Raising an Army of
Ordinary Intercessors (pt.2)

Owen Cottom

In these early, formative days of the Cant i Gymru initiative we have been confronted with many excellent questions; what is a ‘healthy’ church? How will you bring churches from diverse backgrounds together? What happens if we don’t make it to 100 churches in 10 years (Ben is soon going to blog about this!)? What happens if we see more than 100 churches planted!?

One question that has come up is why we’re speaking so much about “Raising up an Army of Ordinary Intercessors”. It is a brilliant question. Why do we use this language? What does it reveal about our heart?

I want to break down this statement into its four parts to help us see why this is such a central priority for us as we pursue this vision together ...

1. Raising up: Our heart is to help followers of Jesus rediscover the power and privilege of prayer. We want to serve God’s people by fanning the flame of prayerful faith, to believe that God can do a great work in our day in this land. And we want to serve God’s people by providing inspiration and resources to aid their lives of prayer.
2. An Army: Our heart is to unite believers from across denominational boundaries in a common cry of prayer. We are stronger together. That is why we speak of raising ‘an army’. The military language is not meant to evoke any idea of force. We are well aware that our battle “is not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). But that is precisely why we need to be an army of prayer (Ephesians 6:18). Prayer is how we partner with God to see His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. And united prayer is particularly powerful. In the battle for the spiritual future of our land, we don’t want to be found dividing over differences and preferences. Unity in the body of Christ is what Jesus prayed for (John 17) and where God commands blessing (Psalm 133). Though we may have varied perspectives on secondary issues, we believe we can unite around a common desire to see the gospel advance for the blessing and renewal of Wales in our day.
3. Of Ordinary: Our heart is to equip everyday followers of Jesus to join the adventure of praying for revival and church planting. We are longing for al believers - young and old, near and far, rich and poor - to gain confidence and competency in intercessory prayer. This is 1 because we believe in the priesthood of all believers - that every Christian is called to be a priest. The role of a priest was twofold; carrying the needs of the people to God and carrying the heart of God to the people. This is the privilege that is ours in the gospel; carrying our nation to God and our God to the nation.
4. Intercessors: What is intercession? It is simply speaking on another’s behalf before God. At times intercession is often treated as a niche ministry of certain individuals in the church. This is a tragedy. In sidelining intercession, a joyful dimension of friendship with God is lost - the joy of sharing His heart for a people or a place. We long to see this joy rediscovered. We believe that God is calling us to a new day of taking prayerful ownership for cities, towns, villages, individuals across Wales. We believe that such prayerful ownership is often the spark that God sovereignly uses to send revival to a land. We believe in the power of intercession.

So, lets imagine together…

What might happen if the church in Wales rediscovered the potential of unity , becoming a united army of prayer?

What might happen if the church in Wales rediscovered the priesthood of all believers, releasing ordinary Christians into the work of blessing and praying for their communities?

What might happen if the church in Wales rediscovered the power of intercession, calling on God with perseverance and faith for a new day of revival power in our precious land?

A united army is a powerful army. A confident believer is a powerful believer. A praying church is a powerful church.

That is why we are seeking to raise up an army of ordinary intercessors.

Would you join us?