The Building Blocks of Intercession

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.