1 Corinthians 14:14-15 (NKJV) For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
The key to intercessory prayer is to learn to rest in God by having faith that He is working in the spiritual realm when we have prayed and continue to press on through praying in tongues. It is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises of God. We need patience because it is always a process until breakthrough comes. That’s why we need to engage faith the moment we start praying, and faith is believing even when we do not see it. There is a benefit of praying in tongues because it builds up the inner man and carries out the mediation in accordance with the will of God. The Holy Spirit intercedes through us, and we are assured that Jesus is also interceding on the right hand of the Heavenly Father. Intercessory prayer, or standing in the gap, is working and partnering with God to pray on behalf of certain individuals who are facing a crisis in their lives.
James 1:5 (NKJV) “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
We should start intercessory prayer by entering into praise and worship because praise and worship help us to focus on God’s awesomeness and greatness. Faith also arises through worship. We will flow with the Holy Spirit as He leads and guides us regarding what to pray. We listen to the Holy Spirit for targeted prayer for the person, organisation, company, or church. Intercessory prayer engages both praying in the understanding and in the Spirit. Therefore, we will interchange between praying in tongues and a known language as we listen to the Holy Spirit in our inner man while we pray. We engage our minds to pray based on what we know when we pray in the understanding, and we listen to the Holy Spirit in our hearts when we pray in tongues. We stop intercessory prayer when we have run out of items to pray based on what we know or when the burden in our hearts has been lifted.
Praying should not wear us out. It also does not have an easy formula, especially in intercession. Rather, prayer is a relationship and partnership with the Holy Spirit, who is the senior partner in the intercession process, guiding us to pray for someone or a situation. Intercession might not happen at the most convenient time, but we must make ourselves available whenever the need arises.
Let us rise to be a people of prayer, to pray for individuals, the church, the government, the company, or our loved ones. God moves when we pray and intercede. We will see changes in situations when we believers rise to intercede and stand in the gap.
Sermon Series： Intercession
用灵祷告
哥林多前书14:14-15我若用方言祷告，是我的灵祷告，但我的悟性没有果效。这却怎么样呢？我要用灵祷告，也要用悟性祷告；我要用灵歌唱，也要用悟性歌唱。
代祷的关键是学会在神里面安息，相信当我们祷告时，祂正在属灵的领域中动工，并通过方言祷告持续推进。我们是凭着信心和忍耐承受神的应许。忍耐是必要的，因为突破的来临总是一个过程。这就是为什么我们一开始祷告就需要动用信心——信心就是在看不见的时候仍然相信。方言祷告的益处在于它能够建立我们的内在生命，并按照神的旨意完成代求工作。圣灵会通过我们代求，同时我们也可以确信，主耶稣正在天父右边为我们代求。代祷，即“站在破口中”，是与神同工，为正面临危机的某些人代求祷告的一种服事。这是神给我们的一个重要使命，也是基督徒信仰生活的一部分。
雅各书1:5 你们中间若有缺少智慧的，应当求那厚赐于众人也不斥责人的神，主就必赐给他。
我们应当以赞美和敬拜开始代祷，因为赞美和敬拜能够帮助我们专注于神的伟大和奇妙，并在敬拜中激发我们的信心。在祷告中，我们会随着圣灵的引导与带领，为代祷的对象祈求，包括个人、机构、公司或教会。代祷结合了悟性祷告和灵里的祷告。因此，在祷告时，我们会在方言和已知语言之间切换，同时在祷告中倾听圣灵在内心的引导。当我们用悟性祷告时，我们会根据所知的具体情况来祷告；当我们用方言祷告时，我们则聆听圣灵在我们心中的启示。代祷的结束通常有两种情况：一是根据我们所知的祷告事项祷告完毕；二是当内心的代祷负担得到释放时。
祷告不应该让我们感到疲惫，尤其是在代祷中，它并没有一套简单的公式可循。相反，祷告是一种与圣灵的关系和同工，圣灵是代祷中的“主要伙伴”，祂引导我们为某个人或某个情况代求。代祷可能不会发生在最方便的时刻，但我们需要随时预备好，当需要出现时，立刻回应。
让我们兴起成为一个祷告的群体，为个人、教会、政府、公司或我们的亲人代求。当我们祷告并代求时，神会动工。当信徒们兴起代祷、站在破口中时，我们必将看到环境和局势的转变。
讲章系列： 代祷
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