Wilford H Reidt wrote:

“Jesus came to bridge the gap between God and sinful man. Man needed someone to stand in the gap so He could get back to God. Man needed an Intercessor. Jesus’ sacrifice established Him as the only fully trustworthy Intercessor for mankind. He is the only Intercessor for the people of this planet.”Quoted from ‘The Art of Prayer’ by Kenneth E Hagin

Jesus is our Intercessor. His intercession provided salvation for all men through His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, but it is only realised through His Intercessory ministry today in Heaven. God’s desire is that all men be saved, but in this context we are urged to join Christ in ministry as our Advocate through earnest, heartfelt prayer. Consider the implications of the following verses from the pen of Paul:

“FIRST OF all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men…For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Saviour, Who wishes all men to be saved… For there [is only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself as a ransom for all … I desire therefore that in every place men should pray, without anger or quarreling or resentment or doubt [in their minds], lifting up holy hands.” (1Tim 2:1-8 AMP)

Prayer, our prayer, is a holy partnership with the High Priestly Advocate ministry of Christ in the Heavens. Jack Hayford says:

“Prayer is essentially a partnership of the redeemed child of God working hand in hand with God toward the realisation of His redemptive purposes on earth.”

Jack Hayford, “Prayer is Invading the Impossible” Quoted from ‘Intercessory Prayer’ by Dutch Sheets ISBN 0-8307-1900-8

We must realise that our prayers are essential to God’s plans being outworked in the earth. We cannot not pray! To be prayerless is to sin against God, and shows little respect for that which He has made available through the cross.

Samuel the prophet said:

“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.” (1 Samuel 12:23 NKJV)

We all realise that to know to do good and not do it is sin (James 4:17), yet how many of us pay lip service to the need for prayer yet never attend the church prayer meeting or earnestly pursue the development of a vibrant life of private prayer. The difficulty of prayer arises from the fact it collides not only with the devil, but our self-reliant fleshly ways. Without our prayers however, the provision of Christ for all men will touch only a few…what a tragedy this is!

Ezekiel 36:36-37 and the account of Daniel’s intercessions for the Word of the Lord to Jeremiah to be accomplished (Daniel 9) are both examples of God’s divine provision, and man’s responsibility to then appropriate what has been provided. We do this through prayer.

“Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.” (Ezek 36:36-37 KJV)

Oh the privilege of holy partnership! To share Christ’s burden for a dying world, and see them born again through our travail in prayer!