WAITING FOR THE PRESENCE IN INTERCESSION

by Rosemarie Attardo

Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31 NAS

Waiting upon the Lord is a vital part of intercession. It is vital not only in hearing the Lord in regards to his plan and strategy but also in waiting in His presence in ministry to Him. Ministry unto the Lord is crucial to the whole intercession and to preserve the intercessor.

Many have an earthly time orientation to waiting, but the waiting that we are looking at here is a ministry or service to the Lord, not in outer court ministry of service to man on behalf of the Lord but in ministry to the Godhead – Father, Son and Holy Spirit - personally. This type of waiting is something we do to lavish ourselves and our worship upon Him. It is a time of our pouring forth in adoring prayer (adoring worship) unto Him. It is being in His presence. It is stillness, listening, and a ceasing from our own ways.

There is a way to be in His presence by faith which usually happens in traditional church services but the waiting that we are talking about is the waiting that gives place and time for the agenda's of man to be laid aside and to experience the actual dew of God, the cloud of His Glory to manifest.

This type of waiting is when one would separate themselves and come into His presence to just be with Him. It is the place of abiding and relationship.

Waiting on the Father in intercession stills the flesh of man and brings a humble attitude to the intercessors. Waiting on the Father in quietness shows obedience to the word which says,

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10 KJV

When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, He asked God's presence to be with him or he could not go. He needed the distinction of being a different people.

The valiant warriors of Israel all waited on God for 3 things - direction, timing and Presence.

Just because we have strategy and direction doesn't mean it's time to enter the intercession. We enter the intercession when His presence not only leads through the timing but that His presence is actually there.

When Joshua went to prepare to go to battle for Jericho (Joshua 5), the Angel of the Lord came. "Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" And he said, "No, rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?" And the captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. This angel is thought to be a Christophany, an appearance of Christ.

Many today think that one uses a fleece if they can't decide the will of the Lord. However, Gideon did not use the fleece for that purpose as Gideon already had the word of the Lord. Read the account in Joshua 6.

"Then Gideon said to God, "If Thou wilt deliver Israel through me, as Thou hast spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that Thou wilt deliver Israel through me, as Thou hast spoken. " And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water.

Then Gideon said to God, "Do not let Thine anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground." And God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground. Joshua 6:37-40 NAS

Gideon knew the Presence of the Lord manifests as dew because of the cloud of His Presence and Glory. Gideon wanted a specific appearance of His Presence, not just a coincidental nightly dew. We see in scripture that dew accompanies the cloud because it is the nature of the cloud. And He is in the dew and the cloud respectively.

In Ezekiel Chapter 1, the four living beings came in the cloud, the cloud of His Presence.

On the Mount of Transfiguration, the cloud appeared and the voice of God came from the cloud saying, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him." God's voice accompanied the cloud because He is resident in the cloud and manifests His presence by nature of the cloud.

Solomon said,

"The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. 2 Chron. 6:1 NAS

Gideon put out the fleece to know from God that the cloud of His Presence would accompany them into the battle. Gideon didn't want to be self sufficient in battle.

"The breaker goes up before them; They break out, pass through the gate, and go out by it. So their king goes on before them, And the LORD at their head." Micah 2:13 NAS

Earlier we showed how God wants us to be still so that we will know that He is God. There is a stillness that we enter into which is a quietness but then there is also a stillness of the flesh that needs to be entered into so that the manifestation of His Presence happens.

As the intercessors flow in worship cooperating with the mood and move of the Spirit of God, the manifest Presence comes. When one enters into warfare or intercession under the anointing of His Presence, then victory is sure.

Waiting on the Lord for His manifest Presence and worshipping Him before moving into intercession brings strength to the intercessor and intercession. It lets us fight from our heavenly seat. It lets us fight from a position of strength - humility (because we choose to wait on Him); and in turn waiting preserves the intercessor.

As Moses, Joshua and Gideon, we need the Captain of the host of the Lord. We need His Presence. We need His Cloud of Glory.

Suggested Resource: Intercession by James Goll

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rosemarie Attardo is missionary having ministered in 46 countries throughout Eurasia, Europe, South America, and Asia. She has pioneered ministry training schools and has lived among un-reached people groups ministering the Gospel.  Rosemarie is the Founder and President of Vessels of Honor Ministries, Inc., which mentors women in strategic levels of intercession, ministry, and missions.

Visit the Vessels of Honor Ministries Website

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