The Gaining of Specific Intercessory Objectives

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But, it makes such a difference if we have come to know this intercessory way of the priest and are not just going blindly along it (which we probably all do in our early “little children, young men” days). We then know that the ultimate of an intercession is the gaining of it. Prayer may, intercession must! But this means we cannot rest or lay down our arms of faith until it has been gained. This may be part of our “death,” for we are taking no “no” in the commission. When we haven’t understood this, then we may speak of our calling or ministry as “called to be faithful, but not necessarily successful.” But no! We hear God’s word to Joshua picking up Moses1 commission, “then thou shalt have good success. I have personally walked this way since the Spirit revealed that to me even in my college days. I couldn’t take it when I heard an annual report of some ministry described as faithful but not successful.

This is also where the declaration of faith that God is bringing something to pass, not yet visible, is a form of the death. Rees Howells had this “commission,” in the early days of World War II when confronted with all the might of Hider and Mussolini, to see and say God would destroy those dictators and open the world to the gospel. In the power and spirit confirmation of the word of faith given them and declared by them, they held the celebration of the end of the war just at the time when Hider’s panzers broke through into Holland and Belgium, seized France and threatened Britain!! No wonder the public papers called him a false prophet, and the majority of God’s people, ignorant of the fundamental principle of intercession, said the same, and some to this day. But read Doris Ruscoe’s little book The Intercession of Rees Howells (Zerubbabel Press), and trace that warfare of faith through to its amazing, almost unbelievable open doors and vast worldwide response to the gospel today, far “more exceeding abundantly above” what Rees Howells himself “asked or thought.” Intercession is The Intercessor Himself, The Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:27), operating in us/as us, in His whole divine process of Commission, Cost, Completion. It will so often appear to us in our appearance-humanity that it is we caught up in the commission, we who are torn apart by some forms of dying–certainly usually through our reputation as fanatics and sometimes physically and materially. But, the Spirit then reminds us, “These are the sufferings of Christ by you (1 Pet. 4:13). This is He manifesting His resurrection life by you (2 Cor. 4:11).” For “we” are really He; there is no separated “we.