Intercession

Standing in the Gap

On May 18, Pope Leo XIV celebrated a Mass marking the beginning of his Petrine ministry. It began with a litany; worshipers requested the intercession of the saints, chanting tu illum adiuva! — help him! Catholics often ask for the intercession of the saints in heaven, knowing that all the baptized are united in a sharing of spiritual goods. Christians have the duty to pray for others, and may ask other Christians to pray for them. Often, Catholics must defend their recourse to the intercession of the saints against criticism from non-Catholics. So it may surprise Catholics to find many Protestants promoting intercession today. What they mean by intercession, however, is different. Catholics understand intercession as a prayer of petition, while non-Catholic Christians in the New Apostolic Reformation present it as an exercise of power and authority. Recently, Catholics influenced by NAR teachers have begun to spread this new understanding of intercession. This post explains how this situation came about. It all began with

Revival

This strange new understanding of intercession originated in revival movements, going back to the Second Great Awakening in the US. Bold preachers like Charles Finney (1792-1875) would go from place to place, holding meetings to call whole communities to repentance, urging them to accept salvation through faith. Before Finney arrived, his helper Daniel Nash (1775-1831) preceded him to pray for the inhabitants. Nash has been called Finney’s “personal intercessor:”

He kept praying… for the conviction of the Holy Spirit to melt the crowd. …Shortly before Nash died in the winter of 1831, he wrote in a letter, “I am now convinced, it is my duty and privilege, and the duty of every other Christian, to pray for as much of the Holy Spirit as came down on the day of Pentecost, and a great deal more…”

Power and Authority

In the twentieth century, the concept of intercession was developed by Protestant missionaries; especially John A MacMillan (1873-1956) a Canadian Presbyterian businessman turned missionary.¹ MacMillan went to China to serve with The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), and later served in the Philippines before returning to North America to work on the Alliance Weekly magazine and train missionaries. Various articles written for Alliance Weekly were collected into a book called The Authority of the Believer, including a chapter on “The Authority of the Intercessor.”

MacMillan taught a version of dominionism. While the risen Christ said to his apostles, “All authority has been given to me,” the authority of the Head of the Church

is planned to reach its full development and manifestation through His body. The Son of God became incarnate, not merely that He might save men from their sins, but also that He might bring man to that place of dominion over the works of God which was planned in the counsels of eternity.

Christ assumed his full authority when he took his seat in heaven (see Heb 8:1); now, every born-again believer is also seated in the heavenly places (see Eph 1) with Christ, and shares in his full authority. God’s people have power to command the “spirits of the air,” the “principalities and powers” at work in this world, and unregenerate governmental authorities. MacMillan uses the word “command” deliberately, citing Isaiah 45:11, “Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me (KJV).”² The willingness to use authority to command the power shared with you by God is the mark of a true intercessor:

God is waiting for those whom He can trust and use, who will have the discernment to foresee His steps and the faith to command His power. Authoritative intercessors are men and women, whose eyes have been opened to the full knowledge of their place in Christ.

These believers will partner with God to “advance the kingdom:”

As they speak the word of command, God obeys. His delight is in such co-working. They have caught His thought concerning the method of the advance of His kingdom.

Word of Faith preacher Kenneth E. Hagin helped spread MacMillan’s teaching in his 1967 pamphlet, Authority of the Believer. In addition to the similar title, seventy-five percent of its content was taken word-for-word, without attribution, from MacMillan’s work.³

Hagin’s understanding of intercession is also dominionist. He taught that God’s hands are tied because Satan is the god of this world. God can’t do anything unless a believer asks him, using his believer’s authority.

Intercession in the NAR today

The presentation of intercession in the NAR today is a fusion of E.W. Kenyon’s dominionism, MacMillan’s teaching, Word of Faith ideas, and newer NAR concepts about “atmospheres” and “bringing heaven to earth.” There is always emphasis on the believer’s authority and power, and an understanding of intercession as something more than mere petition. A good example is the article “Our Authority in Intercession” by Debbie Przybylski, Director of Intercessors Arise International at the International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC). The emphasis on power and authority led to a reinterpretation of intercessors like Daniel Nash, who is now seen as one who interceded for a “move of God,” and the demolition of “spiritual strongholds.” In this view, revival simply cannot happen without intercession. Daniel Kolenda of the Christ for the Nations Institute wrote

The powerful preaching of Charles Finney that saw hundreds of thousands of people saved would have never had the impact it did had it not been for the spiritual partnership with the intercessory ministry of Daniel Nash. …only four months after Daniel Nash’s death, Charles Finney left the itinerate (sic) revival ministry to pastor a church. The powerful revivals that characterized his ministry and changed a nation began to wane.

It’s common to read that this kind of intercession has been largely lost and needs to be revived. Jennifer LeClaire asks,

where are all the old-school intercessors? Are you one of them? Is God tugging on your heart to intercede for revival, to stand in the gap for your nation, to pray for your pastor?

James Goll wrote a book about it:

LeClaire, above, defined intercession as standing in the gap. Przybylski says her book Intercessors Arise will teach you how to “stand in the gap for people, nations, and even the world.” What is “standing in the gap?”

Standing in the Gap

NAR forerunner William Branham defined an intercessor as “one who stands in the gap,” based on Old Testament passages about a sinful community that deserved the judgment of God, but then someone “stood in the gap” between God and the sinners to plead for mercy. Moses interceded for God’s people after they worshiped the golden calf; his act of “standing in the gap” was remembered in Psalm 106:23:

Therefore he said he would destroy them—had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them (RSV, emphasis added).

Branham preached on Moses standing in the gap as early as 1963. The anchor text for “standing in the gap” is Ezekiel 22:30, “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none (KJV, emphasis added).” It’s easy to connect this passage to the mission of revival preachers. Even today, the need to protect sinners from God’s wrath is invoked to motivate believers to intercede:

The metaphor of standing in the gap is a call to action for believers to intercede on behalf of their nation, community, and the world at large. … By standing in the gap, we become a shield of protection against the wrath and judgment of God, which will come upon people who refuse to repent of their sins.

Kenneth Hagin wrote,

When you intercede on behalf of another, you are asking God to hold back judgment from a person or persons who provoked judgment upon themselves… Normally, intercession is made for those who are lost. …If the ones who have sinned and caused judgment to come on themselves don't turn and repent, the only hope for judgment to be prevented is for someone to intercede for them. …God doesn't enjoy seeing people judged, so He looks for people of prayer to stand in the gap and intercede...

Intercession as “standing in the gap” is a commonplace for NAR believers; it’s taught by big names like Dutch Sheets and Chuck Pierce, Derek Prince, Benny Hinn, Lou Engle, and Bill Johnson. See also here, here, here, and here (warning! very strange photograph!).

Contending

Intercession is also called “contending” or “contending with God on behalf of others.” Lou Engle says:

Thank you for enlisting in The Send intercessory Prayer force with the vision of activating 1 million intercessors into contending prayer for historic revival, 80 million souls, and 200 thousand missionaries to America, the nations and Israel.

Engle’s organization A Million Women uses similar language:

Jane Hamon, daughter-in-law of NAR pioneer Bill Hamon, adds a political dimension, , exhorting Americans to contend for the destiny of their country.

SLSW, Atmospheres, and “Heaven”

C. Peter Wagner popularized “prophetic intercession” within “strategic level spiritual warfare” (SLSW), which deserves its own post. SLSW is a militaristic reinterpretation of “old school” intercession, in which contending intercession” is understood as an exercise of the believer’s authority:

In prophetic intercession, groups of believers are encouraged to discover the particular demonic power in an area. …(O)nce the identity is known, prophetically, then confrontation is effected. It is here that “warfare prayer” is used to bind and defeat the spiritual ruler. The gift of prophecy is linked with intercession. This union of intercession and prophecy is called, “Strategic Level Prophetic Intercession.” This ministry can be long and arduous. Usually the intercessors proclaim that the victory has been won. Other times there are spiritual acts necessary to win the victory.

In an earlier post, I described Dawna De Silva’s teaching about the believer’s authority to “discern” spiritual forces and use their dominion power to adjust the spiritual environment. This “shifting of atmospheres” requires “unleashing” the power of “heaven” in the earthly realm. In her article, “Shifting Atmospheres Through Prophetic Intercession,” De Silva defines prophetic intercession as a command, not a petition:

Prophetic intercession is a shift into asking God what His heart is on a matter, and then praying what He tells you. Essentially it is praying with God, and not to God. Prophetic Intercession is a powerful form of prayer communicated as a prophetic word or act. It commands that something to be done rather than a petitioning prayer where we ask for something to be done. It is as if prophetic intercession ignites the invisible realm and spurs it into motion …it causes a shift in the atmosphere as heaven collides with earth.

Similarly, NAR teacher John Belt writes about “Shifting Climates with Intercession:”

We are called to shift atmospheres ushering in the Kingdom of God. I recently had an encounter where God was releasing an anointing for intercession. … Just as worship opens and displaces darkness so the power of intercession changes the spiritual and physical landscape of an area. …There is a positive impact that is brought into the earth through our prosperity in the Lord. Jesus lives forever to make intercession. When we join with Him in His work we will see His restoring power transform as heaven is manifested on the earth.

Catholics and Intercession

The NAR definition of intercession has worked its way into the teaching of Catholics, notably at Damascus in Centerburg, Ohio. A 2022 episode of the podcast “Beyond Damascus” has Dan DeMatte, Aaron Richards, and Brad Pierron discussing “intercession.” At the outset, it is defined as “standing in the gap” and someone reads Ezekiel 22:30-31. “Contending” is mentioned frequently, and someone says, ““intercession brings the atmosphere of heaven down to earth” and “:the goal of prayer is to motivate God’s heart and to transform his heart. …the intercessor is crying out to God. that God’s heart will be filled with mercy upon his people.”

Dan DeMatte was interviewed in 2022 on the “Better Preach” podcast. He related his belief that the Lord has given him messages which are to be shared with the whole Church. 29 minutes in, he says that one such message is: “the power of intercession; the Church has lost the power of intercession. The Lord has convicted me about that.”

DeMatte teaches about intercession in the video “How To Make Your Prayers POWERFUL | Intercession.” He presents a classic revivalist/dominionist understanding of intercession, calling believers to operate “with power and authority,” saying that when we pray that way, our prayers actually come about, and we “rise up as intercessors.” This angers the devil who “has tricked us to be small-minded Catholics who pray without power.” He urges Christians to pray “from heavenly places” because “we have a God who has promised power.” He says that “revival will not come without worship and intercession.” He defines an intercessor as “one who is a wall between the the people of God and the assault of the enemy; as an intercessor you should see yourself as a powerful warrior in God's kingdom and you're protecting the people of God.” He quotes Exekiel 22:30-31 about standing in the gap.

I am looking at the “equip” book used to train counselors at Catholic Youth Summer Camp at Damascus in 2020. One page is devoted to intercession. It teaches that an intercessor is one who stands in the gap, quoting Ezekiel 22:30-31, and that “INTERCESSION BRINGS THE ATMOSPHERE OF HEAVEN.” The page concludes, “REVIVAL ALWAYS FLOWS FORTH FROM INTERCESSION.” ⁴

Fr. Frankie Cicero has presented similar ideas. He says that, through intercession, we can beseech God and “move and affect his heart” on behalf of another. He cites Old Testament passages to prove that “intercession is powerful.” He distinguishes “petition” from “intercession” even though the Catechism defines intercession as a prayer of petition. He tells the story from Acts about how Peter and John were imprisoned, but after the Christians interceded on their behalf, they were miraculously freed. On the other hand, when James was arrested, there was no intercession, and James was beheaded. “And I’m sure the early Church never forgot that; they never made that mistake again.” When Peter was arrested again, the Christians offered fervent prayer on his behalf, and once again he was freed by divine power (Fr. Frankie does not explain why St. Peter was eventually put to death). “God wants to partner with us; he wants us to be men of intercession, men who do not doubt the power we have in Jesus. …Jesus… [is] inviting us to partner in this work of intercession to release heaven’s power, mercy, breakthrough, healing, so that his kingdom can advance.”

What is the Catholic Definition of Intercession?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that intercession is

a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners.,, In intercession, he who prays looks "not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others," even to the point of praying for those who do him harm… The intercession of Christians recognizes no boundaries: "for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions," for persecutors, for the salvation of those who reject the Gospel.

It should be easy to see the differences between this teaching and the language about revival, power and authority, commanding, changing God’s heart, advancing the kingdom, contending with God, and standing in the gap. For the Catholic, intercession is petition, not an exercise of my own power and authority. We make petition for others for many reasons that have nothing to do with standing in the gap to turn away God’s righteous anger. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “...prayer is an act of reason, and consists in beseeching a superior; just as command is an act of reason, whereby an inferior is directed to something.” Catholics cannot accept any teaching on intercession that blurs the line between petition and command.

Faithful Reader, be on your guard and do not be deceived. What makes our prayer powerful is not our “royal identity as God’s sons and daughters,” or the status of being seated in heavenly places, but the prayer of Christ. No Catholic may say, “the Church has lost the power of intercession.” The risen Christ never ceases to intercede for us with the Father and, as the Liturgy says, we rely on the “constant intercession” of the saints “for unfailing help.”

Let the Catechism of the Catholic Church have the last word:

2740 The prayer of Jesus makes Christian prayer an efficacious petition. He is its model, he prays in us and with us. Since the heart of the Son seeks only what pleases the Father, how could the prayer of the children of adoption be centered on the gifts rather than the Giver?

1. My account is drawn from an article by Paul L. King, who wrote his D Min dissertation on MacMillan.

2. Newer translations of this passage render it as a question, so that it no longer supports MacMillan’s teaching on “commanding” God; e.g., the NIV: “This is what the Lord says— … do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands?’”

3. See D.R. McConnell, A Different Gospel: Biblical and Historical Insights into the Word of Faith Movement, Hendrickson Academic, 1994, Google Play Books edition, chapter four.

4. The quotation attributed to Walter Williams comes from the writings of Walter Wink.