The Power of Intercession

Do you believe your prayers make a difference? Are you willing to intercede, even when others may have given up? Do you realize the power of your own intercession?

Only heaven will fully reveal what has been accomplished on earth through the prayers of the saints. Who knows how many lives have been saved or how many catastrophes have been averted? Can we truly know the power of intercession?

Lifelong Benefits

I try to pray faithfully and regularly. But I would not consider myself to be an intercessor. My wife, Cindi, is. It is a unique calling on her life, and in one way, it is really no surprise. Her mother, Alice Basham, was also a faithful intercessor during her life. Undoubtedly, I have been the beneficiary of both of their ministries of intercession.

Early in my relationship with my mother-in-law, she made a statement that made my jaw drop in amazement. Alice said, somewhat nonchalantly, that she and Don had begun praying for the man who would be Cindi’s husband from the time of her birth—actually, even before she was born. It was a simple statement of fact. But, as I heard what Alice said so casually, the wheels began to turn in my mind in a serious way.

First, this realization: from the time I was a baby, they had been praying for me! Then I began to recall occasions when my life had been miraculously spared. The time in my boyhood when a friend and I had fallen down an 80-foot shale-covered waterfall, emerging with only scratches. (Jerry was the beneficiary of Don and Alice’s prayers as well.) The car trip back to college when I had spun out on black ice on the highway, careening off the road into a ditch without bodily injury or damage to the car. As those memories came to me, one thought hit me full force—the power of intercession.

We Need Intercessors

As Alice moved closer to the end of her life, earnestly desiring to go home to heaven, she would regularly ask her family members this probing question: “Why is the Lord keeping me here?” I always had a ready answer for her when she asked.

“Alice,” I would reply, “I know you are interceding for me. I need your daily prayer support, and I am glad you are still here to provide it.  Please keep it going!”

An intriguing question came to me recently, almost five years now after Alice has gone to glory. “Is she still interceding for me?” The passage of Scripture that came immediately to mind as I reflected on that question was Hebrews 7:25. Speaking of Jesus, the verse says, “…He always lives to make intercession for them.” 

If Jesus is continuing His ministry of intercession for us from heaven, would it be reasonable to conclude that the saints who are with Jesus in glory are joining Him in that ministry? Because we are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1), is it possible that our lives are somehow affected by the power of their intercession?

A Tribute to Jesus

Knowing Derek Prince’s deep love for the book of Hebrews and his amazing teaching on that book, I wanted to share his perspectives on Hebrews 7:25.

The following segment is taken from “God’s Last Word,” Derek’s teaching series on the book of Hebrews. We are quoting from “Hebrews 7:20–7:28,” and this portion of teaching on these verses is a magnificent tribute to our incomparable High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Going on now in verse 25 we come to one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible. “Therefore, He is able, also, to save forever [or, to save completely] those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

That’s a very important conclusion…one major conclusion about this High Priest. He is able to save forever and completely those who come to God through Him. The King James says, “save to the uttermost.” I really think that translation will never be improved on. When I worked in street meetings in the city of London, we used to say, “He saves from the gutter-most to the uttermost.” We saw many examples of that kind of transformation take place.

I always think of one man who was on his way to commit suicide when he heard one of our young men giving his testimony. He was so arrested by this that he walked the streets of London for the rest of that night, which was about 12 hours. About 8 o’clock in the morning, he knelt down in the street and gave his heart to the Lord. Two days later, he came to see me at my address. It has always stayed in my memory as a beautiful example that no one is beyond God’s power to reach.

There isn’t any situation God can’t save a person from. “Seeing He ever lives to make intercession, He is able to save anybody from anything.” That’s the Prince version! And to save them totally: spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, in every aspect, in every degree. He can do it.

We need to be proud of our high priest. We need to have a real enlarged vision of His greatness and His mercy because when we see how great He is, then there is no problem in life which needs to defeat us.

I’m also impressed by the importance of the ministry of intercession with Jesus as our pattern. If you take the time spans in the life of Jesus, they are very illuminating. Thirty years as the carpenter’s son. No public ministry, just a perfect family life. Three and a half years of public ministry: very dramatic, very powerful. And something like two thousand years of intercession. Which, I think, should help us to adjust our scale of values and where we place the emphasis.

Thanking and Volunteering

Have you experienced the power of intercession in your life? Either your intercession for someone else or their life-saving intercession for you? There are at least two fitting responses to what Derek has just shared. First, by thanking the Lord for the life-changing impact coming from saints who have interceded for us. Second, by offering ourselves to Him as intercessors for others. Let’s pray together right now!

Dear Lord Jesus, I am so grateful for Your ongoing ministry of intercession, and Your power and ability to touch the lives of all of us who need You so desperately. Thank You for leading and guiding so many people to intercede for me. The positive impact of their prayers upon my life is probably impossible to measure in earthly terms. Thank You!

Now, Lord, I want to volunteer my life for that same kind of service to others. I want to join with You in Your eternal work of intercession. Help me, Lord, and strengthen me as I devote myself more fully to this ministry.

I know my intercession will have impact, and I give You all the glory in advance for every situation which will be impacted for the good. Amen!

Glorious Testimonies

As we observed earlier, only heaven itself will ultimately reveal the impact of intercession in our lives and the lives of others. You and I have just volunteered for that assignment. Lives will be impacted; testimonies will abound—and it will be glorious!

One of our main privileges here at Derek Prince Ministries is to supply you with materials and ministry to encourage you in your walk with the Lord. I can assure you that Derek’s teaching from the Hebrews series, “7:20–7:28,” will be a wonderful inspiration to you. Please feel free to download it using the link below. It is our honor to provide if for you.

Offering this kind of encouragement is an absolute joy for us—just one more way for us to thank you for your love, your prayers, and your financial contributions to DPM.

Let Your Voice Rise

There is a marvelous quote by a well-known secular poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson, who wrote these lines in Idylls of the King: “Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice rise like a fountain for me night and day.” Whether he realized it or not, Tennyson was describing the ministry of intercession—especially when he made the reference to “night and day.”

You may not consider yourself a prayer warrior. I certainly don’t regard myself in that way. However, I have a longing and willingness to make myself available to the Lord whenever He asks me to pray and intercede. It’s possible to make it a lot more complicated than this basic premise, but I believe this is all the Lord is asking of us.

In our prayer, you and I have made that offer to the Lord—to respond, whether it is in the daytime or in the midnight hours. I believe He accepts our offer. What can we expect in return? To witness—in ourselves and for others—the power of intercession.‍

All the best,

Dick Leggatt
President, DPM–USA