Many have asked the questions of, what is intercessory prayer, and how do certain types of prayer differ. Intercessory prayer in the simplest terms, is prayer on the behalf of others. The very word comes from a derivation of intercede. When one intercedes for another person they are putting themselves between that person and the situation, much like a mediator. A mediator is one who makes an effort to help two or more people or groups, who are in disagreement, come to terms with each other in the hopes of reconciling differences. Petitioning for someone who is in trouble, or going through a time of difficulty are the chief topics of intervening prayers. Christ can be looked at as a prime example since Jesus is the mediator between God and man.

As one prays they are essentially speaking with or coming to God with the belief that the Lord is listening. When most people think of praying the thought perceived is that the action is one of coming to Christ with personal wants and desires. This can leave people wondering, what is intercessory prayer? While there is nothing wrong with the afore mentioned viewpoint, the fact remains that the Lord encourages those who have accepted Him into their lives, to pray without ceasing; meaning to make mention of the Lord often and on a daily basis. However, coming to the Lord with praise and personal petitions are not the only point to prayer, on the contrary, words are to be sent to Heaven above for others as well. Those who come to God in intercessory prayer care not how one might or might not benefit from whatever the outcome may be. Instead people should pray that God's will be done, and that the purpose be accomplished however Christ sees fit. Christians should live by the example He set and take time to pray for others.

All Christians are to take part in prayer, and pray for all men. Those who have the Holy Spirit residing in them must offer prayers for not only those in need but fellow believers, enemies, neighbors, ministry workers, all must at some point be taken to the Throne of Grace by way of even just a few words. Intercessory prayer training can be important and there are many examples in the Bible of people who acted as intercessors on the account of others: Abraham, Moses, David and Daniel, just to name a few. An excellent example of intercessory prayer can in fact be found in the ninth chapter in the book of Daniel. The prophet was heavily burdened due to the sins of God's chosen people. He came to the Lord with a broken heart and prayed with a fervent passion that God would make those who had turned from Him to repent of the evil they had done. Daniel comes to the Throne of Grace with a humble spirit, and does not boast of himself and demand that the Lord answers him, but rather that God's will be done.

Examples for intercessory prayer training can be found by looking at petitions brought to the Lord found throughout the Scriptures. When Peter, one of Christ's disciples, was put in prison, those of the church prayed without ceasing on his behalf. As the account goes, the Lord sent an angel to the prison where Peter was held captive, and set him free. Peter, then rejoicing came to the people who prayed for his release and they all marveled at what the Lord had done. When Jesus was on the earth He prayed to the Father frequently for those He had been sent to reach. Peter and others encouraged those around them to pray on the behalf of fellow believers during times of struggles and hardships, reiterating the lessons Jesus taught His disciples in how to pray.

For those who still ask the question of what is intercessory prayer, must simply look at the life of Jesus Christ. When Jesus was on the earth He was continually coming to the Father beseeching Him to forgive those who sinned against Him. Ultimately, this was made possible after Jesus was crucified, and willingly gave up earthly life making possible the forgiveness of sins, therefore making possible eternal life with God above. By willingly giving up His life Jesus became the ultimate intercessor, dying so that others might go free by way of being forgiven. He became the mediator between God and man. Taking the place of yearly animal sacrifices by priests, Christ did away with the 'middle man' and provided people with a direct line to the Lord. Now people need only to remember, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name" (Hebrews 13:15).

Intercessory prayer training can be applicable to all. Anyone who prays on a regular basis can easily be trained to become an intercessor. For starters, those who desire to do so can begin by praying for a willing mind and heart. The most effective intercessors are those who have natural empathy and are sensitive to the wants and needs of others. Training enables people to strengthen personal relationships with Christ and become better at listening for God's guidance. Training programs teach people skills such as praying the Scriptures, leading group prayers, and how to listen for the guidance that comes from the Holy Spirit.

An important fact to keep in mind throughout intercessory prayer training is that no one can at any point know the purpose of God or what is on the Lord's mind to do. Those who pray should not expect to be answered, as the Lord works in His own time and occasionally answers prayers in unexpected ways. People must pray without doubt, fully believing and trusting that they might not always receive an answer, but also patient enough to realize that not only might the eagerly anticipated answer be delayed but when finally coming to fruition might prove to be something unexpected. The answer to the question of what is intercessory prayer can easily be answered by reading through the Scriptures.

Remove the veil so I can see what's missing. Remove the veil so I may see what God is calling me to. Remove the veil so I may see who I truly am. Who's underneath the veil?

I have come to the realization that we are called to be mature sons and daughters of the living God. Thinking and believing it are two different things. Becoming mature and knowing who you are is a process in itself. I want to share my process with you, with hopes that you will discover who you are as well.

In my love relationship with Christ, it felt as though there was something missing, I couldn't pinpoint what it was, but it felt as though something was being kept from me. Have you heard the saying "SOMETHING JUST AINT RIGHT." Well that's how I felt, something just wasn't right!

What is it that keeps me from fully experiencing the Love of God? Why did I push people away? Why was I so defensive and subconsciously proving myself? What was keeping me from a having a healthy father and daughter relationship with the king of the universe? My behaviors and experiences were rooted in REJECTION and have kept me from experiencing the true love of God. Rejection says I don't want you, you're not good enough.

The Tricks the Enemy Plays

• The enemy will have you thinking you're ok, when you're really not.
• He will try his hardest to keep you in old mindsets and patterns of thinking.
• He will have you thinking everyone is against you.
• You will become isolated in your thoughts.
• Live life with a closed heart, not fully able to give or receive love.

The Discovery

I lived most of my life thinking I was a "throw away". I looked great on the outside, not realizing how messed up I was on the inside. The veil has now been removed; and I can see some of me. I say some of me because I'm still learning to receive myself, we must learn to love ourselves; but most importantly we must t learn to love God. The Life we live is based on His love. Out of our relationship with him, love flows from His heart to ours depending upon how open we are. In turn we share His love with others; however, there are some blockages that prevent us from doing so.

Finding the Blockages ... A lifting of the veil

Through the lifting of the veil, the Lord had me go back to my childhood, I went reluctantly and tearfully. It felt as if I was constantly looking within to try and find the root cause, this particular day I just did not want to; but, He was gracious; and took me very quickly to 2 experiences I had as a child.

As I began to look at my past He gave me the word "Disillusion"

• To cause to lose naïve faith and trust.
• To make someone realize that something which they thought was good is really NOT good.

My child hood was filled with disillusionment; and what I thought was good and true, my parents caused me to question whether it really was true or good.

With disillusion comes rejection - A certain degree of trust is lost and you close your heart.

Experience 1

My mom and I were in the kitchen, she was preparing a meal. I said to her, "Mom I don't want to eat, I'm not very hungry." Out of nowhere she slapped me in the mouth. I didn't understand the reasoning behind her behavior, I was 11 years old, but it was in that moment that I felt rejected and I closed my heart. It was in that life changing experience I no longer trusted my mom. I was wounded, so I shut down. Little did I know that this would be the experience I would live out for the next 37 years. Never trusting anyone, always thinking someone was out to get me; and constantly on shut down. If you were my friend and you did or said something I didn't agree with I would either cut you off or go into shut down mode.

Remember, the definition for disillusion!

• To cause to lose naïve faith and trust.
• To make someone realize that something which they thought was good is really NOT good.

I thought it was a good thing to tell my mom I wasn't hungry. By her actions it was not a good idea for whatever reason; it just wasn't a good idea. My mother's actions spoke volumes.

Experience 2

The phone was ringing and I ran to answer it, my dad then yells at me and says you are not allowed to pick up the phone and comes out of his seat towards me as if he were going to hurt me. I could feel the anger as he grabbed the phone. In my mind as a child I'm thinking its ok to pick up the phone and it's a good thing, my father's actions proved otherwise. Answering the phone was not a good thing. In these moments I felt unwanted, I did not have a voice, nor did I feel loved. I just did not trust. So I walked through life with the mindset that I was not wanted. If you offered your love...I did not believe you. If you said kind words...I didn't believe you. If I wasn't included in on what you were doing...I immediately felt rejected and became defensive often isolating myself or playing the silent treatment game. Little did I know when I rejected God's people, I was also rejecting God. My relationship with him was affected, I wasn't praying as much I wasn't talking to him as much and stopped journaling. Rejection alters your judgment and distorts your thinking.

The spirit of disillusion has followed me, it has deceived me into thinking I was ok.

So now is the time to open up my heart fully and allow God to love on me; and me, him. God requires that we love Him and it is necessary. One of the ways we can love on God is by loving and honoring others. Ask the Lord, "Who is it you want me to love on today?"

His Love runs deep. His love ran deep into the crevices of my dysfunction, it brought healing... It brought restoration... and it brought maturity.