THE MINISTRY OF INTERCESSION

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.  ‎For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.” (Colossians 4:12-13 NKJV)

Epaphras is not a household name.  He is one of the more obscure figures in the New Testament.  We are told little about him, but the little we know means a lot.  His name was known in heaven, and his activity—though not bringing celebrity on earth, was commended for eternity.  This man was a prayer warrior.  He was devoted to the ministry of intercession—making a difference for others by praying for others.

The ministry of intercession is inspired by sympathy.  Epaphras was “one of you,” that is, a fellow member of the same church and facing similar circumstances.  He understood how to pray because he knew their needs.  When we pray for others, our hearts are stirred by sympathy—we’ve often been through hurts and needed help—and so are inspired to pray for others as we would want them to pray for us.

The ministry of intercession is rooted in obedience.  He is called, “a bondservant of Christ.” Epaphras prayed because he knew he should.  If we only pray when we think we have time or when we feel like praying, then we won’t be effective intercessors.  The bottom line is that Jesus taught, “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).  We pray for others because it is the right thing to do!

The ministry of intercession is to be persistent.  Note the word, “always.”  Epapahras understood that there would not be a day that passed without some of his fellow Christians facing great need.  Therefore, he had to be faithful to consistently intercede for them.  Sometimes we will find that prayer is like the force of water running over a rock, gradually wearing away the rough edges—it takes a long time to see some of the rough times that are resistant to change smoothed out.

The ministry of intercession is demanding in effort.  Epaphras was, “laboring” in prayers.  It has been said that prayer doesn’t just fit you for the work—it is the work!  When I work, I accomplish what a man can do, but when I pray I can see what God can do.  There is effort required to be a faithful intercessor.  Jesus prayed until His sweat became as great drops of blood.  There is as much perspiration called for in our praying as inspiration!

The ministry of intercession calls for passion.  “Fervently” and “great zeal” are the key terms.  Cold, casual prayers rise no higher than the ceiling.  God is sickened by a lukewarm ritual.  Formalism must give way to fervency.  Vain repetition is to be supplanted by intense passion.  If you saw someone drowning, would you say to the lifeguard, “Have you thought about the possibility of helping that person?”  Or would you scream to the top of your lungs, “Help!  Help them they are drowning!”  People have real problems and there is a real God who will intervene if we intercede intensely.

The ministry of intercession is about others.  Paul says that Epaphras prayed, “for you.”  How infrequently we pray and when we do pray how self-centered are those prayers at times!  We come with a list of stuff we want God to do for us, as though He is Santa Claus in the sky.  While there is certainly a place for making our needs known (that’s need, not greed), intercession is about others—and that is the nature of love.  Love is the distinguishing mark of the Christ-follower (John 13:35).  If love is in our hearts, then it will be expressed from our lips, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matt.12:34b)

The ministry of intercession is focused on God’s purposes.  The specific petition was, “that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”  Our prayers are not about getting our will done in heaven, but getting heaven’s will done on earth.  We may, with the best of intentions, sometimes pray cross-purposes to God’s designs.  For example, it is a quick reaction for us to see a fellow Christian suffering and ask God to remove the problem.  Yet, our perspective is only on the immediate, while God’s goal is for His glory and the ultimate good—which is shaping us in the image of Christ, to stand before the throne, “perfect and complete.”  Pain and problems are part of that pressure to mold us into vessels that are useful here and trophies of grace to be displayed in heaven.  So, we seek the Spirit’s guidance about how to pray and when we don’t always know say, “Your will be done!” (Matt.6:10b)

Give yourself to the ministry of intercession.  Doubtless, God has gifted you in other areas of service and you should get busy in them.  But, none of these will be fruitful in performance, if we are not faithful in prayer.  There are many things we can do after we pray, but nothing until we pray!