INTERCESSION - Can we discover its nature. Is it a Gift or a Calling?
Chapter
3
THE
TRINITY
-
the action of God in us
In
order to see the total involvement of the Trinity in intercessory prayer it is
necessary to explore the role of the Holy Spirit[i]
and the Christian's relationship to Him.
"I
believe in The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the
Father and the Son....".
We
need to acknowledge His presence in us and the fact that He was promised to be
present in us, the only condition being that we repent and be baptised.[ii]
He is the Gift promised by Jesus, the comforter, guide, and counsellor who
would teach us everything.[iii]
It is the Holy Spirit who shows us that Jesus
is Lord,[iv]
and
that God is Father.[v]
In addition
"God has poured out his love
into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."[vi]
It
is only through God's grace that we are what we are, we can have no relationship
with Him but that He ordains it[vii].
This relationship needs to grow, God has already given all, our part is
to spend time in God's company.
That means that we do things together, communicating by both talking and
listening.
Doing this with God is worship, service and prayer.
If
we rest in that Presence and receive what He chooses to give, we discover our
need for the Holy Spirit,
the love and peace is so much that we have to respond.
It is not just God the Holy Spirit, but God the Son leading us to God the
Father.
God will do in us whatever we allow, our prayer will be His prayer.
Understanding the need to relate to different persons of the Trinity
helps us give space to the Intercessor so allowing the process of intercession.
According to my definition[viii]
it has to be "Prayer in the
Spirit".
Romans chapter 8 makes it clear.
It
involves the Spirit in contact with Christ the Intercessor at the right hand of
the Father.(v.34)
Our longings are received by the Spirit within us who searches our hearts
and forms the perfect prayer (v.27).
When in this Presence, in a prayer of silent love,[ix]
thoughts might wrap around the person or object of prayer and quite unexpectedly
one sighs with a certainty that the prayer has become what God requires.
But
there is another condition, ....."those
who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit
desires"
Life style matters we must seek to be holy and obedient, we must allow
our minds to be controlled by the Spirit within us.[x]
This leads to the Life that is within us realising that now God is
speaking of a Spirit of sonship that causes us to become God's children, and
"co-heirs with Christ if we share his
sufferings" (v.13-17).
This explains some of the pain of intercessory prayer, but also the
joy that comes when the prayer is seen through to the end, that is "..share
his glory."
This is not a heavy burden it is a privilege.
Further
examination of "the sons of God"
encourages us to go further into intercession for the world for "The
creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be
revealed."(v.19)
If we are God's children then we have a part to play, there is a mystery
here as only through His grace can creation be set free, but we are invited to
become the vessels through which this grace can flow.
I find confirmation in Christ's own words,
"Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God"[xi],
for
it is in this way that we might truly be ambassadors for Christ, permitted to be
involved in the reconciliation[xii].
Romans
8 shows that all Christians are called to intercede in this way.
It does not speak of the role of the intercessor other than for Christ
Himself.
We need to look elsewhere to see that God calls some to stand in the gap[xiii].
It
is the love of the Father and the Son that makes the Spirit available to us but
He is more than the love flowing between them, but actually Love as a third
person.
So all aspects/persons of God are Love and sin is lack of love.