Prayer Journal

One of the most critical foundations in the ministry of intercession is the foundation of grace. We must have a firm understanding of our identity in Christ if we are going to persevere in prayer over the long term. The enemy of our soul will continually work to undermine this identity and when he is successful we will struggle in the place of prayer.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  -Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)

We come before a throne of grace, not a throne of religion. We are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. We are a new creation through Christ and are declared to be children of God who are not only allowed to come before God but are desired and welcomed by our Father in Heaven.

That is our legal position before God but so often our living condition is far from the degree of obedience that we desire. This raises the question of what do we do when we have grieved the Holy Spirit through our sin? For example, how often do couples and families have an argument on Sunday morning as they are getting ready to go to church? It is at times like that where the enemy seeks to come in and sow condemnation into our hearts and minds. We feel like a hopeless hypocrite who cannot possibly worship or pray to God.

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. - 1 John 3:21-22 (NIV)

The problem is that very often out hearts DO condemn us. This is what the enemy is trying to create in us and nothing will shut down our prayer life like condemnation in our hearts. Many of us have heard the words of the apostle Paul who wrote that ‘there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…’ (Rms 8:1) We may know in our minds that there is no condemnation but usually our hearts still bear the weight of feeling condemned.

One of the most powerful declarations about our spiritual identity was written by the apostle John:

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! -1 Jn. 3:1

Anyone who desires to engage in the ministry of intercession must continually bathe their hearts and minds in the reality of their new identity as the beloved of God. Without a devotional dimension to our prayer lives where we reconnect with the truth of who we are to God and in God, it is only a matter of time until we burn out in intercession.

I will talk more in Pt. 2 about some specific action steps to respond to this kind of attack of condemnation. Right now I want to encourage you to stop and take some time to pray about your identity as a beloved child of God. Pray and thank God that you are His child and ask Him to speak the reality of that into your heart.

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