Serving Bread

For two years, I have been working on a reflection exercise that addresses calling and intercession. I was at a conference in November 2005, where God clarified the work of intercession in my life. I’ve broken up this article in several posts.

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INTRODUCTION

The discipline of intercessory (I recognize there are many definitions for “intercession.” This paper will in no way capture all of what that means) prayer moves us to recognize who we are before God and who God is in all of his glory. I recognize there are many excellent books and resources on intercessory prayer. And many of those have deepened my prayer life. In this paper, I seek to draft a model for intercessory prayer that strengthens our calling in ministry. As I have grown deeper in my prayer life, I have recognized how prayer has shaped me to know God, and how the lack of prayer has power to lead me farther from God.

Too often, prayer can be relegated as an afterthought. It may be the thing we do to start or end a meeting. It is the time where we take prayer requests during a Bible Study. And it is the thing we might do when we start our day. But in the life of my ministry, I have discovered prayer to be the discipline that has led me to know God and know his purposes, especially in light of difficult and trying situations.

This model for intercession has paved the way for me to recognize the importance of prayer in my personal and ministry life.

THE WAY TO DEATH

Being in ministry, I am often confronted by the realities of sin and its impact on people. There are injustices that are committed against people that break my heart. To see people assaulted by the sin that exists in our fallen world makes me wonder if God is powerful enough to confront those principalities and deliver people from such darkness. Other times, we see people choosing into disobedience and dealing with the consequences of choosing against God.

Our world is fallen and it is impossible to escape the corrupting effects of the world around us. Any reflection or examination of these realities leads me to discouragement. I am easily discouraged when I recognize the world for what it is. One pastor commented that ministry is “the call into the hell of people’s lives.”

But it’s what we do with the discouragement that shapes our next steps. Discouragement can easily lead to hopelessness. To feel defeated in ministry and be discouraged by the realities of our world can lead to be hopeless. Hopelessness is a powerful force that can strip away any thoughts or faith in God. Hopelessness strips God from bringing change when everything else looks dead.

And hopelessness will lead to spiritual death. That death will make me numb to the realities and saving powers of God. My eyes will stop seeing the work of God and my mind will start believing that either God has abandoned me or that he is not at work in my life or in my ministry.

Spiritual death, as bad as it is in of itself, will eventually also inform my calling. Rather than lead with vision, I will lead with cynicism.