In Nehemiah 1:1-4, Nehemiah writes, “In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven.’ 

Nehemiah’s response to the condition of His people and the city of Jerusalem was weeping, mourning, fasting and praying. “Lord, examine our hearts as we read Nehemiah’s words.  Help us to be honest with You. Do we weep for what you weep for, God? Are we broken over the sin and the destruction taking place in our cities and nations? Are we broken over the sin in our own lives and the current state of Your Church? All these questions come down to one question, “Do we carry Your burdens Lord?”

Before Nehemiah prayed, he wept for His people.  He was burdened for them. Nehemiah responded by sitting before the Lord in mourning, weeping, fasting, repenting, and praying on their behalf. Before we can truly intercede for people, we must have the burden of the Lord for them. I hear the Lord say, “Where are My priests who will be burdened with My heart and intercede with Me that I might move and show Myself strong on their behalf and and bring My Justice swiftly?”

  God has chosen to use man, in whom He moves through, to accomplish His will here on the earth. The good news is, all we have to do is ask Him to show us and let us feel the things that burden His heart. First, in our own hearts and then on behalf of others. He is more than ready to answer these kinds of prayers because He loves us and wants people to be free. If we don’t join Him here on the earth by prayer and intercession, we limit Him. We are not waiting on God, God waits on us. Let us not limit Him! We bring heaven to earth through prayer and intercession. Let Your Kingdom come, let Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven… this is the Lord’s prayer! This is His heart! Watchman Nee, a Chinese evangelist wrote“God cannot do what He wants to do unless man wants it. We cannot make God do what He does not want to do, yet we can stop God from doing what He wants to do.” (Watchman Nee, The Prayer Ministry of the Church)

We see an example of God bringing victory through man because of intercession. In Exodus 17:9-11, when the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses told Joshua to choose some men and go out and fight the enemy and that He would stand at the top of the hill with God’s staff in His hands. As Joshua fought, Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill and as long as Moses held his hands up in intercession, the Israelites would be winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites would be winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side of him so that his hands remained steady until sunset and Joshua overcame the Amalekites and won the battle! It took Moses keeping his hands up with the help of others to obtain the victory that day! God moved through man to accomplish what He desired. We, as sons and daughters of God have been given the Holy Spirit to understand and know what Jesus is doing and do it with Him. In Romans 8:34, it says that Jesus is on the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. What is Jesus doing? Interceding!Jesus is our example of what intercession looks like! What God is going to accomplish in the earth is a work of His Spirit. It will not be by man’s might or power, only by God’s Spirit through man.

Intercession is not a new call, it is not relegated to the few, but it is a call for all who confess Jesus as Lord. Jesus said “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” God’s people are to be His houses of prayer! We are the catalysts for revival and the Great Commission. The Lord wants to pray and move through us. Will we wait on Him, stand in the gap and intercede for His will to be done?  Jesus prayed, “Let your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Will we pray with Him?