My Testimony about Intercessory Prayer

Read the previous chapter before reading this!

I had a vivid dream in my 40s, while serving with Mercy Ships, wherein the Lord “revealed to me” the importance of intercessory prayer.

In my dream, I walked down a wooded path to a little country house nestled at the side of a hill. I walked in, and there were two ladies sitting, each in a wingbacked chair with a small table and lamp between them. One of the ladies I recognized as Helen Pine, my Good News Club teacher in Arena, Wisconsin. The other lady looked familiar but I really didn’t know her, but she said, within the dream, “My name is Vivian Conley.”

In the dream there were no other words spoken…

I only walked in, knelt down between them, taking the position of a knight leaning toward them on one knee. Then, the two women both scooted to the edge of their chairs, and leaning over, “knighted me” with their hand motions upon both sides of my shoulders.

I knew in my heart, while in the dream, that I was being “set apart” for “a purpose” as I went through this ceremony of sorts.

It was as if “their mantle” was being placed upon me…kind of like Elijah’s was upon Elisha...They had the authority to do this in my dream…and it was a very solemn accolade.

And then I woke up!

It was “so real”…and I hardly ever dream. This felt very significant. It became important to me to inquire more.

So, I immediately called my own mother, the very next morning, to tell her about the dream, and specifically to ask her if she knew of anyone named Vivian Conley? We both knew Helen Pine, who was a bright light in our little town of Arena, Wisconsin; Everyone saw Jesus upon her countenance and she lived her faith. I was in 2nd-5th grades when I went to her Good News Clubs. I knew her to be a woman of prayer… for all the kids in town especially. So it was Vivian who was the mystery. I wanted to know more about who she was.

She said, “Oh yes, Beth! Vivian was your first grade Sunday School teacher at Grand Detour, Illinois! She used to come up to me in church and say, “That little girl of yours has such an anointing on her! God’s going use her mightily.”

“And Beth, she told me she would pray for you every single day!”

I came away from our conversation with an understanding:

These two women were both intercessors for me in my childhood.

They both also taught me stories about Jesus and people from the bible. They “sowed the word” into my life, as well as “prayed for my future.”

God was letting me know who was responsible for praying for me when I was young, and who was sharing in the reward of my decision to serve the Lord in ministry! These ladies, “invisible to man”… and even “invisible to me” until the dream revealed them… were “great” in the Kingdom of Heaven. They “made” a difference!

Their prayers changed my life! Their prayers made the difference!

Such a difference, that God was revealing to me who they were in a dream!

I was totally amazed! God showed me my intercessors!

I “learned” from this, that none of us goes it alone. We pray for one another. We call people forth into their callings! We encourage and edify! We are intertwined.

And the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man does avail much.

In my case, the effectual fervent prayer of two old ladies. Helen was a short, frail, little crippled lady…but she had a loving smile that lit a room and who opened her own home for dozens upon dozens of children to learn about Jesus after school.

Vivian was a Sunday School teacher who took her charge seriously… She was faithful at what God gave her to do. She spoke to my parents “about her perceptions”, She sowed the word into me, and she prayed for me every day.

Both ladies were “remarkable” to God! Both were responsible for my heart going after God. Their prayers did this.

I realized, and became humbled, that my quest for God wasn’t “of me” but, rather, was because I was “prayed for” by others. Suddenly I realized also that my parents, friends, church family, and others prayed for me too, and that all their prayers were making a difference in my life. And my life and prayers were affecting other lives as well. I’m praying for and sowing the word into “you”. So they have a far-reaching affect!… Our prayers, I mean.

So why am I sharing this true testimony?

To get you to know YOUR PRAYERS MATTER TOO! Whoever you pray for may not ever know it. If you’re praying forth the purposes of God, it may only be the Lord and you “in the closet” who knows it.

But rest assured, God hears.  God sees. God rewards… and…God responds to your prayers.

He rewards the intercessors!

Just think of it!

God rewarded and honored Helen Pine and Vivian Conley… by telling me “of them” in my dream! And yes, they had both died and were in heaven at the time of my dream.

It was a dream I could not have had “through imagination”… for a name was given within it. It was, however, a dream that revealed the importance of these ladies’ prayers. It was a dream that let me know that it would be a ‘high calling’ for me to pray for others too… And, to sow the word into their lives.

I couldn’t find Vivian Conley’s obituary–it was too long ago– but I found her daughter’s, Mina Price… and this is cut/paste from her obituary: “She will be fondly remembered by family and friends as a woman of great faith in her Lord Jesus Christ, a fiercely loving mother and grandmother, and generous, hardworking, and thoughtful community member.” Truly, Vivian affected her own daughter too. And who knows how many countless others!

Our lives of prayer do matter!

These two ladies never lived long enough to see “the result” of their prayers for me, and others, yet I know in my heart they are part of the “cloud of witnesses” (see Hebrews 12:1) that are looking upon believers now, cheering us on. They “see now” the result of their prayer times. They died in faith, as did the others in Hebrews 12, not fully seeing what they were believing God for.

I testify, that intimacy with the Lord, i.e. simply abiding in His Presence in prayer… talking to and hearing from God… is what brought forth “the works” of the books I’ve authored and music albums I’ve released…and caused me to say “yes” to missions and church-planting endeavors in my younger years…with all done in Jesus’ name.

All has been from the Holy Spirit… not me… and… This is because of two little old ladies’ prayers…and I didn’t even know of them and of how God saw them and heard them.

By God “honoring them”, I came to realize, for myself, the important, far-reaching value of prayer:

It is more than my talking to God for others; it is listening to what He wants me to give others too…spiritually!

Prayer is not something we do “on the side“. It is something we are to immerse ourselves in!

It is imperative that God’s people begin to come boldly before the throne of grace and to give to God “everything” in prayer.

Every person we see stumble…pray for. (don’t judge them)

Every enemy we have…pray for. (we are to pray for our enemies and do good to those who hate us)

Every fear we have…pray about.

Every storm we find ourselves in…pray through.

Every person’s face God puts before you…Pray for!

Every burden of your heart… cast on Him, in prayer!

Every “purpose or calling” you may spiritually see upon someone, pray and declare it forth! Let that person know what you see. Speak into their life!

It is a privilege to pray with the Spirit’s leading to bring about God’s Purposes and Christ’s glory! And, this is what these two little old ladies did for me.

To those aging… let me tell you, because I’m one of you now… It is actually an advantage as we are older! Time for prayer is made possible for us who are retired!

You may be just be “coming into” your calling as an intercessor!”

The ladies in my dream were older women…handicapped even…so perhaps, this too, is a take away: Nothing really can keep us from prayer! And God is not done with you until you go home! You may 85 or older! Makes no difference! Prayer is a ministry! Prayer is powerful! It can be done upon your bed even in a nursing home or hospice! God hears…even thoughts of prayer. We are never too old or too young to be praying for others. Even a small child, if he or she believes, can be an intercessor! Amen?!

The Heavenly Hosts can then be sent out from the Father in response to your prayers!

Your Faith is required though. You can’t just go through the motions. Consider it a conversation with The One Who Can Do Something About It! Whatever it is you’re praying for! You’re going “directly to the top”, bypassing any lessor authority! Expect God to hear you and to respond.

Let’s look at Hebrews 11:6 and see this truth:

“But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is (God), and that He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him.”

Change occurs! Life’s mountains are made into plains! Healings and deliverances happen! Lives are transformed through intercessory prayer for people! And yes, pray for yourself too! Pray about Everything!

We overcome Satan by the “word of our testimony”, as well as by the blood of Jesus, so let this testimony of mine encourage you TO PRAY and NOT GIVE UP!

I know from my dream that God honors intercessors who “from their closets”… and in the “hidden place”… bring their requests before the throne of grace!

In heaven, they are receiving their full reward for this often thankless, invisible, “ministry to men” done in Jesus’ name. Surely, it takes humility before God and man to be faithful as an intercessor. It’s not an act that glorifies “us”, the individual; but rather, glorifies the Lord.

May God bless your own prayer life!

Get happy, excited, and make it your mission! (smile)

May God use you to pray forth His plans and purposes in the days ahead.