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Summary
God is raising up a spiritual priesthood whose life is centered in worship, relationship with Christ, and intercession. This priesthood is not simply another ministry position; it represents a deeper level of spiritual maturity in which believers become joined to Christ and participate in His continuing intercession before the Father. The discussion emphasizes that intercession is not primarily learned through teaching or produced through human effort. It is an expression of Christ within us, brought forth by the Holy Spirit as we grow in relationship and oneness with Him.
Intercession goes beyond ordinary prayer. Prayer may involve bringing requests before God, while intercession can become a spiritual declaration, proclamation, or standing in the gap on behalf of another person or even all creation. The intercessor listens to the Holy Spirit, receives what is on the Father’s heart, and becomes a channel through whom God’s will is expressed.
True intercession flows out of resting in God’s presence. As believers become one with Christ, they begin to express what He is expressing. At times this may come through words, tongues, prophetic utterance, groaning, or even a wordless burden carried before the Father. The goal is not merely solving individual problems, but seeing people released from futility, brought into relationship with the Father, and ultimately seeing the Kingdom of God established in the earth.
Show Notes
The Priesthood Grows Out of Spiritual Maturity
The ministry gifts—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—lead believers toward the fullness of Christ. The discussion presents priesthood as a further expression of that maturity: a people filled with Christ who stand before God and intercede for His creation.
Intercession Is Essential to God’s Purpose
Intercession is presented as essential to breaking through the futility and resistance of the age. Rather than being an optional spiritual exercise, it becomes part of how God’s sons participate in what He is accomplishing.
It Is God’s Work, Not Human Initiative
Intercession cannot simply be manufactured through discipline or technique. God places the burden within the heart, and the Holy Spirit brings believers into the actual functioning of intercession.
Standing in the Gap
Intercession means standing before God on behalf of another. It creates an opening for people to respond to God and for obstacles to their relationship with Him to be removed.
Prayer and Intercession Are Not Always the Same
Prayer can involve asking God for something. Intercession often moves beyond asking into declaring, proclaiming, travailing, or carrying God’s own burden before Him.
Intercession Begins in His Presence
The foundation is not intensity but relationship. Believers rest in Christ’s presence, hear His heart, and then participate in His intercession as He anoints them.
Intercession Is an Expression of Oneness With Christ
As we grow closer to Christ, His burden becomes our burden. Intercession becomes the natural outflow of a deeper relationship with Him rather than something we are trying to perform.
The Holy Spirit Gives the Utterance
Sometimes intercession comes through understanding, sometimes through tongues, prophetic speaking, or spiritual groaning. The intercessor may not fully understand what is being expressed but trusts the Holy Spirit to give utterance.
Interceding for the Whole Person
True intercession does not assume that we know exactly what God should do. Instead of focusing only on an immediate need, the intercessor holds the entire person before the Lord and seeks His will for their life.
Intercession Can Exist Without Words
There are times when intercession becomes something deeper than language. A believer can simply carry a person or situation before the Father in spirit. Groanings may express what words cannot.
The Goal Is the Kingdom of God
The ultimate purpose of priestly intercession is larger than individual answers to prayer. It reaches toward the redemption of creation and the establishment of God’s Kingdom in the earth.
Quotes
- “Without being in that place of intercession and prayer, nothing moves forward.”
- “It’s not about learning about it, it’s about functioning in it.”
- “Intercession to me is standing in the gap for someone else and creating an open door to the Lord.”
- “Intercession is just an expression of a deeper relationship with Christ.”
- “If you’re one with the Lord, you’re gonna be expressing what He’s expressing.”
- “We become one, and we stand in His presence, and then He fills us.”
- “It is entirely a thing of spirit.”
- “You just are that before the Father.”
- “The culmination of our intercession is the establishment of the Kingdom of God on this earth.”
Scriptural References
Hebrews 7(24-25) — Christ continues forever as our High Priest and ever lives to make intercession. This is one of the strongest scriptural foundations for the discussion’s emphasis on joining Christ in His continuing intercession.
Hebrews 5(5-10)— The priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek is specifically discussed in the transcript.
Ephesians 4(11-13) — Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are given for the equipping of the saints until the Body reaches the fullness of Christ.
Romans 8(19-23) — Creation groans and waits for the revealing of the sons of God, connecting strongly with the discussion of creation being released from futility.
Romans 8(26-27) — The Spirit helps our weakness and intercedes with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. This directly reflects the discussion concerning tongues, groaning, and Spirit-led intercession.
Romans 8(34) — Christ is at the right hand of God making intercession for us.
1Corinthians 14(14-15) — Paul speaks of praying both with the spirit and with the understanding, reflecting the conversation about prayer with understanding and prayer in the Spirit.
John 17(20-23) — Jesus’ prayer for believers to become one, supporting the emphasis that intercession flows from oneness with Christ.
Philippians 2(12-13) — God works within His people both to will and to do His good pleasure, fitting the discussion that intercession is God’s workmanship rather than human initiative.
Ezekiel 22(30) — God searches for someone who will stand in the gap, a central definition of intercession used throughout the discussion.
Hebrews 4(9-11) — Entering God’s rest, connecting with the statement that intercession begins from resting in His presence.
Revelation 1(5-6) — Christ has made His people kings and priests unto God.
1Peter 2(5,9) — Believers are described as a holy and royal priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices to God.
Takeaway
Intercession is more than asking God to change circumstances. It is a priestly way of life that grows out of oneness with Christ. As we rest in His presence, listen to the Holy Spirit, and allow Christ’s heart to become our heart, His intercession begins to flow through us.
Sometimes it comes through prayer, sometimes through declarations, tongues, prophetic utterance, groaning, or even silence before the Father. We do not have to manufacture it. Our responsibility is to remain open, available, and joined to Christ so that He can express His heart through us.
The ultimate purpose of this intercession is the release of people and creation from futility and the establishment of God’s Kingdom in the earth.
Transcript
Intercession: the life of a Priesthood
Ron:
Hi, I'm Ron, your host, and welcome to Live Behind the Veil. Today, we're talking about something that goes much deeper than simply praying for a need. We're talking about intercession as a way of life, a priesthood that grows out of our relationship and oneness with Christ. As we come into His presence and begin to know His heart, we find ourselves carrying the things that are on His heart.
Sometimes that comes through prayer, sometimes through tongues or groaning, prophetic declarations, and sometimes it may be just simply standing before the Father for someone else. In this podcast, we talk about what it means to stand in the gap, to be led by the Holy Spirit, and to join Christ in His intercession for people and for all creation.
So join us as we talk about intercession, the life of a priesthood.
Dale:
When we talk about the priests that God is raising up in this day, we go to the New Testament, and we go to the book of Hebrews, and we see that Paul talked to the Hebrews about the priesthood ministry as we see it in the coming day. We know about apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers lead us into the fullness of Christ.
It doesn't stop there. The fullness of Christ leads us into the priesthood. We started out as apostles and prophets, et cetera, and it's a growth. The gift ministries did not stop with apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastors and teachers. The gift ministries continued. Those gift ministries were filled with Christ from on high.
The priest is a gift ministry, and that ministry was to be those who intercede night and day for all creation. The culmination of the cry of the Father To have what He wanted
Ron:
I think it's becoming more real to people's hearts that without being in that place of intercession and prayer, nothing moves forward.
And the futility of the age is so strong, the only thing that will break that is going to be intercession from the sons.
Ken:
I believe that intercession is part of the workmanship of Christ mentioned in Philippians chapter 2, because this isn't something we're doing based on human initiative.
This is something that God brings us and reveals to our hearts, and it's not about learning about it, it's about functioning in it.
Because I think the Lord is wanting all of his creation to work. It's not by our works, it's about His works. The Word brings us to a place where we almost automatically intercede because of the necessity of intercession. There are many times that the anointing comes to intercede and brings a fresh revelation of what intercession is.
I know that whoever the author was of Hebrews, and a lot- it's men- many mention that it may be Paul, but he talks about Melchizedek, and Melchizedek is one without a beginning and without an end, and he was a prime example of an intercessor.
Dale:
One of the things about intercession is the intercession that we're moving into is an intercession of fulfillment.
We're not leaving up to choice what can happen. We are creating the fulfillment of the heart of the Father by joining His Son as fellow heirs to the throne in the intercession that makes it happen
Debbie:
I wonder if everyone understands what intercession is. Intercession to me is standing in the gap for someone else and creating an open door to the Lord, to the Father, so that they can become, and to release all creation from its futility.
Is it prayer? No, not entirely. Prayer may be on a different level, because prayer is more of a asking of God, talking to Him about it, whereas intercession becomes a declaration, a proclamation that's intense before the Father that just declares those, those things that hinder the relationship with the Lord for people come down, that they be ended, and that the lordship of Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God, be established.
So I think that's part of what a intercessor and a priest is, breaking it loose for the people to be able to walk into the kingdom.
Ken:
Honestly, the lordship of Jesus Christ, and that's where everything begins is our place of resting in His presence. And in His presence, not only is it fullness of joy but we engage in the intercession with Him as He anoints us to speak His word. It can be very creative. It can be individualized. It can be generalized. But intercession, I believe, is something God puts in our hearts. We can't be taught into this. This is something that the Holy Spirit brings us into, and no amount of study or anything will create that.
This is coming from Revelation. I believe as we connect with the lordship of Jesus Christ, knowing Him, He connects us into the Father. That's so true. Jesus ever lives to make intercession, so if we're connected to Him, what are we gonna do, folks?
Ron:
Intercession is just an expression of a deeper relationship with Christ.
We're relating to the Lord, and He draws us closer to Him, draws us deeper into His heart. Of course, if you're one with the Lord, you're gonna be expressing what He's expressing.
So it becomes a outflow. And I think you're right, Ken. You can't be taught into it.
This is something of a, totally of spirit, and it's an impartation from the Lord Himself into our hearts. A lot of times, at least at this level, it's definitely by revelation. Many times you'll be into a flow of intercession, and you'll be speaking things as way above your own understanding or conscious mind.
So it is revelation that's coming through you. And also, honestly, a lot will be supported by tongues. That can change into a prophetic utterance.
Debbie:
It's coming in and being a channel, opening up your spirit to the Lord because of your relationship with Him, with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
We become one, and we stand in His presence, and then He fills us. We go into tongues many times, because we do not know how to pray as we ought.
So we pray in tongues, and then maybe we stop and intercede because the Lord's given us something that He wants us to speak. He makes it real to your heart, and you speak it.
As you speak it, you're interceding. You're creating. You're being a channel for Him just to flow. It is entirely a thing of spirit.
Dale:
One of the definitions of intercession is standing in the gap. And the intercession that, that Yahshua Messiah is making is for all creation. That's hard to conceive and to give definition to, but it's something that we grow in, and that's what the main gift of the Holy Spirit is to lead us.
What our whole drive is to fulfill what God has raised us up to be, and that is ultimately is to be worshipers. And those who stand in the gap and listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying, we go before the Father on behalf of a situation. And that's just a part of it. It's living as sons to the Father.
Ken:
I know intercession has another keynote, too. The way we intercede, we hear the need, and it lays upon our hearts, and we present that to the Lord.
Maybe not verbally, but with our spirits. There is a way of interceding with our spirits that's beyond our understanding of how to speak that that word that's going to set people free or bring healing or whatever.
And sometimes it's not even about healing when somebody's really sick, because maybe the Lord is doing something different in that person.
And so intercession is not just about the specific need but about the whole person, how the Lord is moving in their lives. It's a cry of our hearts to hold these people before the Lord in our hearts, before the Lord in spirit.
It's a whole different thing as far as intercession that, that may be taught people about how to intercede. It is intercession.
Sherry:
I was just thinking about how Christ is still sitting at the Father's right hand- ever-living to make intercession. Why isn't he down here? Because we look at everything and we go, "Why aren't you here, Lord?
Because everything down here is a mess. We need you down here." I'm just looking at what he said, "I know the Father." I just feel like he has had to stay with the Father because there are millions, maybe billions, who still need His prayers.
He provides the blood, and he takes it to the Father so that the people that he intercedes for can have a relationship with the Father.
The Father is the Savior. The Father, honestly, is the Savior. Christ was the sacrifice, and the Father is the Savior. I just feel like there's so many that He's interceding for because he's listening to our prayers, too.
Ron:
We're trying to define something in reality that the spirit of intercession can be without words.
You just are that before the Father. That's what Christ is. That's what He is. He's He is that before the Father.
Ken:
I'm reminded of Paul when he talked about prayer. He said, "I'll pray with the understanding. I'll pray in tongues, and sometimes I'll just groan so deeply- ... because I have no way of expressing the thing that I'm feeling, but it's coming through the Spirit."
And I think there's something in that. I know that all of us have had things come up. We'll be praying, and it's not intense enough, and something it just grips our heart, and we begin to groan, with the Spirit and just- ... bringing it before the Lord and saying, "Lord, I don't know how to express this."
"But you understand the groanings of my spirit, the intensity of what I'm feeling about this thing."
Dale:
I like what you were saying, Sherry, because the culmination of our intercession is the establishment of the Kingdom of God on this earth. That's why He has raised up a priesthood. That's why He raised up His Son, the channel by which all creation can benefit with the opportunity of turning themselves to the Lord.
Everything that you created is to be redeemed into your kingdom.
Ron:
Intercession really comes down to relationship. The closer we come to Christ, the more His heart becomes our heart. We begin to feel what He feels, carry what He gives us to carry, and stand before the Father for others. We don't always have to understand what is happening or even know the right words to say.
The Holy Spirit knows, and He can lead us in prayer, in tongues, in groanings, or simply quietly holding someone before the Lord. God is raising up a priesthood that will live this way, not just occasionally, but a way of life. Thank you for joining us today on Live Behind the Veil. We pray that this podcast encourages you to draw closer to the Lord, listen for His heart, and become a willing channel of His intercession in the Earth.