“And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed” Luke 5:16

When we pray for others, God honours our commitment to him and our dependence on his power by employing all of the resources of heaven to transform human lives. As our prayers ascend to his throne, angelic beings spring into action at his command. 'Ministering angels are waiting about the throne to instantly obey the mandate of Jesus Christ to answer every prayer offered in earnest living faith'.

We have the assurance that not one prayer is lost, not one is forgotten by God. They are stored up in heaven to be answered at the time and place that he knows best. What encouragement this gives us as we intercede for our spouses, sons, daughters, relatives, friends and work associates who do not know Christ! Not one sincere prayer is ever lost. We may not always see immediate answers in those we pray for, but God is moving upon their hearts in ways we will know only in eternity.

Intercessory prayer is a mighty weapon in the battle between good and evil. One of the clearest revelations of this struggle is in Daniel 10. Daniel 10 draws the curtain aside and reveals this struggle between good and evil. As Daniel prays, Michael descends from heaven to beat back the forces of hell. Although we may not see it, Jesus is at work to answer our prayers of intercession, as well.

Throughout the Bible, there is an emphasis on specificity in prayer. Prayer is not some vague longing of the soul. It presents God with specific requests. Jesus prayed specifically for his disciples. The apostle Paul prayed very specifically for the Ephesian, Philippian, and Colossian Christians. He prayed for his young colleagues, such as Timothy and John Mark.

Both Samuel and Job emphasize the need for earnest, heartfelt, specific intercession. Samuel's words are quite strong. He cries out, "Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you" (1 Samuel 12:23).

We can almost hear the echo of Samuel's prayer in Job's words, 'oh that one might plead for a man with God' (Job 16:21) pleading for men and women who do not know Christ is our work.

When we pray for others, we become a channel of God's blessing to them. He pours the river of the water of life from heaven's throne through us to them. Satan's whole host trembles at the sound of earnest intercession.