PRIESTLY PRAYER

Years back, the Lord woke me up around 3 am to pray. The prompting in my spirit was to pray for the nation of Afghanistan. I prayed for 3 hours not knowing why I did. I didn't bother about my personal requests though I had them, Afghanistan was my focus. Recent happenings in that country refreshed my memory about what I did years back under the leading of the Spirit. If I had known, I would have continually prayed for that country and even raise a prayer altar for that nation among the brethren. There's a dimension of prayer I call the priestly prayer. It is an intercessory kind of prayer whose focus is not about self but others. It is a dimension in God where you ask God what He wants you to pray about not you telling God what you want. In this dimension of prayer, you start receiving insight about heaven's agenda that require prayers.

Our generation do not understand this dimension of prayer because we often go to God to pray about ourselves, we see prayer as a means to an end. We are quick to pray from prayer books instead of asking God "what do you want me to pray about." It will surprise you to know that God also has "prayer requests." Not that He is in need if anything, no He doesn't need anything. However, He has programs for the earth and mankind that requires the input of man. He would have enforced His will on earth automatically but He wouldn't do that because Adam sold out his right as the emperor of the earth in the garden of Eden and the devil became the god of this world. Kenneth E.Hagin would say, "he(Adam) doesn't have the moral right to do so but he does have the legal right". Since the devil became the god of this world, he also came up with his agenda for the earth and for humanity(2Cor4:4). The devil being the god of this world doesn't mean he is the owner of the earth. The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof(Psalms 24:1) but the rulership of the earth that God gave to man(Psalms115:16) was handed over to Satan.

That's why there are wars, insurgencies, natural disasters, multiplication of iniquity, and other negative mishaps on earth. God is not happy seeing all these. However, He has program for the earth and for mankind but He cannot do much except man get Him involved through intercessory prayers. God is looking for men and women who will step into the priestly role of intercessors, a go-between, someone to stand in the gap. "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." (Ezekiel 22:30). Men who will enter into the place of prayer to ask, "Lord, what item on your agenda should I pray about"? What do you want to do in India, Pakistan, Belize that requires prayers? Men who will also stop the agenda of the enemy on their knees. Men who will not be comfortable seeing devastations, religious crisis and terrorism without praying about it. Men who will have needs but will make the kingdom agenda their priority in prayer. Men who will pray tirelessly for souls, missionaries and those on the field. These are the men God is looking for. Our calling as priests is not a thing of status, rather it places on us an intercessory responsibility.