In Day 8 of Murray's book, The Secret of Intercession, he seems ready to take us to school on what we need to give if we are to be the partners of Christ on earth in intercession.
What are we to give? He shows us what Jesus gave up by quoting Isaiah 53:10-12: "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed....He shall see of the travail of his soul....Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great...because he hath poured out his soul unto death."
In this passage, we see soul mentioned three times. This is important to note because for Murray, "the pouring out of the soul -- that is the divine meaning of intercession" (33), and because Jesus gave "Himself over to live and die that He might save the perishing was a revelation of the spirit that has power to prevail with God" (34).
Because Jesus is the example for us, and he poured out his soul, gave of himself for others, as intercessors, this is what we are to do as well.
Murray concludes the day with the following question: What is the cost of being an intercessor, and what are its rewards?
The cost, as Murray points out and repeats in this short section, is our souls, our burning desire to intercede for others. It costs our time. It costs our hearts. It costs our minds. It costs our breaths. And I list these things, and it's unnecessary to do so because just to say "we give up our souls" is more than enough.
Intercession becomes almost a habit to us because it is so ingrained into who we are. We see hurt, we see trouble, we see the warnings... as those watchmen from Day 7's post... and we are called into action to intercede. We don't sit and think about why we're doing it or if we really want to do it; we just do it.
I think about times in the past when I would be in bed in a deep sleep and out of nowhere, a call to pray would be dropped into my spirit, and I would wake up, crusty eyes and all, and kneel beside my bed and pray, with the words needed to pray coming out my mouth. There'd be times where I would be sitting, reading or studying or writing and an overwhelming feeling would touch my heart in such a way that I felt the trouble and or pain or another, and I would have to stop what I was doing and pray. Sometimes, I'd be made aware of who I was praying for, but many times, I wasn't. In the last couple of years, these moments have waned, and I'm working hard in my prayer life, in my talks with Daddy, to get myself back aligned to be that prayer warrior.
Why? I think this is where the rewards come in. Some might see "the giving up of our lives and their pleasures" as a "Whoa, hold on just one minute" issue. After all, why am I giving up me and my pleasures for others? Murray calls interceding for others "the one supreme work." Supreme means superior to all others. For me, one reward is knowing that I'm standing right alongside my Lord and Savior in doing the most important work I can do. Jesus gave up his life for me, and through him, I can do all things. Not only did he give up his life for me, but he gave me more than just my life? He gave me the ability to do all things through him because he strengthens me. How could I not want to follow him and do as he does, too? So, part of the reward for me is giving back because so much was giving to me through Jesus.
Another reward is that by interceding and seeing those prayers fulfilled, we strengthen the body of the church, we strengthen our communities, states, countries, the entire world.
Another reward for me derives from Galatians 6:7: "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." If we sow petitions to God for our fellowmen in the hope that these prayers are fulfilled, then won't we reap fulfilled prayers as well. When someone's in need, and I pray or I give, I'm not thinking, Ooh, I can't wait to get a reward from God, but it's not a coincidence that when we help someone in despair, when we fervently pray for others, when we give despite that meaning we might not have enough for ourselves, God always comes through to make sure we have more than enough.
For me, intercession feels like a win-megawin situation. I win because I get to partner with Jesus for my fellow men and women, and I megawin because through my work, my life is sustained and my blessings overflow.
Other Posts in The Secret of Intercession series
In Day 8 of Murray's book, What are we to give? He shows us what Jesus gave up by quoting Isaiah 53:10-12: "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed....He shall see of the travail of his soul....Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great...because he hath poured out his soul unto death."
In this passage, we see soul mentioned three times. This is important to note because for Murray, "the pouring out of the soul -- that is the divine meaning of intercession" (33), and because Jesus gave "Himself over to live and die that He might save the perishing was a revelation of the spirit that has power to prevail with God" (34).
Because Jesus is the example for us, and he poured out his soul, gave of himself for others, as intercessors, this is what we are to do as well.
If we as helps and fellow laborers with the Lord Jesus are to share His power of intercession, there will need to be with us as well the travail of soul that there was with Him, the giving up of our lives and their pleasures for the one supreme work of interceding for our fellowmen. (34)For Murray, those that come to intercession should not do so if they see it as a hobby, as a mere interest. There needs to be an intense desire, above all other things, to live this way: "it is a life of consecration and self-sacrifice that will indeed give power for intercession" (34).
Murray concludes the day with the following question: What is the cost of being an intercessor, and what are its rewards?
The cost, as Murray points out and repeats in this short section, is our souls, our burning desire to intercede for others. It costs our time. It costs our hearts. It costs our minds. It costs our breaths. And I list these things, and it's unnecessary to do so because just to say "we give up our souls" is more than enough.
Intercession becomes almost a habit to us because it is so ingrained into who we are. We see hurt, we see trouble, we see the warnings... as those watchmen from Day 7's post... and we are called into action to intercede. We don't sit and think about why we're doing it or if we really want to do it; we just do it.
I think about times in the past when I would be in bed in a deep sleep and out of nowhere, a call to pray would be dropped into my spirit, and I would wake up, crusty eyes and all, and kneel beside my bed and pray, with the words needed to pray coming out my mouth. There'd be times where I would be sitting, reading or studying or writing and an overwhelming feeling would touch my heart in such a way that I felt the trouble and or pain or another, and I would have to stop what I was doing and pray. Sometimes, I'd be made aware of who I was praying for, but many times, I wasn't. In the last couple of years, these moments have waned, and I'm working hard in my prayer life, in my talks with Daddy, to get myself back aligned to be that prayer warrior.
Why? I think this is where the rewards come in. Some might see "the giving up of our lives and their pleasures" as a "Whoa, hold on just one minute" issue. After all, why am I giving up me and my pleasures for others? Murray calls interceding for others "the one supreme work." Supreme means superior to all others. For me, one reward is knowing that I'm standing right alongside my Lord and Savior in doing the most important work I can do. Jesus gave up his life for me, and through him, I can do all things. Not only did he give up his life for me, but he gave me more than just my life? He gave me the ability to do all things through him because he strengthens me. How could I not want to follow him and do as he does, too? So, part of the reward for me is giving back because so much was giving to me through Jesus.
Another reward is that by interceding and seeing those prayers fulfilled, we strengthen the body of the church, we strengthen our communities, states, countries, the entire world.
Another reward for me derives from Galatians 6:7: "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." If we sow petitions to God for our fellowmen in the hope that these prayers are fulfilled, then won't we reap fulfilled prayers as well. When someone's in need, and I pray or I give, I'm not thinking, Ooh, I can't wait to get a reward from God, but it's not a coincidence that when we help someone in despair, when we fervently pray for others, when we give despite that meaning we might not have enough for ourselves, God always comes through to make sure we have more than enough.
For me, intercession feels like a win-megawin situation. I win because I get to partner with Jesus for my fellow men and women, and I megawin because through my work, my life is sustained and my blessings overflow.
Other Posts in The Secret of Intercession series
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