Learn to feel the emptiness of many around you. That’s God’s call for intercession.  Now pray for them!

You could say that I carry a strain of ‘intercession’ in my DNA!

My grandfather worked for the Railway Express Agency for almost 40 years. At least that’s where he garnered his wages to take care of his family. But his real ministry was in Chicago’s Skid Road and places around the world he never visited except in prayer.

He would single-handedly conduct street meetings among the most inebriated of Chicago’s worst downtown neighborhoods. At home his prayer list contained the names of over 620 missionaries from around the world. This list he would pray for regularly, without fail or discouragement. I have his tiny ‘prayer journal’ notebook in my possession.

My Dad’s preaching/devotional Bible is also in my possession. His tears made permanent stains on many of its pages as he interceded for the needs of people he pastored and unreached people from around the world.

Joanie’s mother (my true ‘mother-in-love’) was a remarkable woman of prayer. Her prayer list contained everyone from the current president and cabinet, down through her state politicians and city employees including the city’s dog collector! She also prayed for every neighbor in a several block area.

Peg’s prayer life also included a systematic trip to every nation of the world, praying for their president, king, monarch or dictator. She believed that when she prayed – God listened and responded.

It’s not surprising for me to consider intercessory prayer my primary ministry responsibility. What about you? You may not have physical DNA propelling you into prayer, but the Christian life is not complete without each of us feeling ‘called’ into intercessory prayer, prayers that reach out to others, praying for God to reveal Himself to them and draw them into relationship with Himself.

Our world and culture desperately needs caring people who are willing to pick up someone else’s burden and carry it in prayer to the throne room of our Heavenly Father. There are people in your life who urgently need to be on someone’s prayer list. Their burdens are heavy, their vision is blurry. They lack hope and a future.

Put a 3” X 5” card in your Bible and start adding names to it. Make it a habit daily to lift them in prayer. Start expecting God to enlarge that list.

Now watch for answers in their lives. Those answers are the result of prayer.

“Here are my directions: Pray much for others; plead for God’s mercy upon them;

 give thanks for all he is going to do for them.” I Timothy 2:1 TLB