“And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:” – 1 Samuel 19:4
The Apostle Paul exhortation to Timothy, and the church is: “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” Interceding through prayer is a practice that is lost on the world, fought by the devil, and often ignored in the church. To intervene on someone’s behalf, not in the spotlight, but in the prayer closet.
Here in Samuel chapter nineteen, I find a physical example of intercessory prayer. Saul is seeking to kill the righteous David. Johnathan loved David as “his own soul.” Johnathan’s devotion to David is linked with his devotion to God. For David is the Lord’s anointed. He is the one to be the next king of Israel. Johnathan stands between Saul’s wicked intentions towards David. Johnathan also stands between his own opportunity for kingship (for with David dead, he might be king). He intercedes for David, and in doing so spares David’s life. We do this in like manner in the place of prayer. When we love God and love our neighbor, it drives us to a quiet place of prayer and intercession. Through our prayers we stand between the righteous and the evil of Satan and his forces. Doubt, fear, persecutions, sinful ideology, and a host of other devices are coming against us every day. They are seeking to kill, steal, and destroy. They want to steal our joy, kill our faith, and destroy our souls. When we intercede in prayer, we are doing that which Christ did. He “stood in the gap” for Peter and declared: “I have prayed for thee.” Peter had seen devils ensnare and afflict so many people and Christ told him “Satan desires to have you.” After Jesus spoke to him that the devil was coming for him, Christ then followed with “I have prayed for thee.” I often wondered what Peter thought when Christ said that. Regardless, Christ prayed for Peter; of all the power at His disposal, Christ prayed. Intercession is available to us, and the Spirit still makes intercession. Johnathan was an intercessor. He put himself aside and stood between David and Saul. Johnathan was a humble man of God. Humility is part and parcel with interceding. There are no great parades or Time magazine editorials devoted to the one who intercedes in prayer. Even your own peer group will question the wisdom of it, and the world (maybe even your church) will scoff. “Up, on your feet and act!” Action! Change! Stagey! This is the cry of the world, always action before prayer. Those who feel this way understand little of the power of prayer.
Praying is not what we can do when there is nothing else to do; praying is what we should do before anything else we try to do. When the righteous pray the God of all Creation is listening. A God who can create worlds with the breath of His voice. A God who can order the universe in his spare time. A mighty God, and a resurrected Christ are listening. Prayer is key to a mighty spiritual armament. Praying people have always been God’s called people. We are quick to run to action and slow to wait in prayer. If there was more intercession, there would be less of a cry for progression. Masking our ignorance with progress does not produce salvation. Without a dedication to prayer, we will never see revival. Our social justice and social change will do little to push back the might of the true enemy. Only the power of the Holy Ghost can destroy him. Intercession is the burden of the church because the church is the one who loves the Lord.
