How does the Spirit intercede ? (continued)

I had many opportunities to see what was happening in some places. I knew a Christian who used to keep the list of people he was especially fond of ; and I know a multitude for whose salvation he prayed, who were immediately converted. I saw him praying in some kind of agony for some of the people on his list, and I know he sometimes even asked someone else to help him pray for someone. His mind was clinging, sometimes clinging to some hardened individual who was desperate and could not be reached by any ordinary means.

In the city of Evans Mill where there was an awakening, was an opponent, extraordinarily violent and hateful. He had a coffee and he took pleasure in swearing horribly whenever he could be heard by Christians, to make them feel sorry for him. He was so perverted that one of his neighbors thought he would have to sell or give his own business and leave town, because he could not live with such a juror.

The Christian of whom I speak to you, passing through this city, learned these things and was deeply distressed and anxious about this ungodly man. He added it to his list of intercession. The case weighed on his heart, even during his sleep, he prayed for him for many days. The first thing we learned from the unfortunate juror was that he came to a meeting shortly afterwards, got up, confessed his sins, and poured out his soul before all. His coffee served immediately at prayer meetings. This is how the Spirit of God leads this or that Christian to pray for things or for persons for whom, without being led by the Spirit, they would not have prayed ; and so they pray for certain things "according to the will of God".

If God is pushing a man to pray for a person, we must conclude, according to the Bible, that God wants to save it. If we find, judging from the state of our soul according to Scripture, that we are led by the Spirit to pray for someone, we have sufficient evidence to believe that God is willing to bless it.

Jeremy Sourdril