CALL TO INTERCESSION

by Marilyn Conrad

Back when we first began having groups standing for the healing of marriages I was dismayed because men would attend our meetings for several weeks or months, begin to receive healing and get God's vision for restoration, and then faint! Soon they would begin dating someone else and remarry. Their reasons always included: "I am just too lonely…I can't go without sex…I refuse to stand for a long time."

I spent time in prayer about the matter, asking the Lord why most men would not stand. I felt Him saying that women were created to "birth". Therefore it was natural for them to spend the necessary time in prayer to birth their healed marriages. It was then revealed to us that the women's strength and tenacity often intimidated men, many of them having abdicated their God-given roles as priests of their families. The enemy would tell them they could never become intercessors like women. Very few men had pastors or other men in leadership to provide the much needed role model. We praise God that He has since moved in this area through ministries such as Promise Keepers as well as more and more pastors who have begun challenging men to reclaim their rightful responsibility and authority.

I realized at that time that women had to pray and call forth men who would become intercessors to stand in the gap: men who would pray and birth miracles and become watchmen on the walls. Isaiah 63:6 NKJ

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the skillful wailing women, that they may come. Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run with tears, and our eyelids gush with water. For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion: How we are plundered! We are greatly ashamed, because we have forsaken the land, because we have been cast out of our dwellings." Jeremiah 9:17-21

In these passages of scripture the Lord calls for the mourning women: skillful wailing women, to pray so that repentance might come to the men…"that our eyes may run with tears and our eyelids gush with water." As women we must fulfill that call and pray for more men to take their rightful positions as priests of their households, to become watchmen on the walls, protecting their families from the attacks of the enemy.

God Raised Up Leaders

Many of us have been faithful to pray and call for men to come forth as intercessors. We rejoiced as God raised up men to lead our nation in prayer: men such as C. Peter Wagner, Dick Eastman, Bill Bright, Dutch Sheets and many others. Within Covenant Keepers we have also seen God begin to raise up men as intercessors. We are also blessed to have pastors who are preaching and teaching about intercession and spiritual warfare, training and equipping the body of Christ.

Although in chapter 9 Jeremiah is speaking of Judah, we can make the application to our homes and families. Verse 19 says, "How we are plundered! We are greatly ashamed, because we have forsaken the land, because we have been cast out of our dwellings."

In Isaiah 62:4 land is translated Beulah or married. Divorce has caused many to be cast out of their dwellings. The older, mature women must teach the younger women to wail and lament over this tragedy. Jeremiah 9:20

Divorce Destroys

According to verse 21, "death has come through our windows." Divorce can utterly destroy a marriage and a family if someone doesn't understand they have a covenant right and responsibility to stand on God's Word and stop the devil's destruction. Divorce can kill the one-flesh relationship that a husband and wife have. One-flesh is a living, breathing entity in the spirit and when it is destroyed, the ripping and tearing produces much pain and agony.

However, what divorce and separation does to the children is almost as devastating (Jeremiah 9:21). Suicide and death by drugs and alcohol has reached an all-time high among teens. Rebellion by the young runs rampant in countries that have accepted a divorce mentality. I heard it said once that rebellion is simply the outer manifestation of a broken heart. Divorce between parents produces broken hearts in our children and teens that many times results in open rebellion. Rebellion is also a sign of lost respect for authority, and children often lose respect for their parents who are not true to their words.

Our prayers are so needed at this time…for our mates, our children and all of our nations.

God Will Heal Our Land

In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God says, "If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

So I want to encourage the women to continue to become skillful in intercession. Wail and make petitions for the men to repent and come forth and take their rightful places, not only as head of their households but to man the walls and stand in the gap.

I also want to welcome those men who have already accepted the call of God to stand, pray and intercede for their marriages. Pray for and be an example to the men around you as well. Most of all, take your God-given place as spiritual head of your family and give them a picture of God the Father and Jesus the Bridegroom through your life. I challenge you to fulfill God's purpose for your life and the commitment you made when you said your wedding vows. Stand guard on the wall of your home, your church and your community.

Each of us, men and women, must stand in the gap that the enemy has breached until we behold the salvation of the Lord!