Ineffective Intercessors?

In a recent conversation with my son Andrew, I mentioned a thought I had concerning the subject of intercession in the life of a Believer. He encouraged me to write on the subject. I have been hesitant because of the fact, personally, I have never heard or read anything on the topic. But as the old saying goes, “There’s a first for everything.”

Some weeks ago I was mulling over in my mind the ministry of intercessory prayer. How it works so effectively at times, but at other times seems so ineffective. Because of this, many of God’s dear saints lose heart thinking something is out of sorts in their life. Though this can be the case at times, generally speaking, it is not. The problem lies with the one prayed for.

I believe this perplexing difficulty is solved by a little saying I think the Lord gave me. “There must be a cooperation with the intercessor for his or her prayers to to be answered.” When Jesus interceded for those at the Cross, asking God to forgive them, God did so AFTER they repented and asked for forgiveness at Pentecost. This truth is seen throughout the Bible.

Samuel's intercession for Saul was ineffective because Saul was unwilling to cooperate on his end. If you ask someone to pray that you’ll get work, you need to get out and hit the pavement. A young man hearing Hudson Taylor’s testimony on prayer asked, “Mr. Taylor will you pray I’ll get up at 5a.m.?” To which he answered, “Yes, if you’ll put one foot on the floor first.”