Issue Intercessors

*These intercession-types can be found in more detail in a book by 'Tommi Femrite-Elizabeth Alves - Karen Kaufman' called " Intercessors"

Issue Intercessors

Those who pray over issues will find that the Holy Spirit imprints an assignment on their souls/spirits. Sometimes issues flow out of their own hurts; other times the Lord simply drops a burden, like a seed, into the heart's soil and then pours out prayers to water it.

An 'issue' of intercession can be a lifetime assignment. Some intercessors who get burdens to pray for certain issues, will become involved in ministering to the very people involved in those issues: eg. Sex-trade workers, homosexuals, run-aways, pornography, violence against women . Othertimes, an issue of intercession can last just a season. The key is to be able to hear the Lord when we are to carry on, or when we are done and can release the burden.

Issue intercessors are those who stand against injustices. Their gift mix ( or as it can also be known, ' prayer-power mix) is often combined with mercy or warfare, to fight for those who can't fight for themselves. Only when LOVE is the driving force behind an issue intercessor is there enough passion to finish the assignment. Also..coming from a motivation of 'love' will help an issue intercessor from falling into cynicism, judgment or criticalness.

All issues eventually effect the family, and whatever affects the family will ultimately affect the nation and vice versa. Issue intercessors, therefore, will often prayerfully ban together to fight for changes in the laws that govern the nation .

Whether the issue is children, widows, singles, blended families, abortion, pornography, eduction, political concerns, gang violence, prostitution, or something else – the key to prayer for issues is to align with those who have the same focus and walk in agreement with those that are like minded. Otherwise, an issue intercessor can often themselves in prayer meetings whose goal is something different, and they become frustrated that no one is seeing the bigger picture OR they begin to feel isolated and out of 'sync' with the other prayer people around them.

One of the keys for an issue intercessor besides finding others who share the same burden, is to learn to adapt their gift of being seeing the bigger picture ( or the issue) in any prayer meeting, and being able to pray in that vein. How does the burden they carry, fit into the context of praying for their church, or city?

Pitfalls of Issue Intercessors:

-Focusing on the positive side of our prayer burden is only one way to discover your anointing. Have you noticed that our positive attributes also have a negative side? That is true of intercessors as well. The very strengths that can cause us to ride the wave of victory, can also be used to plunge us into discouragement and other problems. Align with the wrong people: those that have lost the love and redemption aspect of their prayer assignment and have fallen into negativism and criticalness – is just one of things we need to be aware of.

-Becoming frustrated or angry with others who do not share the burden over the same issues.
-Thinking our issue is the only important issue.
-Wearing the issue has a 'red badge of courage' that can lead to or turn into pride.
-Allowing the issue to become so consuming that the Lord begins to take second place.
-Wanting to rescue based on soulish love rather than a call of God.
-Exceeding the boundaries God has set for helping.
-Becoming so filled with gravity surrounding an issue that your spirit becomes dry and parched.
-Succumbing to guilt and confusion when the issues outweigh the number of laborers.
-Isolating from, rather than aligning with others who have the same call/issue to pray for.
-Praying for the praise of people rather than the praise of God – the one who assigned the issue in the first place.
-Losing your identity as first a son/daughter of God – and getting identity from the issue.

Are You an Issues Intercessor?
-Do injustices against others cause you to want to pray?
-Do you see people crying out in hopelessness and despair, when others don't?
-Are you a defender of any or all of the little children of the world?
-Can you think of something that makes you want to pound the table and weep?
-Can you think of something worth prayerfully fighting for, that flows out of your own, or someone else's hurtful experience? ( eg. Rape, violence, hunger, prejudice etc.)
-Has God provided you keys to open doors, into tightly locked hearts? If so, do you realize that you may be called to pray for those people?
-Do you find yourself hearing or watching things on the news ( or in the newspaper) that sends you into prayer?

Choose to spend time at Jesus' feet, speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves. Ask Him to fill you with love as you pray. Remember, that everything about God is 'redemption' – so even those who are a part of the problem, God may require of you to also pray for. Keep 'love' always in your heart as you pray...and He will fill your mouth with the prayers that move mountains: Ps.81:10 “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”