The Glory of Intercession

I'm chasing after something big. We're chasing after something big.

The disciples, who later became the apostles, wanted it. Craved it, actually. I believe they could see it radiating off of Jesus like the Shekinah Glory radiated from Moses.

It came from the depths of the heart of one and all of the Lord's disciples. A simple request, "Lord, teach us to pray..." And the Intercessor before the Throne of God responded with what we call the Lord's Prayer, or the Model Prayer.

For a long while, I have stopped there. At the Lord's prayer, I mean. But what if the disciples didn't fully grasp what Jesus said to them the first time the so-often-repeated Model Prayer ever came to earth?

Moreover, I intend to say, what if Jesus' response only sparked a journey, ignited the fire with one ember sent into orbit: "Our Father..."

Because, and let's be honest here, I cannot fully grasp prayer. Without the knowledge of the Father, the intimate connection to God as Abba, our Daddy, our prayers only reach ceiling-high.

I remember looking up at the stars late at night one autumn season. The same crisp air that always seemed to frighten away the mosquitoes has a tendency of making me feel alive inside. One particular night, I laid down on the chilled driveway, loaded with the weights of the world.

In my pain and confusion of simply working through the details, I began to lose myself in the distance of the stars. Under the pollution of city light, they one-by-one seemed to grow in number like an orchestra of instruments slowly taking their positions.

"Wow..." my voice trailed off.

A new weight suddenly slammed against my chest. Literally. No exaggeration. I felt my words go a few feet up, then slam right back down.

Like a drill pounding into the ground, the blunt force opened my heart bear before the Lord, the Maker of these stars. And as I did, my words reached further and further. I felt communion. And my words transformed from a couple of painful phrases, to repentance, to a direct line of communication with the Father.

The weight lifted, and I went to bed that night shining as the sun in its strength.

Nothing particularly supernatural happened that night. Besides my heightened imagination that allowed me to actually experience the weight of my words, I did not feel any surge of the Spirit. But I do believe He caught me up to glory.

And when I stop to think about it, I find this in prayer every single time I connect with my Father. Real intercession is encounter with God. Intercessors encounter God on behalf of those who will not approach Him for themselves.

We shift things in the atmosphere. Praying for the nations, the nations are blessed. But not because of us. Only because of the Father. I do not fully grasp prayer, but I do know that Moses stood before God on behalf of the people and encountered the glory of God. The glory of intercession radiated from his face, blessing the world around him and bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.

I want to discover this glory of intercession. I have approached the Lord with the same request: "Teach me how to pray." So far, He has poured out much revelation, but the roots of it all comes in encounter. Said another way, we must experience relationship with God to partner with God. We must partner with God to accomplish His work. And we only accomplish His work through rest, the act of trusting and depending with a silent confidence in His leadership. All of these represent the foundations of intercession.

But above all, Christ responds with, "Our Father..." To pray is to join in communion with God. And, as we all know, relationships are lifelong journeys.

Will you come with me on this journey? I need encouragement and wisdom, council and advice as I seek out how to pray. I am shooting for the goal of posting at least one blog every two weeks about prayer.

"Lord, teach us to pray..."