Intercession and Kingdom Advancement: Building an Intercessory Team and Why
By Jeremy Groves
Who do you call when you need to demolish demonic resistance attempting to impede the Kingdom from advancing in a person’s life or within our churches, cities, and nations?
Who do you call when you need a brother or sister to come alongside you to contend for what God has already declared to be His victory in your life or city?
You call the Intercessors. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, intercession or interceding is described in its most literal form as going between or intervening on behalf of another to reconcile differences (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
I have heard many say that intercession is “standing in the gap” for someone else. Biblical intercession is powerful, and I believe it is the foundation of every great move of God.
I believe that God does not move in significant ways unless His people pray and stand in the gap for the world. 2 Chronicles 7:14 echoes this when the writer shares God’s words by penning:
“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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land (NIV, 1973/2011).”
This verse is often used in messages where the preacher calls the Body of Christ to pray for revival to come and transform our world.
Revival starts with intercession as we stand in the gap for the salvation of souls and the transformation of cities, and break our hearts on the rock of the Word so that we may become the answer to the very prayers we pray.
This writing will cover intercession for Christian leaders and how to form teams of prayer warriors to contend with us in advancing the Kingdom of God.
It is essential to have a team of intercessors because God has given His leaders a specific vision and mission for their areas of influence as they do their part in fulfilling the Great Commission.
The demonic kingdom attacks God’s leaders to throw the Church off course and discredit them before the world’s eyes, causing stumbling and damage to the Church.
We must partner with the Holy Spirit and “stand in the gap” to protect and empower God’s leaders to fulfill the calling God has given them.
We can take up the sword with them and partner with them in fighting the Kingdom battles in front of them.
If intercessors and fivefold leaders unite in missional unity, we will see a massive explosion of Kingdom advancement.
Our War: The Good Fight of Faith
I want to start by laying some groundwork for intercession, so we can understand its value and why it is essential.
Then, based on those fundamentals, build a team to accomplish the purpose of constructing a wall of prayer around your life as a leader in the Church to fulfill the purpose for which God has anointed you.
First, a disclaimer: there is not a single way to do this right. There are many strategies that God could give you on how to build a team.
I am simply laying out one that is consistent with the biblical model of intercession and how we can form effective teams.
This is one way, not the only way.
With that said, I will first describe the value and purpose of intercession as it relates to the mission of the Church today, but first, let me describe the war we are engaged in as “little anointed ones.”
As much of the New Testament alludes to, we are born into a war between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness the moment we are born again.
We can deny it and pretend it is not there. However, the reality is that the world system, corrupted by sin and ruled by darkness, has a long-standing hate for the children of light (see 1 Thessalonians 5:5).
In John 15:18,19, Jesus said the world would hate us because we are His disciples. If the world hates the One we are made in the image of, the world will surely hate us too.
Why? Because Jesus the Messiah, the second Adam, came as the will and purpose of God fully revealed. He demonstrated and modeled who we were originally created to be and taught us how to do the same.
He came to reveal the “light” of God’s eternal and living Word, which exposes the darkness we have been living in and enables us to see it for what it is, turning away from it to once again live out of the image God originally placed in us.
The image of God within us is the focus of the war.
The kingdom of darkness works to keep us blind to the image of God within us so that we would never come to know who we are and why we are here, because if we did, we would step out of the darkness and into the light and wreak havoc on the lies the enemy has been sowing for ages.
Our war is not so much a war of fighting the devil as it is a war between truth and lies. It is a war of faith.
Faith comes by hearing the truth of God’s word illuminated by His Spirit (see Romans 10:17).
Therefore, if satan can keep us spiritually deaf to truth, he can subvert our faith. That is why in 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul exhorts Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith” (NIV, 1973/2011).
The war is for our faith in God, which is the key to unlocking His image within us and releasing the reality of the Kingdom of God through our lives.
Faith unlocks the grace to etch us into the living reality of what we believe.
Intercession: Defender of Faith
With the understanding that we are at war and what the war is focused on — faith — we can understand where intercession fits into the greater context of it all.
Intercession, at its core, is both a defender of faith and an igniter of faith.
Intercessory prayer defends us from the enemy's lying arrows by bolstering our faith as a shield and clearing out the lies that assault our lives (see Ephesians 6:16).
This can be likened to an ancient tactic known as the “testudo formation,” used by Roman Legions in battle. Wikipedia describes this formation in detail:
“In the testudo formation, the men would align their shields to form a packed formation covered with shields on the front and top. The first row of men, possibly excluding the men on the flanks, would hold their shields from about the height of their shins to their eyes, so as to cover the formation’s front. The shields would be held in such a way that they presented a shield wall to all sides. The men in the back ranks would place their shields over their heads to protect the formation from above, balancing the shields on their helmets, overlapping them. If necessary, the legionaries on the sides and rear of the formation could stand sideways or backwards with shields held as the front rows, so as to protect the formation’s sides and rear; this reduced the speed and mobility of the formation, but offered consistent defensive strength against opposing infantry and excellent protection against arrows and other missile attacks (Testudo Formation, n.d.).”
Lies are not simply thoughts; they can manifest in tangible, experienced realities, such as a sickness or a financial situation.
However, the intercession of a faithful saint can break the lie and release the truth of the Kingdom of God, which is more than a statement; it is a reality to be experienced.
Jesus repeatedly warns the disciples to beware of false teaching.
In John 10:10, a very familiar verse to most Christians, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (NIV, 1973/2011).
Many preach that He is talking specifically about the devil’s job description, which is not inaccurate; however, in the broader context of the verse, Jesus is referring to false teaching.
Intercession helps protect us against lies, enabling us to hold fast to the truth and experience an abundant life. This is the defensive side of intercession.
Intercession: Advancing the Faith
James 5:13-20 contains amazing insight for us to unwrap in regard to intercession:
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (NIV, 1973/2011).
We have discussed the war’s purpose, faith, enemy tactics to subvert it, and how intercession protects us from the attacks.
I want to now talk about the offensive side of intercession by highlighting a few points from the above passage in James 5.
When I read this passage before, I always thought that verses 19 and 20 seemed out of place, as they did not seem to fit the overall context of what James was saying.
However, I now have a different view after further meditation on the passage.
We can glean the purpose of offensive intercession by looking at the connection between the effect of a righteous person’s prayer and Elijah praying for rain to come after a drought, which brought forth a harvest of crops, and the final section of turning sinners from the way of the world into the way of Christ.
From the truths contained in this passage, I would like to offer a view of offensive intercession as the redeemed people of God, whom His Spirit empowers, who are bathed in the revelation of His righteousness and their authority in Him.
People who are passionate about the Word and will of God, as Elijah was, who partner with His prophetic heart for the people of the world by taking up the gauntlet of faith and interceding for those who have wandered away from their original design in the beginning.
I want to see an intercessory army raised that launches a full-scale aerial assault on the powers of hell, set on destroying them to open up a way for the pure Gospel of Christ to penetrate their hearts and minds, causing them to turn away from the way of death into the way of life.
I view offensive intercession as declaring the Word and will of God with authority over a person or place, dismantling the lies of hell that have taken root or are attempting to, and establishing a spiritual atmosphere of faith that creates a highway for the Word of life to ride in on.
Now, I would like us to examine offensive intercession and how intercessors collaborate with church leaders through an example from modern warfare.
After 9/11, America was in mourning. Terrorists had attacked us, and thousands of people had lost their lives.
ODA 595 of the U.S. Army Special Forces was among the first to respond with boots on the ground in Afghanistan. They were tasked to insert into the Dari-a-Souf Valley, just south of Mazar-e-Shari, as a component of Task Force Dagger.
The 12–man team was tasked with teaming up with indigenous forces to eliminate the Taliban in the region by supporting them with airstrikes as the indigenous forces led the charge with the ultimate goal of capturing the city of Mazar-e-Shari (Task Force Dagger - Special Forces - Afghanistan, n.d.). They did, but how they did is what I want to highlight.
Let us view the indigenous forces as the people tasked with carrying the Gospel into contested territory where people’s hearts are hard to the Gospel.
They have the call of God and the assignment to spiritually conquer the territory for the Kingdom.
I want you to view ODA 595 as the intercessory team assigned to support the leaders as they carry out their mission.
The indigenous forces know the land and how to go about their mission, and the American forces have the equipment and ability to support them with intelligence and raw firepower.
As they undertook their mission, the indigenous forces and ODA 595 fought alongside each other.
ODA 595 called in airstrikes after marking targets, and these bombs softened the ground for the horse infantry to ride in and decimate the remaining forces.
Neither could have won it alone, but they seized victory by pushing out the Taliban and taking Mazar-e-Shari as one cohesive force.
Do you see the correlations? Offensive intercession is geared towards advancing the Kingdom of God.
Additionally, its effectiveness depends on the degree to which people partner with the prayers of the intercessors to bring it into reality.
This is where intercessors and their connection to fivefold leaders come into play. As this is the primary subject of the writing, I will elaborate on it.
As the Body of Christ, we are all members of the same body, each with distinct functions.
We need all the parts of the Body to reveal Jesus accurately and to complete the Great Commission.
Intercessors are God’s air force.
They see from a vantage point that others cannot, and they have the payload to unleash massive destruction on the enemy’s forces as they partner with the advancing ground forces.
Our fivefold Leaders are the generals of God’s army, and they are responsible for equipping, activating, sending, and leading the saints into combat with the kingdom of darkness.
Naturally, they are an enticing target for the enemy because the enemy wants to take out the “head” to impede the progress of the Body, so to speak.
This is why fivefold leaders and intercessors must partner together, so that the commission of the fivefold leaders can be supported through powerful intercession that protects them and opens the way for greater effectiveness and fruitfulness in their assignments.
My Experience With Personal Intercession
I want to open this section with a quote by James W. Goll from his book, “The Lost Art of Intercession: Restoring the Power and Passion of the Watch of the Lord,” which reads:
“Prayer works. Prayer is powerful. Prayer is one of our most deadly and effective weapons for destroying the works of the enemy. Prayer is God’s lifeline to the hurting, the wounded, the weak, and the dying. But He expects you and I to throw out His rope of life in the name of His Son, Jesus. Intercession isn’t the preoccupation of a zealous few; it is the calling and destiny of the Chosen people, of every blood-washed child of God. If you call Jesus Christ your Savior and Lord, then He calls you intercessor and priest, and today He is calling you to your knees” (2016, pp. 57,58).
Why did I open with this quote? I wanted to ensure that we understand it is our responsibility to align ourselves with the grace we have been given and intercede for those in our area of influence in partnership with the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit knows how to pray for us and others (see Romans 8:26-27).
We are all called to intercede and pray for our leaders as well, and not just those identified as “intercessors” (see 1 Timothy 2:1-2).
As a recognized intercessor, I have experience in this realm.
I genuinely believe that intercession has been the foundation of my life and ministry, not just my own, but also the intercession of others that God has assigned to me over the years.
Over the years, I have been assigned to intercede for a few leaders, and they have testified to the amazing fruit that has resulted from the intercession and prophetic insight I have provided in connection with it.
I celebrated my nineteenth year of knowing the Lord this year.
However, it only took on the vibrancy it did after someone had heard from God and prayed for me fervently, enabling me to step out of the deception of a lifeless religious observance and into the fire of the Spirit.
And I did. In a very supernatural manner, a seeming cloud of darkness was lifted off my life, and I could see what I had not seen before by no pursuit of my own.
The Lord told me someone had been praying for me, and ever since then, I have held intercession in high regard.
Mind you, I was in ministry at the time as a children’s pastor, and shortly after this experience, I began my journey into the apostolic realm.
As a ministry leader, the prayer of a faithful saint released me into new levels of intimacy and ministry with God. I owe my life to the intercessors.
Building an Intercessory Team for Kingdom Advancement: The How
I have had varying intercessory teams over the years, so I will adopt the tone of advising someone who is starting a team.
After reading my contextualization of intercession and its value for leaders, I am confident that you are convinced of its necessity as a God-ordained component of the Kingdom advancement puzzle.
While every saint should pray for their leaders, there are those whom God will assign to you who have a measure of spiritual authority in the grace of intercession, and they will differ in their connection and specific function.
The first and most crucial step in building an intercessory prayer team is prayer.
C. Peter Wagner talks about this crucial step, as well as others, in his book, “Prayer Shield: How to Intercede for Pastors and Christian Leaders” by saying that it is essential that we pray and ask God to connect us with those who, He sees as the best fit because He knows the hearts of all people as well as what He has designed them for (2014).
The Holy Spirit will guide us down the road of building a personal prayer team.
As you seek God in prayer, you will notice Him begin to highlight others who may or may not have already been assigned to you, and He will start to reveal things about them through prophetic insight or personal interaction with them.
You must discern their character and maturity in Christ and not quickly give them too much access too soon.
At this point, God will begin to give you a strategy for organizing those God is connecting you with and what assignments they may have concerning intercession for you and your ministry.
C. Peter Wagner also identifies different levels of intercessors in his book “Prayer Shield: How to Intercede for Pastors and Christian Leaders” based on personal connection and assigned spiritual authority in the leader’s life.
I do not mean they lead the leader; God will give more insight and personal contact to the intercessors who have the grace to maintain higher levels of connection and alignment with the leader on a consistent basis.
Wagner defines the differing levels of intercessory connection to the leader as I-1, I-2, or I-3 (2014).
The I stands for an intercessor, and the corresponding number is the tier of intercessor, with one being the highest.
I-1 intercessors have a close personal relationship with the leader, are often privy to more sensitive information, and engage in higher-level spiritual warfare on their behalf.
I-2 Intercessors are personally connected to the leader but may not be as close as I-1. I-3 intercessors may have little to no personal contact with the leader, and the leader may not even be aware they are praying for them.
Spiritual authority is often expressed and manifested through relationships, so it is important to note who God has brought close to you in the season of life and ministry you are in.
More than likely, the I-1 intercessor God has for you is among them.
With these principles in mind, let's outline a simple plan in chronological order for building your intercessory team.
Intercessory Team Formation Plan
Step 1: Pray and ask God to identify and bring intercessors who align with the vision God has given you, and begin to take note of what you hear and see.
Step 2: Pray about those God has highlighted to you, ask Him to identify their functional graces, and ask for insight on how God might connect them to you and their primary purpose.
When you approach them about joining the prayer team, providing a clear vision and purpose for their support, along with some guidelines on what that might entail, will be helpful.
For example, if they are I-2, what level of commitment would you expect from them, and how often will you communicate with them?
What are some of the things you can share with them now that you need prayer support for to give them an orientation into the kinds of things for them to be listening for?
Some people are seasoned intercessors, while others are developing, and some require additional guidance.
Step 3: Approach those God has highlighted as He allows, starting with I-1 Intercessors. I would recommend starting with only one, unless God says otherwise.
This will allow you to learn how best to communicate with I-1s and how often, and scale back from there as it concerns I-2s and 3s.
I recommend connecting with I-1s regularly to discuss their prayer commitment for you—for example, two to three times a week — to stay current on what is happening.
Be open and transparent with them about what is going on in your life and areas of assignment so they have the “intel” they need to pray through to hear from God on how best to support you.
I would also establish healthy relational boundaries for the I-1 relationship at this stage so as not to overwork them or cross boundaries of integrity.
Establish a connection rate that is healthy and sustainable.
Step 4: As you have gained experience with I-1s, this would be an excellent time to connect with those you sense could be an I-2.
These people will likely be in your direct area of influence, such as your church congregation or another avenue. Some may not commit, and that is okay.
Their commitment is not as heavy as an I-1 at this level, but it is still essential.
I see I-2s as shield bearers who help you lift your shield of faith and may not do as much offensive battle on your behalf as an I-1, though they may, and they most certainly will engage as watchmen to protect what God is building in you and through you.
I would start with only two to three I-2 intercessors to gain experience and learn how best to communicate with them.
I would recommend connecting with them on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
Step 5: As your team grows, and you see the fruit of their intercession, gaining experience in working with a team of prayer warriors, you can open up an avenue for I-3 intercessors to connect to you who may already have been praying for you.
These could be people who have been impacted by your ministry and want further guidance on how to pray for you.
I recommend starting a newsletter-type email to update them on how their prayers are producing fruit in the ministry and how they can continue to pray for you.
It would be wise not to share deeply personal requests here and only share things you would be okay with anyone knowing.
I would recommend updating them monthly on how they can pray. Of course, the Lord may have a specific strategy for you.
Step 6: From here, you enjoy the fruit, stay humble, and honor those God has placed to partner with you in prayer.
The fruit belongs to them as well. You may also increase the number of intercessors in each level as God leads and your maturity and influence grow.
Intercession and Kingdom Advancement: Building an Intercessory Team and Why
In closing, I will briefly relay my experience on the impact of intercession in the home. As God trained me in intercession, He had me begin at home.
Just as how we treat our families and lead our homes is a mark of maturity and aptitude for ministry leadership (see 1 Timothy 3:4), how we lead the spiritual atmosphere of our home correlates to how well we can handle other spiritual environments.
Years ago, my wife and I went through a process of “spiritually cleansing” our home.
After my wife stepped into full-time ministry with me, we moved out of our apartment and into a relative’s basement.
The Lord had told us we had an intercessory assignment for my family line.
Long story short, he wanted us to intercede to break the spirit of poverty, including the spirit of parsimony.
As we interceded and modeled living in Heaven’s provision and performed prophetic acts at the Holy Spirit’s leading, such as physically clearing out accumulated junk, we saw and felt a breakthrough in the spirit and our home’s natural atmosphere.
Shortly after we completed this assignment, my wife received an email stating that we had thirty thousand dollars’ worth of stocks from her previous company.
Intercession is powerful, and I have recently seen the fruit of intercession in my life.
Recently, my wife and kids have been battling sickness after sickness since we began shifting into a new assignment the Lord has given us.
I called on my I-1 and I-2 Intercessors, and within 48 hours, we experienced a significant breakthrough in the spiritual atmosphere, and we also noticed a corresponding shift in our physical bodies.
Jesus is the ultimate intercessor, and because He went before and broke the power of sin and death, we can now experience new life.
This is the ultimate privilege of the intercessors: to open up a way to life in a death-ridden world.
Let us give honor where honor is due, partnering with intercessors in life and ministry, reaping a mighty spiritual harvest for Christ.
History belongs to the intercessors.
References
C. Peter Wagner, C. Peter. (2014). Prayer shield: How to intercede for pastors and christian leaders (Revised, Updated ed.). Chosen Books.
Goll, J. (2016). The lost art of intercession expanded edition: Restoring the power and passion of the watch of the lord (Expanded ed.). Destiny Image.
Holy Bible: New International Version. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1973)
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Intercede. Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved September 14, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interceding
Task force dagger - special forces - afghanistan. (n.d.). American Special Ops. Retrieved September 14, 2023, from https://www.americanspecialops.com/operations/sof-afghanistan/task-force-dagger.php
Testudo Formation. (n.d.). Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 14, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testudo_formation