Wounds, Brokenness, and Intercession

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Our Hurts Can Hinder Our Prayers

How do our hurts hinder our prayers? They can in several ways:

• They can prevent us from praying through an issue.
• They can sour the attitude with which we pray.
• They can render our prayers ineffective.
• They can lead us to adopt a theology that devalues prayer.

First, unhealed hurts can prevent us from praying through an issue. This occurs when we intercede on behalf of another, over a problem similar to our own. As we enter the Lord's presence, our issues get stirred up and our raw hurts are exposed. If we aren't ready to be healed, we may steer clear of prayer to avoid the pain.

If we feel responsible for our condition, the enemy will play the condemnation card on us. The hurt becomes part of the consequence of our sins. We know we've heard some preacher say, while God does pardon sin, He doesn't touch the consequence, to teach us not to sin again. Or, the enemy says that, since you struggle in the same area as the person you're praying for, you don't have the authority to intercede for them. You're a hypocrite who hasn't put to death their flesh.

Second, our wounds can sour the attitude we carry into intercession. This often happens when we've buried or belittled our hurts. A pharisaical attitude often shows up when we pray for someone who openly struggles with a wound we quietly suppress. The only difference between them and us is we're better at hiding things.

Jesus warned about this very situation: "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged. Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:1-5).

Religious spirits love to empower that type of pride. Often, a wounded person become so identified with the judgmental attitude, they behave as if the Holy Spirit can't get along without them. The Holy Spirit warns against our attempts to supplement His job: "But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God--each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way" (Romans 14:10-13).

Religious spirits say, since people are responsible for their sin, they need to solve their own difficulties. More time is spent blaming the person for the problem than asking God to heal the problem.

A spirit of rebellion may also ally itself with a pharisaical spirit. "That demon is known as a spirit of Absalom, because like that son of David, it tries to supplement God's leadership (Cindy Jacobs, Possessing the Gates of the Enemy", pp. 128-129). The entity shows up in prayer and prophetic circles in the guise of a person who constantly finds fault in others, while elevating themselves as the ideal leader, prophet or intercessor.

Paul, on the other hand said, warned of assuming a religious attitude: "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another" (Galatians 6:1-4).

Besides the healing of our wounds (which we'll discuss in subsequent lessons), putting on the mind of Christ is the best means to undermine a spirit of rebellion: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men" (Philippines 2:3-7).

Third, our hurts can render our prayers ineffective. This situation occurs more when, due to a legal, work, or blood tie, we have an ongoing relationship with the person who hurts us.

Take for example what Peter said: "You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered" (1 Peter 3:7).

Look at the last phrase in the verse: "So that your prayers will not be hindered." Though Peter spoke to husbands, I believe it applies to both marriage partners. When one or both parties in a marriage carry a hurt inflicted by the other, unforgiveness festers alongside the wound. If we want our prayers to be heard, we must forgive our partner. Otherwise, we threaten the effectiveness of our intercession.

I want to make sure I'm understood here. There is a difference between forgiving a person and trusting a person. We are commanded to forgive, not to be gullible. Trust is not a privilege guaranteed by a piece of paper; it is earned.

I'm not advocating that a woman remain in an abusive relationship. Jesus never said we are to wait until someone is worthy of forgiveness, or asks our forgiveness, before we forgive them. If God applied that standard to humanity, He'd never forgiven us. And four, Christians need to forgive Christians and non-Christians alike. Holding unforgiveness against a non-Christian can also ruin your prayers.

Jesus didn't make a distinction between saved and unsaved people when He said: "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering" (Matthew 5:23-24).

Jesus is literally saying, "If you are praying/worshiping, and you remember something you haven't forgiven your brother or sister of, stop immediately." Don't continue praying or worshipping God, until the matter is cleared up. Otherwise, you've wasted your words.

Beyond impeding our prayers, Jesus warned that unforgiveness opens us up to other problems: "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart" (Matthew 18:34-35).

Teresa Seputis made the following observations about Jesus words on unforgiveness:

"What do the tormentors do? They kill, steal, destroy and make you miserable. Is an enemy counterattack doing this in your life? If so, you need to examine your heart before God and deal with any unforgiveness or bitterness you may be harboring.

I am not trying to say that if you are under enemy attack, this means you have unforgiveness in your heart. We know that Jesus walked in perfect holiness and forgiveness, but Satan attacked Him--I am not saying that if you are under attack, you have unforgiveness to deal with.

But if there is any unforgiveness that might be giving the enemy an open door to torment you, slam that door closed. We need to walk in right relationship with others and to walk in forgiveness. If we don't do that, we are turning ourselves over to the enemy to be tormented"

(That is from Prayer-School Course 17, Getting In God's Order, Lesson Ten, 'Why All of This Applies to Intercession).

Fourth, our wounds can lead us to adopt theologies that devalue prayer. Religious fatalism sometimes hides under extreme teachings on God's providence. One theology says, "the Lord does whatever He wishes, whether I'm involved or not." Some believers are drawn to the teaching when they look for a way to be healed, without going through the pain of healing.

Or, a bad thing happens to a Christian, one that leaves them feeling powerless. People build doctrines around that sense of helplessness in books like, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." If God couldn't stop what harmed me, to whom shall I turn to get my hurts healed? hose with similar wounds are also out-of-luck.

These theologies can mar our personhood, which thrives on the vision that we are co-laborers with God. It also damages our incentive to pray for others; God can do His work without my intercession. Or, even if I pray, God is unable to change some situations.

In our next lessons, we will learn how healed wounds can enhance your intercession.

Prayer and Grief

C.S. Lewis is a hero of mine. You may know him through his children's books, like the recent film adaptation of, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." Or, you might know him as one of the greatest Christian minds of the twentieth century, explaining Christian doctrines to the unbelievers in books like, "The Screwtape Letters."

Beyond the brilliant apologist, and superb storyteller, Clive Staple Lewis, or as he liked to be called, "Jack," was a private person. He was a man of flesh and bone, one who bled when pricked. A confirmed bachelor, he knew the joys of love and matrimony only a few short years, before his wife was stricken with terminal cancer. In response to that pain, and Lewis' struggle over finding God's goodness in the death of his wife, he wrote, "A Grief Observed."

If God were to re-title C.S. Lewis' book, it might be called, "A Grief Allowed." It is painful to read; you feel Jack's hurt and disappointment through his words; and you wonder whether, in his anger, Lewis will wander away from God. Through the experience, Jack's relationship with God changed. Jack wrestled with God in his grief, seeking answers as Jacob sought a blessing. In the past, C.S. Lewis arguments for Christianity were well-thought out and largely intellectual. After his grief, an extra-dimension was added to his positions. They spoke more directly with a person's spirit because of his grief.

Grief can change the way we pray, from an intellectual exercise, to feeling the very burden of God as we minister on our knees.

In our last lesson, we learned about how unhealed wounds can hinder our intercession. In this lesson, I'd like to examine three-related points:

1. What to expect when grief comes.
2. How God uses grief to heal old wounds.
3. How healed wounds helps our intercession.

We will cover the first two points in this lesson and look at the third point in our next lesson.

Point #1

First, what can you expect when grief comes into your life? Loss comes in a variety of forms. Some events are sudden, such as the death of a loved one. Other situations are ongoing, such as a divorce or illness.

In the last four weeks, I faced the death of a loved one and the funeral following her death. For the first week and a half, my mother-in-law struggled for life in the hospital, after being bedridden for the past three years. She was a good woman, and a saved one. She never interfered with my marriage, and she helped raise my son until he reached kindergarten age.

My wife cared for her mom on her days off. I also had a hand in that care, such as helping her in and out of her wheel chair in order to take her to and from my sister-in-law's home, where she lived. We spent many nights in the hospital, until the night she died. Next came the funeral, where I sang specials, helped in other parts of the service, and put together one of those photo/music presentations that could be played off a CD. There are still the thank you cards to mail out.

Before, during, and after the funeral, people processed various emotions as they said their goodbyes. You too may feel some of these, when you face grief. They include the following:

Shock and denial--You may feel numb. You don't feel motivated to pursue pleasurable activities. Some details of life go unattended. The emotional needs of others are neglected. You go through the motions of living, without feeling connected to life.

Volatile Reactions--Our reactions to little annoyances are way out-of- proportion. Close relatives, who distant themselves from caring for a dying loved one, anger us. The future of relationships is decided, based on whether people act concerned or callous towards the grief event.

Disorganization And Despair--We feel like we have nothing to look forward to, because the future hasn't turned out the way we planned. We feel lonely, because the nest has emptied, or retirement becomes a solo rather than a duet. Illness and age end the immortality of youth. Financial setbacks darken the future.

Reintegration--We come to peace with what has passed. We don't feel compelled any longer to honor the dead--deceased loved ones, divorced partners, or the departed dreams of youth (source of list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grief; the descriptions were my own).

These aren't stages each person must go through until they reach some stage of psychological resolution. It's more like a marble cake, where one layer can erupt into another in the most uncanny places before the final icing is applied. If an intercessor isn't aware of the emotions that await them, the enemy can get a prayer warrior question their value to God, or lead them to question God's goodness.

Point #2

Second, God uses grief to heal old wounds.

During times of grief, stagnant and hidden wounds bubble to the surface. Festering conflicts between family members erupt afresh. Things we've denied about ourselves and buried in our psyche arise anew. The enemy, ever the opportunist, seizes the moment, as he drives wedges between loved ones, and casts distain on our Christianity. Unruly impulses, unreasonable anger, abnormal fears, compulsive behavior, odd emotions, baseless hypochondria, and uncontrollable sin surface to our dismay.

God isn't surprised at what arises in us. Both David and Peter spoke of the process:

"Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalms 139:23-24).

"[You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations. So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed" (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Neither passage spells out of the details of this process. They do point out the existence of the experience. That allows God the flexibility to deal with us. Once God exposes the emotional/spiritual wounds that need healing, He will lead us through that curative process. There are many excellent courses taught under GodSpeak's Online Healing School that explain how to place yourself in a position to be emotionally healed, and what to expect once the psychic/spiritual wounds become visible.

Our main responsibility is to cooperate with the Lord. God will only take us as far as we are willing to go. If I do not cooperate with God when the opportunity for healing presents itself, it may be awhile before God presents me with another chance. In the meantime, we suffer. Fear is one of the reasons we resist the healing process. When the power of the Lord's presence comes upon a person, the feeling of being out-of-control may cause us to resist the Lord. That is not uncommon when the person was raised in a denomination that shunned emotions, and encountering the presence of the Lord is a new experience.

Or, a person may reap psychological advantages that would be lost, were they healed. For example, a person with a hot temper usually gets their way in a family, even if that gain is temporary. Whatever the resistance is, God will not leave that position unchallenged.

Healed Wounds Help Our Intercession

We started talking about grief in our last lesson, and there are three things I need to say about grief:

1. What to expect when grief comes.
2. How God uses grief to heal old wounds.
3. How healed wounds helps our intercession.

We talked about the first two in our last lesson, and now it is time to move on to the last one.

Healed Wounds Help Our Intercession

Healed wounds help our intercession. Let me set the basis for this teaching by reviewing Jesus' present work in heaven. You may need to review this portion of the teaching a few times, for the Holy Spirit to reveal its truths to your spirit.

While on earth, Jesus completed the work of atonement. As our High Priest, Christ gave His perfect life on the cross (Hebrews 9: 11-14). His righteous payment cancelled our unrighteous deeds, past, present, and future. He saved us from hell and destined us for heaven.

Today in heaven, Jesus continues the work of attainment. His life and death on earth sensitized Him to our needs. He gained a first-hand, intimate knowledge of our plight, because He lived with the same problems and limitations we do. Jesus felt the pain caused by our humanity in several ways. First, He experienced the physical pangs and emotional needs that arose from his humanity. He hungered (Matthew 4:2) and he was thirsty (John 19:28). And He experienced death. The Bible states that Jesus was tempted in all the things we've been tempted. "Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted" (Hebrew 2:17-18).

Also, some of His desires went unmet. Jesus didn't fall into sin. Even though He felt the temptation to fulfill His needs in ways God did not condone, He didn't. Thus, Jesus didn't suffer the consequences of his own sin, because He didn't sin. However, Jesus did experience the consequences of our sins on the cross.

So, Jesus understands first-hand the reasons behind the prayer requests that we bring to His throne. "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:14-15).

Today, Christ applies His finished sacrifice to the ongoing sanctification of believers: "Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

In other words, Jesus' present here-and-now work prepares us for the hereafter.

Now, there is priestly anointing received for those who enter joint- intercession with Christ over His people. As Jesus' wounds sensitize His understanding of our needs, our wounds sensitize us to the intercessory needs of others.

Those who draw near to Christ, and pray with Him on behalf of His body, receive the high priest anointing. Our hurts help us sympathize with their hurts. As self is emptied, your heart becomes a mirror that echoes Christ's emotions over those He intercedes for. You enter joint intercession with Jesus on behalf of others.

Your hurts, whether healed or not, serve as a magnet to the type of hurts you pray for. It is a form of a word of knowledge, as the hurt resonates within you. Remember, we are primarily addressing emotional wounds, and not physical wounds. An unhealed hurt is like an acoustically-sensitive room filled with baggage. Though a sound will echo in it, the sound is muffled, and the direction it comes from is indistinct. A healed wound is like the same room, except the baggage has been removed. The same sound, noted previously, is no longer muffled, and it is easier to tell which direction the sound came from.

As we emphasized in our series, "Praying to Obtain God's Best," Christians have been taught to distrust their emotions. Many non- charismatic groups teach that our feelings can't be trusted, under the guise of putting our faith in the Bible alone. While that notion is partially true, the enemy uses it for other purposes. The teaching is part of a backlash against what non-charismatics see as excessive emotionalism involved when charismatic Christians exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Evangelical Christians are instructed to distrust their feelings as one means to inoculate them against becoming Charismatic. I know, because that's the background I grew up in and out of.

"Yet, one of the ways the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in intercession is through our emotions" (Cindy Jacobs, "Possessing the Gates of the Enemy", p. 112). As we pray, and our feelings change, we need to ask God what the shift in our emotions mean. Both the Old Testament and New Testaments refer to this facet of intercession:

"...weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15b).

"Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?" (Job 30:25).

A type of burden-sharing is seen in the life of Moses (Numbers 11:11- 30). When Moses complained to God that the burden of leading the Israelites was too great, God shifted the some of the load to seventy other elders of Israel. The days of Moses had to bear the burden alone ended.

Jesus, as a type of Moses, alone bears the burden of interceding on behalf of His people before the Father. Though He is God, Jesus desires co-labors on this earth to reflect His intercession in heaven. That establishes the necessary agreement between earthly and heavenly intercession for God to answers prayers (Matthews 18:19-20). It's like a person yelling instructions down a canyon to people below. Without an echo, the voice of the one above, would not reach those below.

Besides the identification we feel with others, as our wounds resonate with their wounds, how can prayer warriors join the heavenly calling? Old Testament priests prayed for others in the Temple. Christ is the head that prays in heaven, while we His body (or temple), pray on earth. Leviticus recalls the priests' duties. Before the altar, the book governed their ministry to God.

Our praying should also be according to the book. God's promises need to be pled over His people. The Lord honors requests made according to His perspective (1 John 5:14-15). Our altar work on earth releases Jesus' altar work in heaven. Like the seraphim, we draw coals from the heavenly hearth, and apply them to others (Isaiah 6:5-7).

Next, realize you are a priest in God's eyes, even if you don't hold the title (1 Peter 2: 9). Intercessors are the praying hands and prostrate knees of Jesus' body. We plead on earth for what He pleads for in heaven.

Then, go through your prayer list. Ask God to reveal His burdens for a person and to reveal scriptures He wants you to pray over each one. Give Him time to complete the list and reveal His burdens. You don't need verses for everyone before you begin. Use that list once a week to declare Jesus' "priestly praying" over your folks.

And don't forget to make notes with dates beside each name. The remarks will encourage you, as you see God's promises change their lives. Such intercession does two things. First, our prayers plant the seed of God's word in others. We release the word's ability to accomplish God's purposes in them (Isaiah 55:11). Second, our petitions remind God that the honor of His name is on the line. Our Father stakes his reputation on His keeping His word (Psalms 138:2).

Numbers 11 also gives qualifications for those who would be co-intercessors with Jesus. First, we need to be spiritually mature, responsible people. Moses was told to choose people he knew to be elders of the Israel. An elder is one who takes care of themselves, their own family, and others outside their household.

Second, we must be willing to be led by the Lord. Moses told the elders to assemble at a certain place and time. He didn't worry about whether they would make it. In the same fashion, we must be willing to follow Jesus' lead in prayer. We should not dismiss God's leading, even if from our perspective, a detail seems insignificant.

Third, we must be willing to be spiritually-stretched. The Holy Spirit fell on the elders and they prophesied. That never happened to them before. You must also be willing for God to work through you in unexpected ways.

Rees Howell's story, as told by Norman Grubb in the book, "Intercessor," goes into further detail about the Lord's sharing His burdens with earthbound prayer warriors. It is necessary read for those who embark on the ministry of intercession.

Brokenness And Intercession

One old adage says, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Sometimes, that is a good course to follow, especially when you don't know what you're doing. One home improvement commercial shows one man after another standing over the wreckage of a home project. Each man, in turn, raises his hand, asking for help with the mess they've made. Many of us, in the same way, stand over the jumble we've made of our lives. Some never raise their hands for help. Others redouble their efforts, throwing up their hands in terror, as their lives burst into flames. A few walk away from the disaster.

God didn't design life to be a self-improvement project. The Lord planned us for His input. When we don't get that, things break. We have difficulties admitting when we have problems, especially to God. God's purpose for our brokenness won't be realized without His participation. This is very important for intercessors. Often our prayers cannot take the people we intercede for beyond the triumphs we've realized. Our victories pave the way for their victories. This phenomenon is described by Norman Grubb in the life of Rees Howells:

"Mr. Howells would often speak of 'the gained position of intercession'...[where] the price is paid, the obedience is fulfilled, the inner wrestling and groanings take their course, and then 'the weak channel is clothed with authority by the Holy Spirit'" (Rees Howells: Intercessor, by Norman Grubb, 1979, p. 90).

As intercessors, we often plead a promise over a person. That promise is often pled in its 'Logos' form. When we plead a position of victory over an individual, the promise is pled in its 'Rhema' form. When God enlivens the word to us, by the breath and authority of His Spirit, He uses our prayers to apply our Rhema to others.

In this lesson, we want to examine how aspects of brokenness affect a prayer warrior's work. Some parts of this study will elaborate on points made during a prior study, "The Difference between Doubt and Brokenness" in the "Praying to Obtain God's Best," series. The aspects we want to highlight include:

1. Understanding God's perspective on brokenness.
2. Brokenness shouldn't be mistaken for something else.
3. Why brokenness must be embraced to experience its benefits.
4. How to avoid bitterness from brokenness.

We will examine and expand on each of these four aspects. (We will talk about the first one in this lesson, and then talk about the other three in subsequent lessons).

God's Perspective On Brokenness

First, we need to understand God's angle on brokenness.

Brokenness doesn't mean we are bankrupt before God--that is a lie of the enemy. It means God is digging up the treasure that's inside us. In doing so, the Lord turns over many rocks, and uncovers many scurrying things we're ashamed to have disclosed. Yet, it's those things that hold us down and keep us from moving into our destiny. Many of us are like an oyster to God. To get to our spirits (the pearl), He has to break through our hard shells.

Brokenness is the process of removing obstacles within us that prevent God from fully using us. John the Baptist captured the essence of brokenness when he said: "...He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

God does utilize people despite themselves; we are all He has to work with. Notice how the Lord used Samson's impurities to accomplish His purposes:

"Then Samson went to Timnah and saw...one of the daughters of the Philistines. So he told his father and mother, 'I saw a woman, one of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.' Then his father and his mother said 'Is there no woman among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?' But Samson said to his father, 'Get her for me, for she looks good...' However, his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel" (Judges 14:1-4).

The Lord used Samson's God-given desire (to be married) despite his worldliness (to an unbeliever) to get His will done. Yet, Samson didn't rise to his full potential, until the Philistines broke him (Judges 16:20-30).

Do your prayer requests include a plea to walk in a higher level of a gifting, or to receive a gift you don't have? According to John Paul Jackson, God is more willing to give gifts than we are able to receive them. We are not ready to receive them, because the accolades that come with their use would corrupt us. God would then have to judge us for the misuse of His glory. God is more willing to give gifts than we are able to receive them ("Maximizing Heaven's Help, Part 2" Eyes and Wings Prophetic Conference, Bethel Church, Redding, CA, February, 2007). There are places God would lead us, and gifts He would give us, but because of our issues, He was not able (Matthew 23:37).

It's like having a need to get to school, praying for a car to drive there, but being too young to obtain a license. You may be waiting for God to answer a prayer request, one that was even promised by a prophetic word. Yet, are you willing to let God eliminate anything in you that might stop Him from answering your petition?

That's where we fall short. God isn't obligated to give us anymore light than we're willing to live up to. That obedience gap lengthens our wait. We then blame God for something we fail to do. Paul wrote to two different congregations where the lack of obedience prevented them from going deeper with God: "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

"Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (Hebrews 5:11-14).

God uses brokenness as one way to remove barriers to our obedience. Our response to His work determines whether we are freed up enough to take God's next step, or if He has to repeat the process.

We must leave no stone of obedience unturned. The Lord may require changes in you before you can reach the next level of intercession. That submission aligns your will on earth with our Father's will in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Will you leave cherished comfort zones to pursue needed steps of faith? Often, the door of answered prayer swings on hinges of obedience.

Understanding Brokenness

We started talking about how brokenness relates to intercession in our last lesson, and I highlighted four important aspects of brokenness:

1. Understanding God's perspective on brokenness.
2. Brokenness shouldn't be mistaken for something else.
3. Why brokenness must be embraced to experience its benefits.
4. How to avoid bitterness from brokenness.

We already discussed the first aspect (our need to understand brokenness from God's perspective) in lesson 6. So let us move on to aspect number 2.

Brokenness Shouldn't Be Mistaken For Something Else

Don't mistake brokenness for something it isn't. For example, there are those who believe that brokenness results from God's displeasure. People "break-ground" before they start a great undertaking, as opposed to "christening" a ship, where they finish a big project. Our problem is, in the spiritual world, we expect christenings, while the Lord is just beginning a work. When God breaks ground, we call it a funeral, because we think something is being buried instead of getting started.

We walk away from the unearthing, abandoning a God-inspired dream because of the pain, grieving over a loss that is, in fact, not the His final word on the matter. Brokenness is God's invitation to a groundbreaking in the supernatural. Our dreams aren't meant to push up daisies, but to lay down roots. In Hosea, the Lord put it this way: "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you" (Hosea 10:12).

Also, brokenness is mistaken for unfruitfulness. God made the world with defined seasons in mind. The seasons are somewhat analogous to the spirit world. Trees look desolate in the winter. During the planting season, the ground also appears unproductive. At times, you feel out-of-touch with God's work1. Questions arise during that time, especially if you are taking steps to stay close to God, rather than distancing yourself from Him. This situation shouldn't be mistaken for a barren womb. Instead, it's a gestation period. God is working out of sight; things are being orchestrated behind the scenes. Our frustration over our lack of fruitfulness breaks our spirit. That brokenness allows God to plant new things in us that He could not otherwise. And that broken ground allows the Fruit of the Spirit to poke through.

Or, brokenness is mistaken for a junkyard. We feel that God is done with us, that we're disqualified, or otherwise obsolete. When God remakes a vessel, He takes the pot through several steps. Before we look at those steps, I want to include a couple of verses about how God is the potter and we are His clay:

"Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, that what is made would say to its maker, 'He did not make me'; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, 'He has no understanding'" (Isaiah 26:19).

"'Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will announce My words to you.' Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 'Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?' declares the Lord. 'Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel" (Jeremiah 18:2-6).

Now, let's look at those steps. First, God reshapes the pot, applying pressure with His fingers. Have you ever felt God apply pressure to some area of your life? Once the vessel is in the proper form, He dries it out. Have you ever gone through a dry period for some unexplained reason? Then, the pot is dipped in a fresh glaze. Has God given you new opportunities that lie outside your comfort zone? Finally, the artisan places the pot in the kiln, where it is fired. Have you gone through a furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10)? The pot can only hold water after it's gone through the entire process.

How often have we struck out on God's behalf only to strike out? Did that happen because we walked out of the Potter's cottage, before He was finished with us?

God sets aside people after their first start, so their self-confidence may die down. Moses spent forty years on the backside of a desert. On his first assignment, he ran away. Paul also spent three years in a desert, after his first testimony. We learn the hard way that, when it comes to a God-given task, we are inadequate. Brokenness is losing faith in our abilities and gaining faith in His abilities.

Thus, we learn to lean on the Lord, for as Paul says: "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).

I'd like to list other things we confuse with brokenness:

• Brokenness isn't accepting depression.
• Brokenness isn't accepting an illness.
• Brokenness isn't accepting an assignment of the devil.
• Brokenness isn't accepting spiritual abuse at a church.
• Brokenness isn't accepting verbal or physical abuse in marriage.
• Brokenness isn't accepting a sexually-hostile workplace (Genesis 39:6-21).

Brokenness doesn't mean you should become someone's doormat, whether they are visible, or invisible. For example, when a father abuses a mother, she isn't the only person harmed. If the enemy exploits a pastor, an entire congregation is despoiled. We shouldn't deny the frank emotions--such as sadness--that accompany the breaking process. But, we needn't become a victim.

Embracing Brokenness and Benefiting From It

We started talking about how brokenness relates to intercession in our last lesson, and I highlighted four important aspects of brokenness:

1. Understanding God's perspective on brokenness.
2. Brokenness shouldn't be mistaken for something else.
3. Why brokenness must be embraced to experience its benefits.
4. How to avoid bitterness from brokenness.

We already discussed the first two aspects in earlier lessons. So we will pick up the discussion at the third aspect.

Why We Must Embrace Brokenness

Brokenness must be embraced if we are to experience God's intended benefits. Psalm 51:17 says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Brokenness is an important process that God takes each of us though at some point in our development. It is not intended as a punishment or as an indication that God is somehow displeased with us. The Lord uses brokenness to help us develop attitudes that draw us closer to God. Look at what God says on this subject in Psalm 34:18-19. "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."

One definition of contrite is: Middle English contrite, from Latin contrtus, past participle of conterere, to crush: com-, com- + terere, to grind ("Webster's II: New Riverside University Dictionary," p. 306).

So why is this important to us as intercessors? It is because many haven't seen their prayers answered because we haven't offered God the necessary sacrifices to obtain their release. One of those is brokenness.

Brokenness isn't a religious act. There is a pseudo-brokenness offered to God by religious practitioners. Jesus rebuked such offerings: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also (Matthew 23:24-25) .

Religion deals with the outside rather than the inside. Religion holds the inside to be out-of-bounds; God is held at arms-length. Religion cannot regenerate us, nor tolerate God's meddling. On the other hand, brokenness removes the poison of hypocrisy from our soil. Broken vessels reveal their contents.

This type of brokenness must come from God. We can't see our own cracks because too much of us cover them up. Like someone when they first start a diet, it's difficult to see one's feet or the scale as we weigh.

For example, God may hone our ability to work under others. Time spent in the minor leagues prepares us to play in the major leagues. Look at the numerous jobs on Joseph's resume. Joseph started his working life as an arrogant, know-it-all youth. God has to remove our rough edges before His dream for us can come to fruition.

The values of a Christian employee, when tempered by brokenness, are the opposite of what the world holds true. Brokenness involves the removal of personal ambitions and agendas engendered in us by the world's values (1 John 2:15-16). Some of the ideals involve:

• Working for someone, and not chaffing while doing so.
• Giving up the need for adulation.
• Seeking cooperation, not competition.
• Giving up the personal rights others greedily grasp for.
• Raising our empathy for the troubles of others.

When we embrace brokenness, we walk into the place of God's provision. Brokenness allows God to teach us (1 John 2:26-28). Brokenness allows us to take up God's opportunities (Ephesians 2:10). Brokenness allows us to see the ways of God (Genesis 50:20). Brokenness prevents us from wrestling control away from God (Genesis 32:24-26). Brokenness allows God to co-labor on our behalf (John 15:5). It is obvious how this applies to prayer.

Above all, brokenness affects the spirit we bring into prayer. Sometimes we unknowingly bring spirits into our prayer time that are not of God. The Lord prunes these off us by breaking us. Some spirits camouflage themselves behind a stronghold of religious virtuousness. Others lie in wait beneath the resignation of unbelief--a stronghold created when we gave up on a prayer request God intended to answer, because the devil convinced us that God's delay was God's denial. Our clever enemy is quick to cover up his tracks and disguise his schemes as works of light.

How To Avoid Bitterness From Brokenness

So, how can you be broken without becoming bitter?

Forgiveness is one key. Joseph could have held grudges against many people: the brothers who sold him into slavery, Potiphar and his wife, Pharaoh's forgetful cupbearer, etc. Yet, after Joseph came to power, there is no record of his taking vengeance against anyone. Rodney Hogue, member of GodSpeak's leadership core and pastor of Community of Grace Church, has written extensively on the subject of forgiveness in many courses offered through GodSpeak.

Next, respect God's timing and order. Twice, David had the opportunity to kill King Saul. But he didn't. Instead, he lived by a code his son Solomon later put to words: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

After all, whose life do you think Solomon was reflecting on when he penned that proverb?

Then, don't fear the future, based upon the past. The Bible says: "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth" (Proverbs 27:1)

This verse is a two-edged sword. Many think it prudent not to get their hopes up. They believe in the power of lowered expectations. That's a remnant of the Greek philosophy of Stoicism, plastered over with a Christian-sounding veneer.

When we judge our future course by a futile past, we lose hope, and nothing seems like it will ever change. Those feelings are reminiscent of the evocative lyrics in Otis Redding's, "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay."

On the other hand, the future can easily change overnight. Joseph was in prison one day, then promoted the next. Circumstances aren't forever; only God is eternal. We need to allow the Lord a chance to show what He can do (Ephesians 3:20-21). We need to let God to play out His hand. He is the God of the hope-filled future (Jeremiah 29:11). That foundation leads to optimism. And it leads to continued intercession, for why pray if it can't change our, or anyone else's tomorrows?

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