When we think about prayer throughout history, we realize mankind has always reached out to God. Regardless of the continent they lived on, age, or even beliefs, there are historic accounts of people reaching out to God. It’s as if God has hardwired us to communicate with Him.

Think for a moment about billions of people all over the world over thousands of years praying to God. Imagine those prayers that have ascended to His holy throne. It’s really an incredible concept that God created this communication process of prayer for us. Not only is He willing, but He wants to listen to us at any given time. We don’t need a special formula and we don’t have to prostrate or position ourselves in a certain way. All we need is to talk to God and be honest with Him.

People often ask me, “What is the difference between prayer and intercession?” Both are good — but they are different. And both are desperately needed at this time.

Standing in the Gap

Prayer is when you come before God with the needs of your own heart. Of course, we should bring our needs to God – and He expects us to do so. But intercession is when you stand between God and someone or something else and bring those needs to Him.

That’s the distinction. We should pray to God, yet at times we need to stand between. Ezekiel 22:30 says,

“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”

Praying to God is imperative. However, when God prompts us, will we go beyond simple prayer make a wall, and stand in the gap for our nation and its leaders?

At Intercessors for America, we stand between God and the people and problems of the United States. We stand in the gap for politicians to receive wisdom and pray the Lord will bring us godly leaders.

Keys to Effective Intercession

I believe there are two key aspects of effective intercession. The first is praying in community with other likeminded Christians. We have found that many of the hundreds of thousands of intercessors we work with on a weekly basis feel lonely and discouraged. Ecclesiastes 4:9-20 tells us,

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.

To remain encouraged, especially when you are not seeing results, it is best to pray in a community. When one becomes discouraged or feels isolated, another will pick them up and encourage them to press on.

The second key to successful intercessory prayer is to rely on the promises God has laid up throughout Scripture for us. We do not have to wonder what His will is for our nation or our leaders. He has made it plain in His Word that he desires godly leadership. When we are fully persuaded of God’s promises, we can pray with confidence — knowing that He hears us and we are declaring His will in the earth.

One thing I have noticed as I get older is that I use fewer words in prayer. I spend more time in silence before the Lord, listening. I have found that I don’t hear the audible voice of God, but I sense impressions from Him. I feel the Holy Spirit touches my spirit, leading and guiding me in the way I should intercede. He leads me to the right scriptures and empowers me to intercede effectively.

Listening is a big part of intercession. We must hear God’s heart and pray accordingly. Being still before Him is imperative.

Stand Firm, Therefore

Samuel Adams famously said, “It does not take a majority to prevail … but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.”

One of IFA’s founders, Derek Prince, said that history belongs to the intercessors. The people earnestly praying for the nation may be a minority, but they are tirelessly setting brushfires of freedom and impacting history with every prayer.

Over the past few years, we have witnessed supernatural growth in the numbers of people who are passionate to pray for this nation. There are thousands of groups and hundreds of thousands of individuals across the country who are praying and crying out to God. I am convinced that if God is putting this desire on people’s hearts, He is not done with our nation.

I believe the days ahead will be nothing like the days of the past. In fact, the coming days could be more difficult than anything we have ever seen — but if we persist in prayer and intercession, and stand firm until the end, we will see brighter days than any we have yet known.

David Kubal is president/CEO of Intercessors for America, which serves more than a million praying Christians every month. He also serves on the National Faith Advisory Board and the National Day of Prayer Task Force and frequently appears in national news outlets such as Victory Channel, CBN, and Fox News.