The Call for Intercessors!

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In this season of troubled times Yahweh is calling us to deep intercession. The foundation of every ministry is our priesthood calling- to intercede on the behalf of others. Yahweh is looking for a special type of people to stand in the gap for His people. The main requirement is for one to turn over their flesh on a daily basis to the Holy Spirit to mortify the deeds of the flesh and to want to be conformed into the image of Yahshua (Romans 8:13, 29). There is a price to pay for intercession that many don’t want to pay. In 2 Chron. 7:14 Yahweh said “If my people who are called by my Name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” In order to get into deep intercession for others one has to push past their flesh and Satan. I want to look at the life of Esther and see her being put into a position of intercession by Yahweh for her people and see how Yahweh developed her intercession anointing. In Esther Chapter 4, Mordecai, Esther’s uncle found out about Haman’s plan to destroy the Jews by tricking the king into signing a decree. He interceded with Esther saying that she would be destroyed too, as she was a Jew and also that she was brought into the kingdom at that time. She tells him to tell the people to fast and pray for three days and she would go before the king. In Chapter 5 it is recorded that she does go before the king to intercede for her people. Look at the courage that she exhibited. We have to show the same kind of courage and determination. The king held out his golden scepter and she touched the top of it and he received her very well even willing to answer her request for half of the kingdom (v.3). She asks for Haman to be invited to a banquet and at the end of it she asks another petition to ask Haman to come to the next banquet on tomorrow. It is at this banquet that she exposes Haman and Haman is hung on the gallows that he prepared for Mordecai. 

     Let’s look at some of the aspects of her intercession and see how they could assist us interceding for and with Yahshua for His people:

1.)    She approaches the king as she sees the peril awaiting her people. Don’t be surprised if Yahweh shows you more of the judgment that He is bringing on the world.

2.)    She comes near to the king. The word says that we can come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find help in the time of need.

3.)    The king willingly receives her and is ready to answer her request. We need to have Yahweh’s heart for His people and see how He really wants to help them and receive our prayers. He is the one that put the situation, person or persons on our hearts.  In 2 Chron. 7:15 Yahweh says that his eyes are open, and His ears attentive to prayer.

4.)    There is a cost to intercession. In Esther 4:16 she says “If I perish, I perish.” When we stand in the gap for someone we could be coming against some demonic resistance and we have to rely on the strength that Yahweh gives us. It is not easy to intercede. We may feel some of what the person/s could be going through. This intercessory or priestly anointing is the basis of the five fold ministry. One can’t be a true Prophet, Pastor, Evangelist, Apostle and Teacher without this intercessory desire and anointing. 

5.)    Esther came humbly into the presence of the king. We too have to realize that Yahweh is the King of Kings and the ruler of the universe and that the only way we can approach him is because of the Blood of Yahshua. In 2 Chron. 7:14 Yahweh says that we need to come humbly before Him.  

6.)    The first obstacle that Esther had to face was the enemy-Haman (Esther 7:6). We too have to realize that we may face the devil head on but greater is Yahweh in us then he that is in the world. Satan may try to protect the area that he has in someone’s life but we know that Yahshua can set them free once and for all.

7.)    Yahweh gave Esther a strategy of trapping Haman on the 17^th of Nisan which is an anointed day for deliverance- Yahshua rose from the dead on Nisan 17, the Israelites crossed the Red sea on Nisan 17 and Noah’s ark rested on Mt Ararat on this day. Yahweh wants to give us a strategy or plan of attack to defeat the enemy.

8.)    Every time that Esther approached the king she learned more of what it takes to intercede. We too! The more that she approached the king the more blessings that she and Mordecai received. She and Mordecai became co-writers of the decree from the king allowing the Jews to defend themselves when attacked under the other decree that Haman tricked the king into signing (Esther 8:8-10, 9:20, 21).

Mordecai was promoted to be right next to the king in power (Esther 10:3) because of his desire to worship nobody else but Yahweh and because of his intercession for Esther and the rest of his people. Esther too became Queen and rose in tremendous influence with the king for her people because of her intercession. Intercession is in Yahweh’s heart and He will promote us into more authority as we join Him in intercession for His people. Praise Him!