I urge you first of all to pray for all people. Ask God to help them, intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 1 Timothy 2:1

In this article I’m going to drop out of professor mode and just share from my heart.

God has really been speaking to me lately about intercession.

Worship and intercession go together like peanutbutter and jelly, eggs and bacon, burger and fries.

Sorry vegans, I love all that stuff. OK those may not not the best metaphors.

But here’s the point. In much of our spiritual understanding, and in many of our church contexts – there is way too much separation between the ministries of “music” and “prayer”.

We need more overlap and less compartmentalization.

We need more worship musicians and singers who are prayer warriors, and put on the intercessors mantle.

Here’s a conglomeration of my thoughts on worship and intercession.

What is Worship?

Frequently I describe the idea of “worship” with phrases like these:

  • Worship is response to the revelation of God.
  • Worship is God’s love language.
  • Worship is all about relationship.
  • Worship is a conversation.
  • We sing our prayers, worship songs are often sung prayers.
  • Worship is prayer from humans to God.
  • Worship is agreeing with and declaring the truth about who God is and what He is like.
  • The big “W” in worship is about the vertical relationship – man to God / God to man.
  • Worship is communion. It is being close to God.
  • Worship is intimacy.

What is Intercession?

  • Intercession is a conversation.
  • Intercession is prayer.
  • Intercession is agreeing with what God has promised to do. Declaring what He will do.
  • Intercession has a lot to do with the horizontal relationship – it’s about seeing human need and asking God to get involved.
  • Other words like supplication and  petition describe this idea of advocacy.
  • Like a lawyer who pleads our case before the judge, the intercessor gets involved in our need and asks God – please do something.

So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man[a] returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” Luke 18:8

The role of music.

  • Music can touch the human emotions like nothing else.
  • Music can help open up the human spirit to the presence of God.
  • Music can inspire the human soul to contend for the purposes of God.
  • There is something mysteriously true about the power of music to affect our spiritual sensitivity.
  • When worship music is genuinely “anointed” (that is, it has the favor of God in it, but that’s another post entirely), it is powerful.

A challenge for you.

Worship music dude or dudette – are you a prayer warrior?

Are you standing in the gap for others?

Are you contending for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?

Or are you more concerned about the music, the sound, and the response of people?

Intercession is not a special ministry just for the “God squad.”

I submit it’s part of the worshiper’s calling and responsibility, especially worship leaders.

Don’t be too cool for school.

Hey, I’m preaching to myself here, too.

Here’s how you can take action and help out your humble, lovable Worship Dude.

Join my intercessors prayer team.

I suspect my next mission trip is going to have spiritual warfare and we need some prayer warriors.

I’m going to setup a secret Facebook group with a private access intercessor’s prayer page. I will get personal and specific there about prayer needs.

If you are willing to come alongside my missions trips in intercession, I need you and would love to have your prayer support.

Just signup here [link coming] – or send me an e-mail [rob at robstill dot com]

To go deeper:

The International House of Prayer movement has modeled the convergence of worship and intercession non-stop (24-7 / 365) for over 12 years. If you’re not familiar with them, you can see their live web stream and a ton of teaching materials at ihop.org

Comments? We love comments! Leave yours below.

By the way, have you heard about my next missions trip to Sri Lanka? Read about it here. 

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