The Grace Believer & Intercession

Too often, grace believers act as if they are part of the "Failures in Christian Disciplines" club, as they boast in their weakness — I couldn't read my Bible, I couldn't pray, I couldn't fast — with the grace message as their escape clause from these "drudgeries" of the Christian walk.

I believe that in understanding the New Covenant, we can approach the Father in prayer and intercession with a whole new attitude and perspective. Am still sorting out some of my personal thoughts on this matters, but I think that in a nutshell, the New Covenant or grace believer intercedes and prays not FOR victory but FROM victory. Spiritual warfare is not so much trying to invade enemy's territory and to slay demons but more of taking our stand in the victory Christ has won for us. And when we fully appreciate that fact, our prayer life takes on a whole new dimension.

Here are some thoughts from others that may help us understand New Covenant intercession a bit more:


Intercession in the New Covenant (source: Being under the New Covenant)

• Intercession is a grace available to everyone called by the name of Christ. The only difference is, some give themselves to it more than others. Give yourself to it, and you will also be an intercessor.
• Indeed, the Old Covenant calls for someone to “stand in the gap” to make up the hedge. Indeed, God was always looking for a faithful “man” to fill that position. News flash: The position has been filled. As offensive as it is, He has found someone better than you, and better than me. His name is Jesus.
• To think that our intercession is somehow holding back God’s wrath from manifesting on earth, that you or I are somehow “standing between God and an offending individual or nation,” is at best an Old Covenant mentality, and more closely, an anti-Christ (instead of Christ) mentality. Our approach to God, and God’s response to prayer is based solely on the Person and Work of His Son. 
• We’re commanded to pray: always, everywhere, and for our leaders. But what we think we’re doing when we pray makes all the difference. We don’t bribe or extort God with our good behavior and our prayers.
• What then is New Covenant intercession? It is standing in the good will of God on humanity’s behalf. Intercession is based on rest, not anxiety. Intercession is the response of the human heart to the mind and heart of God when it is revealed. 
• God’s disposition toward humanity is favor. His provision is Christ. His requirement is faith. Our necessary response to the Christ-Act is to believe, receive, and activate our faith with obedient works.
• In our prayer for our neighbors, communities, and nations, we stand with, and in Christ, on behalf of them all. We pray that the grace and good will of God will be effective for them all. We pray that the goodness of God will lead them to repentance. After all, that’s how you and I got in. He found us. We didn’t find Him. 

Some other helpful discourses: 

• Intercession & Fasting (source: New Covenant Grace)
• New Covenant Prayer: Everything has changed 

If you have thoughts on what it means to intercede under the New Covenant, please feel free to share here :-)