Why Does Intercession Matter?
Let’s look first at the story of Hezekiah in 2 Kings. In chapter 19 we find ourselves in the beginning stages of a battle. Hezekiah is the King of Jerusalem and he receives a letter from Sennacherib, the King of Assyria stating that he is going to take over Jerusalem and nothing can stop him — not even God. Keep in mind that the Assyrians had been plundering kingdom after kingdom without defeat. To put it simply, Sennacherib was saying, “You’re next.” Think about how confident an enemy must be to warn an opponent about the battle before it begins. This is a formidable enemy.
What did Hezekiah do?
“Hezekaih received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord … ‘Incline Your ear, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.’”
— 2 Kings 19:14–16
We know that God sees everything, He sees our pain. So why does Hezekiah ask God to “hear” and “see” the letter? When we look at those words a little bit closer they take on a new meaning. The Hebrew word for “hear” is šāmaʿ and does not merely mean to hear, but also to listen. The Hebrew word for “see” is rā’â and does not just mean to see, but also to look. This is the difference between prayer and intercession. Prayer encompasses many things — it can be a request, but it can also be simply talking with God. Intercession is a more specific form because it is prayer with a specific purpose. It is saying, “God, don’t just hear my prayers, don’t just see my struggles — be moved by them.” An intercessor's prayer evokes a reply, whatever that reply might be.
By asking God to move we are not telling Him what to do, rather, we are demonstrating our faith. We are saying that He is able. Intercession is when faith aligns with God’s will, and when this takes place the miraculous happens. This miracle has a direct impact on the direction of our lives.
What is unique about Hezekiah’s enemy here is that it was the Assyrians. The Bible doesn’t mince words. Every enemy has a name and every name has a meaning. “Assyria” in Hebrew actually means “step.” When we take this into consideration it reveals a deeper revelation about this story. Every enemy we face tries to be a barrier to where God is calling us. What intercession does is enable God’s power in our lives to go before us and turn those barriers into steps that propel us towards God’s purpose for our lives. An intercessor's job can seem stagnant, prayer itself is outwardly still, but its impact on the supernatural is anything but motionless.
Through intercession, Hezekiah stood in between the intimidation of his enemy and the power of His God and saw victory.
Image by Павло Павлюк via Unsplash