Colin Dye says we need the right key to unlock the door so that the power of God is unleashed as we pray for others.
This is particularly true when we feel called to intercede for others in dire situations.
"When those storms begin to lash, we have to know how to respond," Dye writes in his book Prayer Explosion: Power for Christian Living. " . . . We need to come to God, wait before him if necessary, and ask him how he wants us to pray - which mode of prayer he would have us use."
He adds: "Relying on God for direction as to how to pray just underlines the fact that we can't even begin without him; it is the Holy Spirit's leading which is the difference between praying for our own ideas in a vacuum and bringing into being his creative will."
This comes as we get to know God better through meditating on his word and yielding ourselves to him in prayer.
Dye notes the apostle Paul's words in 1 Timothy 2:1: "I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone."
If effect, he says this suggests several steps in intercession:
We need to remember that the Holy Spirit is praying - interceding - for us as Paul says in Romans 8:26. And Jesus himself is interceding for us and our concerns in God's throne room (Romans 8:34).
God wants to answer our prayers, but they must conform to his will. If they do, we can be confident that God will act (1 John 5:14-15).
Believers have a special place in the prayer chain - we are seated with Christ "in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 2:6). This should give us confidence that God will listen to our requests and banish feelings of unworthiness.
We are able to pray with confidence because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross - not because we are righteous or good enough.
As we ask the Holy Spirit how to pray in a particular situation, he may give us unexpected promptings, or words of knowledge and wisdom.
Dye tells of a situation in his own life when he was scheduled to preach in Nigeria. His church in London, England was holding an all-night prayer meeting to support him.
The prayer group sensed that they were to pray for Nigerian children - not knowing why this was important. It happened that there was "a plot to bribe children to start a riot where we were preaching". That might have disrupted and destroyed the meetings.
"But God alerted those people in Britain and they prayed until the threat lifted and not one stone was thrown," Dye writes.
Praying - interceding - for others can be a battle.
But when we know what God wants in our circumstances, we can be confident that the Lord will act.
This is particularly true when we feel called to intercede for others in dire situations.
"When those storms begin to lash, we have to know how to respond," Dye writes in his book Prayer Explosion: Power for Christian Living. " . . . We need to come to God, wait before him if necessary, and ask him how he wants us to pray - which mode of prayer he would have us use."
He adds: "Relying on God for direction as to how to pray just underlines the fact that we can't even begin without him; it is the Holy Spirit's leading which is the difference between praying for our own ideas in a vacuum and bringing into being his creative will."
This comes as we get to know God better through meditating on his word and yielding ourselves to him in prayer.
Dye notes the apostle Paul's words in 1 Timothy 2:1: "I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone."
If effect, he says this suggests several steps in intercession:
- We begin by sensing a need;
- The Holy Spirit then shows us God's ability to meet that need;
- We plead with the Lord to meet that need; and
- Finally, we give thanks as we sense the "peace and assurance that the need has been met".
We need to remember that the Holy Spirit is praying - interceding - for us as Paul says in Romans 8:26. And Jesus himself is interceding for us and our concerns in God's throne room (Romans 8:34).
God wants to answer our prayers, but they must conform to his will. If they do, we can be confident that God will act (1 John 5:14-15).
Believers have a special place in the prayer chain - we are seated with Christ "in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 2:6). This should give us confidence that God will listen to our requests and banish feelings of unworthiness.
We are able to pray with confidence because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross - not because we are righteous or good enough.
As we ask the Holy Spirit how to pray in a particular situation, he may give us unexpected promptings, or words of knowledge and wisdom.
Dye tells of a situation in his own life when he was scheduled to preach in Nigeria. His church in London, England was holding an all-night prayer meeting to support him.
The prayer group sensed that they were to pray for Nigerian children - not knowing why this was important. It happened that there was "a plot to bribe children to start a riot where we were preaching". That might have disrupted and destroyed the meetings.
"But God alerted those people in Britain and they prayed until the threat lifted and not one stone was thrown," Dye writes.
Praying - interceding - for others can be a battle.
But when we know what God wants in our circumstances, we can be confident that the Lord will act.
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