New Creation Praying - Part Two

Stephen Crosby
www.SteveCrosby.org

Introduction

Don Atkin has rightly noted the scarcity of references to intercession in the New Testament.i Those
heavily involved in intercessory and “prophetic”ii prayer ministry frequently miss the significance of this
rarity. If we want to see greater fruit from our prayer effort, it would behoove us to investigate the reasons
for, and the implications of, the relative silence.

Like Don has expressed, I also appreciate and respect those who pray and intercede for Rita and myself,
our efforts in the Lord, and for the Lord’s greater interests on earth. Their ministry is invaluable. Nothing I
say herein should be construed as demeaning the exercise of prayer and intercession. I’m not opposed to
intercession. I am troubled by well meaning but ignorant, misguided, and unfruitful intercession based in
the energy and desires of the human soul.

Some of the prayer we engage in is an insult to the Person and work of Christ. I want our prayer to be
effective, with understanding, and backed with heaven’s life and power. For this to occur, our prayer
must be on heaven’s frequency. Mentalities and methods that act as if nothing significant took place on
the Day of Pentecost are “out of phase” with heaven’s order.

The Christ Actiii is the hinge of the cosmos. It redefined the temporal and spiritual realities of the universe.
New creation intercession must be based on, and flow out from, this reality. Quite simply, the situation is
not the same for us as it was for the Old Testament saints. If we pray from their paradigm of experience
and understanding, we will find ourselves engaged in some misdirected efforts that may stimulate us
personally or amp up a meeting, but which are of little or no real effect.

Since the very beginning of my faith 36 years ago, I have been exposed to Latter Rain, “deeper life,” and
prophetic teaching in regard to prayer, intercession, spiritual authority, spiritual warfare, etc. I’m also
aware of the accomplishments of individuals such as Praying Hyde, Rees Howells, the Moravians and
other more hidden ones. I’ve been very much an insider on this issue as it has emerged over the last 25-
30 years in the Charismatic branch of the church (spiritual mapping, prayer walks, all night prayer, fasting,
prayer vigils, prophetic intercession, etc.). I say these things as a necessity for what follows, because I am
likely to aggravate many readers with what I say herein. I could be misinterpreted as someone who “just
doesn’t get it.” On the contrary, I have the T-shirt and the coffee mug on this topic. Been there . . .

Since the late eighties up to the present hour, the ministry of intercession and prophetic intercession has
morphed into an extra-biblical, delusional, moneymaking machine based on inaccurate belief systems
and practices. It’s my premise that intercession as it is commonly practiced today in many Charismatic
and allegedly apostolic/prophetic circles, needs a thorough New Covenant update if it’s to recover biblical
and spiritual legitimacy.

New Covenant Update 1 – What is an intercessor?

And God gave some apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of
the saints for the work of ministry . . . – Eph. 4:13. KJV

There are many different legitimate graces, callings, and arenas of “ministry” in the kingdom that are not
iv
explicitly defined in Scripture. However, there’s a difference between flowing in graces that may not be
explicitly defined, and making one of them equivalent to those that are explicitly listed. Prophetic
intercessors are not included in the Ephesians 4 list. Where intercession is concerned, too much has
been made of too little.

Dear ones, there’s simply not a shred of New Testament justification for a special class of individuals
known as intercessors. There are believers who practice interceding. Intercession is a grace available to
everyone called by the name of Christ. The only difference is, some give themselves to it more than
others. Give yourself to it, and you will also be an intercessor.

I find it intriguingly odd that people whose faith is rooted in the universal priesthood of believers and
opposition to the clergy/laity and secular/sacred divide, can so readily support a belief system that
relegates the ministry of prayer to a class of specialists.

We have entire conferences dedicated to the proposition that there are “intercessors” and then there are .
. . “others.” Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the mutual encouragement and edification of those who
have given themselves to prayer and intercession, or any ministry for that matter. But developing an
exclusive and elitist sub-culture for mystical specialists is outside New Testament boundaries.

New Covenant Update 2 – The Gap is Closed.

Because the New Covenant foundation for a specialized class of intercessory ministry is nil, almost all
teaching on this topic comes from the Old Covenant and Old Covenant typological teaching regarding
watchmen and standing in the gap.v The danger in teaching shadow is that without diligence, you will
miss the substance.

Indeed, the Old Covenant calls for someone to “stand in the gap” to make up the hedge. Indeed, God was
always looking for a faithful “man” to fill that position. News flash: The position has been filled. The job
posting has been removed from God’s Monster.com account. As offensive as it is, He has found
someone better than you, and better than me. His name is Jesus.

The gap between God and humanity has been closed for two thousand years. Christ Jesus in
resurrection is the Man God was looking for to close the gap. God the Father is not looking for anyone
else. He has found His rest in that Man,vi and in that Man in us. There is only one mediator. You and I in
our intercessory prayer are not mediating or closing anything. To think otherwise is dangerously close to
blasphemy. Thinking that through our shouting, declaring, and decreeing this or that, that we are
somehow closing a gap, something left undone in Christ’s finished work, is, well . . . very troubling.

New Covenant Update 3 – God’s Good Will

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.vii – Luke 2:14 KJV

We are of course familiar with this passage from the Christmas story. God’s initiation toward the planet
was based on His good will, not the spiritual disciplines of its inhabitants. He acted on behalf of planet
that was ignoring Him. His chosen people were also ignoring Him,viii and their track record with Him had
been a cycle of dismal failure punctuated by His gracious intervention. The incarnation was not merited . .
. by anyone, doing anything, including prayer and intercession. What does God say to this world was
ignoring Him, to a world not even trying to please Him?

“Boy, you better be praying and fasting, because here I come and I am really upset with all your
sin. I’m only going to reveal Myself to those worthy of it by their prayer devotion, only those who
ix
are whole heartedly seeking My face are going to see Me move in this day. Only the
intercessors on their watch are going to be blessed by this move of God. The rest or you are
going to miss it, because you are just not If you don’t have ten thousand intercessors praying in
Jerusalem calling on God for revival, I am going to judge you.”

No, of course not. He revealed Himself to a despised profession (shepherds) from a despised people, in a
despised land who were in a condition of backsliding with simply this: good will. Since the greatest
blessing in the history of the cosmos was uncontingent and unmerited, I find it odd to think that
subsequent lesser blessings are inexorably bound up with our spiritual disciplines of prayer.

Here’s my question. If God’s good favor was so manifest before the shedding of the blood of His dear
Son, as atonement for our sin, why do we think He has to be persuaded to manifest good will today by
our “intercessory prayer”? Why do we think it requires our strenuous intercession to get God to be good
to us? Our thinking and practice of prayer is flawed. We say God is our Father, but we pray like he is a
deaf mute despot.

Consider another example, from the Old Testament: Sodom and Gomorrah. There is no way that Lot’s
family can be portrayed as “whole hearted seekers of God, crying out to him day and night with fasting
and intercession for national revival!” Hardly!

In an inferior covenant to what we have, God was willing to forgive Sodom and Gomorrah if He could just
find ten righteous people. If the mere presence of ten righteous people, who were not praying, not
fasting, not even trying, would spare Sodom and Gomorrah, what do we think we are doing in our
intercession? Why do we think the “standard” for us is more stringent today? Why do we need 10,000
“prophetic intercessors” in a nation’s capital to beg, groan, and wail for revival in an era of a better
covenant?

Is God’s attitude toward us in the day of a better covenant made with the blood of His dear Son, when
there are not ten, but millions of righteous in the land, now less than it was for Sodom and Gomorrah? To
think that our intercession is somehow holding back God’s wrath from manifesting on earth, that you or I
are somehow “standing between God and an offending individual or nation,” is at best an Old Covenant
mentality, and more closely, an anti-Christ (instead of Christ) mentality. It’s sheer nonsense and an insult
to the Person and Work of Christ to think so. There’s only one Person who satisfies the justice and wrath
of God: Christ Jesus in resurrection.
x
Bultmann called self-effort the Primal Sin. Our prayer effort is included. The only work that impresses
God is the work of His dear Son. Our work in intercession is not more persuasive than Jesus’ work on the
Cross. Being passionate for prayer is of itself, of no spiritual significance. Jesus said that hypocrites love
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to pray, especially at length, and in public.

Prayers that either do not understand or that misrepresent the work of Christ, are prayers that God cannot
answer, regardless of how many people are praying them and how sincere, enthused, and moved by
them the petitioners might be. Our approach to God, and God’s response to prayer is based solely on the
Person and Work of His Son. There is no other foundation.

Crosby, are you saying our prayers for individuals, communities, and the nation are useless? No, I am not
saying that. We’re commanded to pray: always, everywhere, and for our leaders. But what we think we’re
doing when we pray makes all the difference. We don’t bribe or extort God with our good behavior and
our prayers as if we’re saying:
 “C’mon Jesus, have a heart and be nice to us. We’re really sorry for how bad we’ve been, and
we’re trying really, really hard to be good, and now we’re praying really, really hard too.”

New Covenant Update 4 - Jesus’ Intercession

But this man, because he continues ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able
also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make
intercession for them. – Hebrews 7:24-25, KJV.

There is much misunderstanding regarding Christ’s intercession based on the above verses. The
common belief regarding Jesus’ priestly ministry is that He is currently engaged in heaven praying and
beseeching the Father on various points of business that need to get done, more or less pleading with the
Father not to release judgments on a wayward humanity, or otherwise trying to persuade the Father to do
this or not do that. The implication is that Christ is busy at the priestly work of “making intercession,” and
that intercessors on earth should be busying themselves in the same activity. This is a most unfortunate
understanding, based on a most unfortunate translation.

Hebrews 7:24-25 does not present Christ scurrying about taking care of cosmic events through prayer.
The context refers to Christ’s priesthood as making access to God possible. His priesthood secures the
salvation of those who would dare to approach a holy God. His priesthood is not the micromanaging of
the cosmos through ongoing intercession!

The English rendering of “to make intercession” is most unfortunate. The words, “to make,” are inserted
by the translators. It gives the impression that there is something undone—something yet to be
accomplished which Jesus is now busy doing in the heavenlies with intercession.

The Greek is this: he ever lives to the interceding. It doesn’t translate well into English and it is
understandable why some translators did what they did for readability, but meaning has suffered.

Notice the definite English article: “the.” The verse is not speaking about random miscellaneous
“intercessions” for this and that. There is a specific intercession, a definitive, singular intercession,
whose effects are continuously ongoing (present active tense).

His resurrection is the intercession. He ascended on high and sat down.xii The intercessory work is
done. His intercession is not something He is doing. His presence in the heavenlies, as the representative
Man, is the intercession! His resurrection is the intercession that makes and secures access to God for
those who approach Him.
He is not currently scurrying about heaven beseeching the Father to do this and that. His work, His cross
and resurrection fulfilled the longing and need for the “man to make up the gap.” There is a God-Man in
resurrection who has forever closed the gap.

This should profoundly affect what we think we are doing when we pray. Much of what passes for
intercession today is nothing but the anxiety-laced energies of the highly empassioned human soul trying
to bring about on earth the things we think God should be doing. It is as if we are twisting the arm of a
reluctant God who is otherwise disinclined to act unless persuaded by our intercession, as we
erroneously think Christ Himself to be doing. This thinking is also an insult to the work of Christ.

New Covenant Update 5 - Pitfalls

Because the New Testament says very little about prophetic intercessors, and because we have built
entire ministries and networks around the proposition that there is such a thing, we are faced with having
to deal with some self-inflicted problems: issues that the Scriptures do not directly address.

There are some pitfalls associated with intercessory ministry as it is commonly expressed that I would like
to share with you. My caveat is that not everyone involved in intercession is failing in these areas.
However, after having had exposure for many years to intercessory prayer movements and those calling
themselves prophetic intercessors, I believe that those given to intercession can be uniquely vulnerable to
the following maladies:

1. A lack of a New Covenant understanding.

We have covered this at length above. It’s a mistake to approach this topic in theory or practice without a
thorough New Covenant understanding.

2. Looking for the enemy more than looking for the Lord.

There can be an unhealthy fixation in some intercessory circles of spiritual warfare on what our adversary
is up to. If we allow the Old Testament watchman motif as a typological counterpart to intercession, we
know that the watchmen were not just on the lookout for enemy activity. The more important activity was
to announce the approach of the king to the elders of the city. If enemy activity is perceived it is because
God has already begun to accomplish His purpose and is looking for earthly partnership. Our focus does
xiii
not need to be on the devil this, and the devil that. Our task is to share in the mind of Christ and counsel
of God and pray it into existence.
xiv
3. Metron Violation

Each watchman on the city wall had a specific “watch” of the night and a specific station on the wall.
Sometimes people given to intercession can take on responsibilities that are not theirs. It can be quite
spiritually exhilarating to believe the destiny of a city or nation is bound up in one’s prayers. The seven
sons of Sceva learned the hard way about spiritual metrons. They didn’t have one and many intercessors
don’t either. Energy, intensity, soul drive, passion, yelling, volume, etc. are often used to give the
impression of jurisdictional authority when none actually exists. Our might is not in our strength and
xv xvi
determination. Our strength and authority is based on quietness, confidence, and rest, in the finished
work of Christ, not frenetic “prophetic acts.”

4. Control

Watchmen had no authority to open the city gates. They gave information to the elders of the city.
Intercessors transmit information. They do not set policy or direction. Watchmen do not bring correction
to the city. Elders do that. The privilege of spiritual perception can sometimes be used as a manipulative
tool. I have seen multiple scenarios where intercessors developed a disproportionate influence in a
congregation through the power of their personality or the perception that they had spiritual “inside
xvii
information.” If unrestrained, this can border on, or develop into witchcraft. Their ministry is no more
significant than any other gift or ministry.

5. Pride
rd th th
Thinking oneself to be the most spiritually astute person in a group because of alleged 3, 7, or 25
heaven visitations and insights is a common danger for intercessors. It is illogical and incongruous to
claim to have seen or been to heaven and have nothing of the aroma of Christ on one’s person, or the
humility of Christ in one’s character as a result of the experience. If a supernatural experience does not
result in deeper humility, but rather pride, it is not an experience birthed by God’s Spirit. Accurate
perception into spiritual realities does not define spiritual maturity. Living in right relationship with God and
man does. (See 13 below)

Intercessors can frequently develop a condescending attitude toward others, including leaders who are
deemed not spiritually in tune frequently afflicts intercessors.

It is very easy to believe oneself to be spiritually significant in a realm and in a way that is objectively
unverifiable. Believing I am changing the course of history with my intercessory decrees while I am
divorcing my husband, ignoring my neighbor, cheating on my taxes, in conflict with my boss, and
alienated from my children is the height of spiritual delusion.
6. Legalism and Performance

I know of a situation where a leader of one of the largest intercessory ministries in the world wrote in a
newsletter that the reason a tragedy did not happen in their city, but in a city down the road, was because
“her” intercessors were at their post and prayed away the “curse.” The fundamentally legal and arrogant
mindset behind this thinking should be self evident, but it’s apparently not as tens of thousands follow this
ministry.

Would it not more accurately reflect the heart of God that if someone really had intercessory authority in
the spirit realm, that he or she would STOP the atrocity from happening, not just kick it down the road to
the next city that isn’t quite as “worthy as my own, because of our superior prayer prowess!?” Honestly, I
find this not only an ignorant belief system, but spiritually and morally offensive. It’s the norm in most
prophetic intercessory circles.

7. Gnosticism

Intercessors or other prophetic people often believe that “reality” is in the “spirit realm” which we govern
by our prayers, decrees, and prophetic declarations, and that the temporal realm is not real. They view
that “real spirituality” is in the invisible heavenly realms and that other ministries are “lower order”. At its
root this a Gnostic belief system. Jesus in the incarnation forever sanctified and brought meaning to the
material order. The material world is where spiritual reality is worked out. We may pray into the unseen
realms, but spiritual and moral significance is in the here and now, not in the mystical ether.

8. Prayer influenced by natural perceptions.

Intercessors can automatically assume that their pet doctrines, worldviews, and politics are identical to
the Almighty’s. This can be intoxicatingly delusional.

9. Prayer that is influenced by personal factors.

Emotional, spiritual, doctrinal, and psychological history as well as bitterness, anger, and unhealed
wounds, can influence prayer. The burden of the Lord is not necessarily based on what we see with our
eyes and hear with our ears.

10. Unsanctified Mercy.

Unsanctified mercy takes up the wrong burden—the people’s instead of the Lord’s. We can have
compassion on things the Lord is bringing discipline and chastisement to. We are usually merciful on the
things that bother us the least and we are hard on others. Unsanctified mercy that is born out of human
sympathy, is frequently in opposition to the Cross revealing and Cross in-working ministry of the Spirit of
the Lord in a person’s life. Just because someone is a “sympathetic person” does not make him or her
God’s intercessor.

11. Hyper-spirituality, spookiness.

There can be a tendency to see spiritual and mystical overtones to everything. Some things are just not
that deep. Sometimes a flat tire is just a flat tire, not a cosmic event of the significance of anything.

12. Poor relationships within the Body.

It’s common that intercessors often have a lack of patience and tolerance for others who are deemed not
to share their perceptions. They can embrace a sheriff and enforcer mentality or a messiah complex.
Often those with unresolved leadership conflicts within a church environment will gravitate to parachurch
prophetic intercessory groups where their ministry is believed to be recognized and released unlike their
experience within a local church.

13. Lack of identity and insecurity.

Sometimes insecure individuals feel inferior because they might not be one of the Ephesians 4 ministries.
They may carve out for themselves an identity as an intercessor. Our identity should NEVER be based on
our ministry. That’s true for all of us.

The Better Covenant and Intercession

What then is New Covenant intercession? It is standing in the good will of God on humanity’s behalf.
Intercession is based on rest, not anxiety. Intercession is prayer that is prayed from heaven to earth, not
earth to heaven. Intercession is the response of the human heart to the mind and heart of God when it is
revealed. Intercession is the privilege of every son and daughter of God to enter into the co-regency of
the universe.

God’s disposition toward humanity is favor. His provision is Christ. His requirement is faith. Our necessary
response to the Christ-Act is to believe, receive, and activate our faith with obedient works. Works are not
dirty. They’re the fruit of saving faith. For those who can believe it, (let him who has ears, hear) every day
since the Day of Pentecost has been a day of revival. The Holy Spirit is out, alive, and active in the earth.
He’s not skittish. The dove landed on the Messiah, fire landed on the church (We shouldn’t swap
metaphors)! He’s not hiding from us, waiting for us to sing a magic chorus or prayer in order to release
Him to action.

In our prayer for our neighbors, communities, and nations, we stand with, and in Christ, on behalf of them
all. We pray that the grace and good will of God will be effective for them all. We pray that the goodness
of God will lead them to repentance. After all, that’s how you and I got in. He found us. We didn’t find Him.
The glorious good news of the New Covenant is that revival isn’t dependent on our work of turning, but on
His work of atoning.

We are as revived as we want to be.

i
Intercessor is mentioned once in Isaiah referring to Christ. Intercession is mentioned 4 times in the New Testament,
only once in reference to the activity of the believer. Please refer to New Creation Praying by Don Atkin,
www.DonAtkin.com.
ii
There’s a lot of baggage associated with this term. I would rather not use quotes every time it’s mentioned as a
way of indicating that just because someone says something is prophetic, doesn’t mean that it is. From here on out . .
. no more quotes!
iii
Christ’s birth, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, glorification, the Spirit outpouring, and the Spirit indwelling,
is the “Christ Act.”
iv
Drama, business, art, dance, media, counseling, marriage and the family, youth, etc.
v
Ezekiel 22:30
vi
Isaiah 66:1-2
vii
I am aware of the debates regarding translation on this verse regarding God’s good will, His eudokia –delight,
kindness, good desire, good will, satisfaction. I cannot get involved in them here.
viii
Centuries of “serving Yahweh” and the religious professionals were not in tune with God’s agenda on the planet.
The most significant event in the history of the cosmos is taking place, and the conservative, morally scrupulous,
Torah dedicated, religious professionals are completely out of touch with what really matters in God’s heart. As far
as we know on the record, only two people were in tune with the divine agenda—Anna and Simeon.
ix
The parables of preparation regarding His second coming not withstanding. The comparison in these parables is
primarily between those who are His and those who are not. Secondarily they are about being alert and prepared.
Right relationships with God and man, and loving one another as we have been loved determine the degree of
“preparedness,” not degrees of prayer prowess between believers.
x
Rudolph Bultmann. Existence and Faith, p.81.
xi
Matthew 6:18.
xii
Hebrews 1:3, 10:12.
xiii
We (third person plural, we all together, the Body of Christ) have the mind of Christ.
xiv
Sphere of authority and influence/jurisdiction.
xv
Zech. 4:6
xvi
Isa. 30:15
xvii
The use of invisible powers to influence others, to try to enforce one’s desires, or what one thinks should be done
in a congregation.