“Me! Me! Me!” It was not very polite on my part, but when the question was asked, “Who wants ice cream?” I was all over it.

Granted, I was just a kid at the time, but my selfish nature was pretty much full-blown.

My brother-in-law had taken us for ice cream. He handed me two cones as he paid for all three and then took his cone. While walking toward the car, I mentally calculated which cone was larger, handing my twin brother Roger the smaller cone. That was when the universe struck back.

As I tried to step into the car, my brother-in-law (a real comedian) hit the gas and the car jumped forward a few feet. Once. Twice. Three times. When he finally stopped, all the ice cream in my cone fell on the curb as I was getting in the car.

Sometimes that “Me” attitude can creep into our prayer life. There is nothing wrong with praying for our needs, but I think God might be disappointed if our needs were the only things for which we prayed.

In Isaiah, we see God displeased that there is no justice among His people. “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede [‘no intercessor,’ KJV]; then His own arm brought Him salvation, and His righteousness upheld Him” (Isaiah 59:16, ESV).

There are numerous Scriptures that call us to intercession, which is praying for others rather than ourselves.

The Apostle Paul told Timothy, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people” (1 Timothy 2:1).

The Apostle James tells us to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).

In his Letter to the Romans, Paul tells us that Christ is praying for us. “Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).

The author of Hebrews also cites the fact of Jesus’s intercession for us. “Consequently, He [Jesus] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

If I tried to make excuses for not being an intercessor, I am convicted by Paul once again. “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).

The Holy Spirit makes intercession for us when we don’t know how to pray. Peter tells us Jesus left us “an example” so we might “follow in His step” (1 Peter 2:21).

Intercessory prayer is part of following in His steps.

There are needs all around us, so let’s ask the Lord to show us for whom He would have us pray. My goal is to not have the Lord ask me why “there is no intercessor” (Isaiah 59:16).

What say ye, Man of Valor?
Semper Fidelis!