An intercessor doesn’t always expect to get involved.
There they are, going about their business, perhaps merely reading a book, when they are called into action.
But it can be surprising, all the same.
When prayer is part of your life, it’s not a big deal.
How about an example?
I recently caught a flight in a surprising set of circumstances.
My original plans had me flying out of one city, but a hurricane sent me elsewhere.
The airline kindly accommodated my change of plans, and I boarded a new flight 400 miles away.
As always, I asked God to go before me and I looked forward to what would come.
You never know how He will answer a prayer like that.
But, it’s always interesting.
Fly away.
The first twist
I learned a long time ago not to be worried about flying.
That doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention.
I’m just not worrying about a sudden crash and instant death, anymore.
Certainly, I pray when we take off–and sometimes when we land.
But, I’d never been on a flight that left the gate and then was forced to return.
An individual from the back of the plane was marched off by the two largest flight attendants.
No explanation.
But one flight attendant was visibly shaken. “In 37 years of working for the government, I’ve never had that happen before.”
(Rumor among the passengers was the person seated in an emergency row refused to help in an emergency situation. That made no sense, but that’s a rumor for you.)
Intercessor steps in #1 and #2
So, I prayed–particularly for the upset flight attendant, who continued on in a professional manner.
The plane took off, beverages came down the aisle, then the airplane captain called everyone into their seats.
“This includes the flight attendants. We’ve got rough turbulence ahead.”
So, I prayed, #2, for the plane, safety, etc. The flight attendant I could see, sitting with his back to the cockpit door staring down the aisle, looked okay.
Frankly, the whole episode finished much faster than I expected, and the beverage cart soon came down the aisle again.
I returned to my book, Deliverance from Evil Spirits by Francis McNutt.
With all the excitement onboard, I was still reading on my phone. There was no reason, by that point, to pull out the Ipad, so I stayed on the phone.
The man sitting beside me pulled his hat over his eyes and went to sleep.
Intercessor called to work joy #3
As we neared our destination, I read about the need for prayer.
Our flight attendant moved down the narrow aisle claiming trash for her black bag.
As she paused beside me, I heard her muttering, “We need an intercessor. We need an intercessor.”
I glanced back at my book.
The header–in bold black–read Intercessors.
“Excuse me,” I said. “Did you say, Intercessor?”
I held up my phone. “Look what it says right here.”
She peered closer and her eyes went wide as she gasped.
“Would you like me to pray for you?”
“Yes!”
So, I did.
It was a routine prayer for peace, safety, clarity of mind, confidence, and assurance that God loved her.
Maybe a minute? Perhaps 90 seconds?
“Thank you, Jesus,” she whispered.
At the amen, I handed her my empty glass for the trash bag, and she carried on down the aisle.
But, I heard her joyful, quiet, exclamation.
“We had an intercessor! We had an intercessor!”
But, why the need?
Who knows?
I wasn’t supposed to be on that airplane.
We landed on time, no problems, and I laughed as I walked off the plane.
When I see that flight attendant in heaven, I’ll ask her.
Many intercessors pray every day around the world for the needs of people they’ll never know.
As I walk through my day, I often pray for people I pass on the street, in the airport, standing in line hither and yon.
The words spring to mind, the ideas, the wonder. I seldom know the reason, but I can pray blessings.
And, frankly, it’s a lot of fun.
Especially when you get to see or receive unexpected joy in the most unlikely of spots.
Join me, won’t you? See what happens when you say a prayer for someone you don’t even know.
Tweetables
An unexpected need for an intercessor–and one was there! Click to Tweet
Prayer needs show up at the most surprising times! Pray away! Click to Tweet
I love this. I have been transformed from one who anxiously prays over every concievable thing could go wrong on a flight to praying for God to be in control and to lead me to spread Him on whoever sits beside me. Sometimes that is just to pray silently and some times it is to have a spiritual conversation. Flights are so much more exciting now with the anticipation on seeing God at work.
Thank you for the sharing of your airline experience. I too tend to pray for people I don’t know as I come across and feel led, while grocery shopping or in a restaurant or wherever. It is fun being an intercessor and I too, often wonder who all I will meet in heaven and know they are there in part because I said a prayer. Something so simple to do to be a part of someone’s salvation or someone’s understanding of Jesus things.
I pray for airplanes when I see them, for each and every passenger and crew member on it… for God to grant repentance to those who need it, to rebuke any evil who may be in control of any, and for each one to be overwhelmed with His Love. Over the years I suppose I have prayed over hundreds of thousands… it will be exciting to meet some of them in heaven and hear their stories and find out how my prayer over them changed things in their time continuum.
Who knows… maybe you’ve been on one or more of those planes that I have prayed over…
Blessings Sister in Christ!
Love it! I pray more for ambulances and firetrucks than airplane flights, though I have often prayed on flights. Once, I felt led to pray all the way from LA to Oakland–something just didn’t seem right. It was curious, though, to think, “I’d better be praying for salvation for all these people on this airplane!” Fortunately, we landed without mishap. 🙂
These days, I find myself praying for strangers all the time. I pass them on the sidewalk, and something catches me. You’re right. Who knows who we’ll meet in heaven someday?
Thanks for writing.