Proverb 15:25 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.

Today as I sit down to write I am thinking back to Sunday school and a comment made during class. I made a comment about past attitudes and behaviors. I did not frame it to be my behavior but common behavior. Then this comment was made.

“That’s arrogant.”

Today I can see the possibility that this comment might have been directed at me. It was after all about my past behavior. The old insecure and still arrogant man I was would have immediately taken a defensive posture, perhaps even striking back. I can even now see the looks of the eyes of others in the room and wonder if they had seen it that way. But then I did not.

In that place of security of the believers I did not see it. God framed my window, restricting my ability to see things any other way. The conversation Sunday was not hindered by pride, it flowed with grace and enlightenment. None of that would have happened if I had taken offense.

It would be arrogant of me to take credit for this change in me, after all today I can see the alternative. There still lies within me the capacity for error even if the inclination is towards right behavior. Praise God for the work of His hand. Praise God for the correcting nature of His Word. Praise God for the thirst I have to read and consume His Word.

Praise God in all things, even if you do not recognize His hand for three days.

Philemon 1:18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;

This is the heart of intercession, put it on me. It begins with a willingness to accept a condition that is not of your own making. This sadly is only the beginning. This also must be within your authority. It is authorized by the issue of having an account with the one that has the ability to transfer that condition from another to yourself.

1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

We have no account with unbelievers. Faith based ministries demand that faith must belong to both parties. We cannot stand in for the unbelieving, they are responsible unto themselves for their own condition.

Intercession is at the core of Christ’s ministry. He stood in for us, taking our shame at the cross. It is at His urging that we should do the same for others.

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

To carry another’s cross, they too must be following Jesus.

Has Jesus given you a heart for intercession?

This is the mystery of how it works in Christ.