To wrap up our Prayer Remade series, I have asked our Pastor’s wife Donna Patterson from The Father’s House to share her thoughts on intercessory prayer. Donna is an amazing woman of God. When I first attended The Father’s House over 12 years ago, I belonged to an evening prayer group that she lead. Donna is a woman of prayer and passion. She and her husband Dave have over 30 years of ministry experience leading worship, teaching, and pastoring. They started the church in 1997 with a handful of families and now they have multiple campuses and are leading thousands each week. Donna has two amazing daughters and two handsome grandsons.
It doesn’t take being in Christian circles long before a person hears the quote ‘I’m an intercessor.’ What exactly is an intercessor and can anyone be one?
The Webster’s definition is: “to go or pass between; to act between parties with a view to reconcile those who differ. To plead for another. So basically an intercessor is someone to stand in place for another who can’t or won’t pray for themselves. So it’s not just a prayer, but it’s done through prayer. Yes, everyone is qualified and can be an intercessor, but because of the time and availability it takes many won’t.
What makes intercessory prayer different than a person’s daily prayers?
While our daily prayers may include other people, intercession can take place while praying. God shows you someone or an impossible situation that you can’t walk away from. You see with Gods eyes and something changes in your prayer. Its not about you, but now you begin to call to God for the change that is needed. You are praying with Holy Spirit leading over the thing or person. Sometimes you don’t know who you are praying for or maybe you don’t know specifically what the Lord wants, so you pray in the spirit with your prayer language.
How does intercessory prayer influence the local church, the community, and even the nation?
We all benefit when people are crying out for him [God] to come and make his habitation amongst us. I think of it as a sharp knife cutting back the hinderances making a clear path in the spirit to walk on. God works through his people. So It takes those who will spend the time in prayer for what God wants. For example; intercede for the lost to find him, for the Holy Spirit to come and stir the church to a new level of relationship with Him, or for the miraculous to take place. Without these things the church becomes cold, lacking in Zeal, or fire spiritually.
What is one way intercession has personally impacted your life?
A seed was planted in my heart when I was about eight years old. I could hear my mama praying for her family, in the spirit, in the middle of the day. She called out mine and my brothers names. Praying for our destinies in Christ. Today, we both are serving the Lord. Dave’s life was spared when his mom and some ladies set out to pray and fast for him untill change came. He made a decision for God and left a distructive life style. The amazing work done here in Vacaville is because of dedicated people who wouldn’t give up crying out to God for something different here. They opened the heavens with their prayers and God’s favor is opening doors and hearts. We may never know their names but God does.
What do you feel is the most important thing to remember about intercessory prayer?
One of the important things to remember is that there isn’t immediate gradification, answers, or change most times. So you have to keep what God wants in front of you as your measure and never quit or give up. God has limited himself concerning the affairs of the earth, and has chosen to work through us. But if we don’t find his heart and pray, we will not see the change that needs to happen. The word says,”IF my people called by my name will humble themselves and seek my face, THEN I WILL hear from heaven and heal their land.” So its up to us to be the ones who will see what can’t be seen and pray it in.
{NOW YOUR TURN} What are some of the questions you may have regarding prayer? Please continue to conversation below in our comment section.