The Ministry of Intercession

A Plea for More Prayer

Andrew Murray

• Publisher: Aneko Press
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781622453405
• Topic: Theology & Religion

If the answer to prayer is so positively promised in scripture, why are there so many unanswered prayers today (often misinterpreted as a "no")? Scripture teaches us that answer to prayer depends upon certain conditions. Christ spoke of faith, of perseverance, of praying in His name, of praying in the will of God. But all these conditions were summed up in the one central statement: If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. It becomes clear that the power to pray the effectual prayer of faith depends upon the life.Let Andrew Murray show you what it means to live in Christ, and let his challenge for genuine intercessory prayer change your life – and the lives of those you are praying for.

The Ministry of INTERCESSION

A Plea for More Prayer

Andrew Murray

I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night; ye that make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent and give him no rest, until he establishes, and until he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
– Isaiah 62:6-7

This volume is affectionately dedicated to my brethren in the ministry and other fellow-laborers in the gospel, whom it was my privilege to meet in the conventions at Langlaagte, Johannesburg, Heilbron, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, King William’s Town, Port Elizabeth, and Stellenbosch.

Contents

Introduction

Ch. 1: The Lack of Prayer

Ch. 2: The Ministration of the Spirit and Prayer

Ch. 3: A Model of Intercession

Ch. 4: Because of His Importunity

Ch. 5: The Life That Can Pray

Ch. 6: Restraining Prayer – Is It Sin?

Ch. 7: Who Shall Deliver?

Ch. 8: Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?

Ch. 9: The Secret of Effectual Prayer

Ch. 10: The Spirit of Supplication

Ch. 11: In the Name of Christ

Ch. 12: My God Will Hear Me

Ch. 13: Paul a Pattern of Prayer

Ch. 14: God Seeks Intercessors

Ch. 15: The Coming Revival

Helps to Intercession

31-Day Prayer Plan

About the Author

The Ministry of Intercession

There is no holy service

But hath its secret bliss:

Yet, of all blessed ministries,

Is one so dear as this?

The ministry that cannot be

A wondering seraph’s dower,

Enduing mortal weakness

With more than angel-power;

The ministry of purest love

Uncrossed by any fear,

That bids us meet at the Master’s feet

And keeps us very near.

God’s ministers are many,

For this His gracious will,

Remembrancers that day and night

This holy office fill.

While some are hushed in slumber,

Some to fresh service wake,

And thus the saintly number

No change or chance can break.

And thus the sacred courses

Are evermore fulfilled,

The tide of grace, By time or place

Is never stayed or stilled.

Oh, if our ears were opened

To hear as angels do

The Intercession-chorus

Arising full and true,

We should hear it soft up-welling

In morning’s pearly light,

Through evening’s shadows swelling

In grandly gathering might,

The sultry silence filling

Of noontide’s thunderous glow,

And the solemn starlight thrilling

With ever deepening flow.

We should hear it through the rushing

Of the city’s restless roar,

And trace its gentle gushing

O’er ocean’s crystal floor:

We should hear it far up-floating

Beneath the Orient moon,

And catch the golden noting

From the busy Western noon;

And pine-robed heights would echo

As the mystic chant up-floats,

And the sunny plain resound again

With the myriad-mingling notes.

Who are the blessed ministers

Of this world-gathering band?

All who have learnt One language,

Through each far-parted land;

All who have learnt the story

Of Jesus’ love and grace,

And are longing for His glory

To shine in every face.

All who have known the Father

In Jesus Christ our Lord,

And know the might and love the light

Of the Spirit in the Word.

Yet there are some who see not

Their calling high and grand,

Who seldom pass the portals,

And never boldly stand

Before the golden altar

On the crimson-stained floor,

Who wait afar and falter,

And dare not hope for more.

Will ye not join the blessed ranks

In their beautiful array?

Let intercession blend with thanks

As ye minister today!

There are little ones among them

Child-ministers of prayer,

White robes of intercession

Those tiny servants wear.

First for the near and dear ones

Is that fair ministry,

Then for the poor black children,

So far beyond the sea.

The busy hands are folded,

As the little heart uplifts

In simple love, to God above,

Its prayer for all good gifts.

There are hands too often weary

With the business of the day,

With God-entrusted duties,

Who are toiling while they pray.

They bear the golden vials,

And the golden harps of praise,

Through all the daily trials,

Through all the dusty ways,

These hands, so tired, so faithful,

With odours sweet are filled,

And in the ministry of prayer

Are wonderfully skilled.

There are ministers unlettered,

Not of Earth’s great and wise,

Yet mighty and unfettered

Their eagle-prayers arise.

Free of the heavenly storehouse!

For they hold the master-key

That opens all the fullness

Of God’s great treasury.

They bring the needs of others,

And all things are their own,

For their one grand claim is Jesus’ name

Before their Father’s throne.

There are noble Christian workers,

The men of faith and power,

The overcoming wrestlers

Of many a midnight hour;

Prevailing princes with their God,

Who will not be denied,

Who bring down showers of blessing

To swell the rising tide.

The Prince of Darkness quaileth

At their triumphant way,

Their fervent prayer availeth

To sap his subtle sway.

But in this Temple-service

Are sealed and set apart

Arch-priests of intercession,

Of undivided heart.

The fulness of anointing

On these is doubly shed,

The consecration of their God

Is on each low-bowed head.

They bear the golden vials

With white and trembling hand

In quiet room or wakeful gloom

These ministers must stand,—

To the Intercession-Priesthood

Mysteriously ordained,

When the strange dark gift of suffering

This added gift hath gained.

For the holy hands uplifted

In suffering’s longest hour

Are truly Spirit-gifted

With intercession-power.

The Lord of Blessing fills them

With His uncounted gold,

An unseen store, still more and more,

Those trembling hands shall hold.

Not always with rejoicing

This ministry is wrought,

For many a sigh is mingled

With the sweet odours brought.

Yet every tear bedewing

The faith-fed altar fire

May be its bright renewing

To purer flame, and higher.

But when the oil of gladness

God graciously outpours,

The heavenward blaze, with blended praise,

More mightily upsoars.

So the incense-cloud ascendeth

As through calm, crystal air,

A pillar reaching unto heaven,

Of wreathed faith and prayer.

For evermore the Angel

Of Intercession stands

In His Divine High Priesthood,

With fragrance-filled hands,

To wave the golden censer

Before His Father’s throne,

With Spirit-fire intenser,

And incense all His own.

And evermore the Father

Sends radiantly down

All-marvellous responses,

His ministers to crown;

The incense-cloud returning

As golden blessing-showers,

We in each drop discerning

Some feeble prayer of ours,

Transmuted into wealth unpriced,

By Him who giveth thus

The glory all to Jesus Christ,

The gladness all to us!

– Frances Ridley Havergal (September 1877)

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Introduction

I have been asked by a friend, who heard of this book being published, what the difference would be between it and the previous one on the same subject, With Christ in the School of Prayer. An answer to that question may be the best introduction I can give to the present volume.

Any acceptance the former work has had must be attributed, as far as the contents go, to the prominence given to two great truths. The one was the certainty that prayer will be answered. There is with some people an idea ...