God and the poverty of God’s people. This difference could be said to be a curse – luck of blessing.
(Alice Smith) says, “ Intercession is the fact of standing in gap between the need we see and the provision of God that we longest see. In intercession sin is an important factory sin causes a gap, a separation between God and his people. (Ish. 59 v 1 – 3 ). When the Israelites molded a golden calf and worshiped it, saying, behold your gods of Israel who brought you out of Egypt” they departed radically from the covenant of the Lord made with them at Sinai, thereby creating a gap between them and God.
The gap trained out to be the object of God’s wrath. (Ex. 32 v 9 – 10)
Moses had to step in that gap to plead for mercy.
Abraham pleads for Sodom (Gen 18 vs 16 – 33)
NEED TO INTERCEDE.
Is there balm in of lead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? (Jerem. * v 22)
There are broken walls to be repaired and destroyer of streets, the street kick dwellers no good cars, no beast (15 – 39 v 8 – 14)
There are sin upon sin. (15. 59 vs 1 – 3).
THE CALL OF THE INTERCESSOR.
There is difference between the role of intercession one can recruited to intercede either in prayer group or fellowship, this is not same thing as being called by God to a prophetic intercessory ministry, because that is what we need in today’s world.
Different aspects in the intercessory ministry according to (Rev Fr Uche Njoku) are as follows:-
Prayer warriors / defense team
Crisis intercessors/ emergency team
Flexible intercessors/ chameleon team
Special squad intercessors/ specific purpose team.
Corporate intercessors
Prophetic intercession/ word ministrations team/ heavens of God’s voice/ seeker of God’s face;
We the end time intercessor of amen community gives God no rest until he restore the wall of our community, parish, state, nation & the world at large. (Isa. 62 v 6 – 7). For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness and all kings ‘your glory, you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the lord will bestow. You will be crown of splendor in the lord’s land, a royal charem in the land of your God. No longer will they call you deserted or name your land desolate.
But you will they called Hephzibah and your land Beulah! For the lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride so will your God rejoice over your. (Isa. 62 v 4 – 5)
QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE/ INTERCESSOR
Dedication: An intercessor must be committed to Christ to others and task to intercession. There is simply no substitute for dedication. As Philips Books once said, if man is man and God is God, to live without prayer is not merely an awful thing, it is an infinitely foolish thing !!
Reliability: It’s not our ability that God looks for, but our availability, Paul Daniel Rader once said; “if you can’t beat the devil in the matter of regular daily prayer we can beat you there, we can possibly beat you anywhere.
Integrity: “In Alice smith’s book “beyond the veil, she writes “if we accept to build integrity into our lives. I (Alice) love psalm 26: 11 – 12, “but I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me. My feel stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the lord. “my paraphrase would read in all my public trust I will walk uprightly and pay stick attention to truth, honesty, justice and mercy, I will not plan evil schemes or use myself to promote my own cause.
I will be true to the integrity of the word, I will live a moral life in private and in public’ I stand firmly on principles of prayer conduct and I will not threw a side”
Objectives & Emphathy: Objectives and emphathy are ttricking both are necessary but they must be kept in balance. We are empathetic/intercessors who cannot find objectivity in prayers we will soon be consumed emotionally and ultimately overwhelmed with the prayer needs we bear remember the words of the old story “leave it there” by Charles Albert Tindley’ “take your burden to the lord and leave it there.”
Kind: Kindness is a necessary commodity for the intercessor – advocate, as illustrated by the following story. An old man carried a little can of oil with him everywhere he went for he passed through a door with squeaky hinges, he put a little oil on the hinge, if the gate was hard to open, he poured a little oil upon the latch. Everyday he found a variety of ways to yse his pocket oil can, to others advantages.
Discipline: The intercessor will not be successful without applying discipline to his or her work of intercession. As the next story illustrate, discipline is vitality import. A visitor to a famous pottery establishment was puzzled by an operation that seemed aimless. In one room there was a mass of clay beside a workman, every now and then he took up a large mallet and struck several smart blows on the surface of the lump. Curiosity led to question, “why do you do that?” “wait a bit, see and watch it” was the reply. The visitor obeyed and soon the top of the mass began to leave and swell, bubbles formed upon its face. Now sir you will see; “said the molder with a smile. “I could never shape the clay into a vase it these air bubbles were in it, therefore I gradually beat them out” It sounded in the ears of the visitor like an allegory of Romans 5 vs 3 – 5 Tribulations produces preserves character hope. Is not the discipline of life, so hard to bear some times, just a beating out of the bubbles of pride and self-will, so the master may form a vessel of earth by hold heavenly treasures!.
Leadership Ability: in “wind & Tore Bruce Larson” book which points out some interesting facts about Sandhill Crances, these large briefs that fly great distance a gross contentment have three remarkable qualities first, they rotate leadership, no one bird stays out in float all the time, second – they choose leader who can handle – turbulence and then chasing the time one bird leads the rest have the affirmation; “that’s not a bad model for the church. Certainly we need leaders who can handle – turbulence and who are aware that leadership ought to be stunned. The Apostle Paul warned as that we are not to think, but to think soberly. As God has dealt to each one a measure of faith (Romans 12 vs 3).
High moral character.
A Team Player
Come to the upper room of Amen Community every 1st & 3rd Sunday of every month/ immediately after 7:30am mass with issues that has defile every other means, including prayer, come let us back you with intercession & the God of Amen shall surely prove himself of great & you will rejoice gladly in Jesus name. Amen.
God bless you.
Amen Intercessory
Lead by
Bro. Shadrach .O. Inyiama.