The Rise Of Intercessors by Pastor Dolapo Lawal: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Key That Turns Everything: Intercession

Job 42:10 — And the Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Job found this key in chapter 42 after 42 chapters of suffering. He could have shortened the whole thing. The turning point was intercession — praying for others.

Anything you pray about for somebody, it cannot fail to come to you. The husbandman is the first partaker. The laborer is worthy of his wages. If you labor in prayer for somebody concerning barrenness, you cannot be barren. You have already fought that battle ahead of yourself. The husbandman is first.

The Nature of New Testament Prayer Is Intercessory

Ephesians 1:15–18 — Paul's prayer for the church. The content of that prayer — that God would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation, that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened — is something most people pray for themselves. But the nature of the prayer is intercessory. It was for others.

Colossians 1:9 — same pattern. Paul was praying for the saints.

You have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. He has given you all things that pertain to life and godliness. If you believe that, then be an outreach. The glory of Jesus is not dying for his glory — it is being seen. Greatness is found in others. You will be great when you are for others.

When you are praying for yourself, people pray loud. The moment it becomes prayer for others, people pull back. That is the selfish sin nature revealing itself.

Intercession Opens Spiritual Eyes

If you are a prophet and you are not an intercessor, what you are carrying is the spirit of divination. Intercession is what opens your spiritual eyes. There is no intercessor who is not prophetic.

Every person who operates at a high level of utterance in the word of God — without exception — is an intercessor. When you pray for people and then appear before them, you will release a download because your intercession was an upload. God speaks through you not because of who you are, but because you have done what it takes for them to receive.

There is a level of explanation and a level of utterance that goes beyond Bible study. Even a spiritually dull person can tell the difference — something is moving here that is not just scholarship. The key is intercession.

Have you ever heard a sermon and thought: this is exactly what I needed right now — how did they know? It was not a questionnaire. It was not strategy. It was the place of prayer. A message is not deep if you do not need it. It can be simple — but if it meets you at your breaking point, it is yours. That is what intercession does for a teaching ministry.

What changes a teaching ministry into a prophetic ministry is intercession. You do not pray: God, use me — give me a good message. You pray: Lord, minister to them. The intercession is not for the minister. It is for the people.

Intercession as the Pathway to Mandate

If you want a position or something so badly, pray it for others first. Before God told Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the promised land, Joshua had to want them inside. If you want them inside, you are fit to lead them. Once your heart is pure towards helping others, the mandate God wants to give to help them has to belong to you.

You intercede for nations before you go to nations.

Any marriage that is struggling — the couples are not interceding for each other. In the place of intercession you begin to see people as they really are in the spirit, and that sight explains why they behave the way they do. You are not excusing it — but seeing it changes how you respond.

Anna: The Pattern of the Intercessor

Luke 2:36–38 — There was a woman who had been married for seven years from her virginity, then her husband died. She lived as a widow for 84 years. She did not depart from the temple but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. Coming in that instant, she gave thanks and spoke of him to all who looked for redemption in Israel.

There were 430 years of prophetic silence. Anna was hearing a promise — he is coming — and she prayed God down for 84 years. Intercession is work. She used 84 years to build the pathway in prayer for God to manifest.

When whatever you are praying for finally comes, you will recognize it. She saw Jesus and said: this is the Messiah, the consolation of Israel.

There were other people in the temple. But God's prophetess was Anna. She was not popular. John was popular — crowds flooded to the wilderness to hear him. Anna was not known to anyone. But she was well known in heaven.

Simeon also — God told him: you will not die until you see the consolation of Israel. When you pray to that level, God says: don't worry. I promise you will see that your prayer worked.

When the time came to dedicate the Son of God, it was not the chief priest who did it. It was intercessors. The people praying in obscurity were the ones God called by name for that moment.

If God can make an intercessor out of your life, you are made.