The Principle of Mind Aiding the Spirit 397
IntercessionWe all appreciate the importance of intercession. Yet often when
we have time to spend in intercession our spirit is inactive and fails
to supply us with subjects for intercessory prayer. This does not
mean we need not pray on that occasion or that we can utilize the
time for other matters. On the contrary, it serves as a hint for us to
intercede in prayer with the mind and to hope and expect the spirit
will be activated into participating. You should accordingly exercise
your mind to remember your friends, relatives, and fellow. workers
to determine if they are in need. As you remember each one so shall
you in turn intercede for them. If in interceding on their behalf your
spirit remains cold and dry, then you know you are not to pray for
them. But supposing at that same time you recall a special lack in
your local church or a number of temptations the church is facing or
certain hindrances to the Lord’s work in a particular area or some
distinctive truths which God’s children ought to know today. In that
event you should intercede for each of them as they come to your
attention. If after praying awhile over these matters your spirit still
fails to respond as you are yet praying with your mind, then you
realize once again that these are not what the Lord desires you to
pray for today. But supposing as you touch upon certain matters in
your prayer you feel as though the Holy Spirit is anointing you and
your spirit seems to respond: it is at this singular moment that you
recognize you are at last interceding for what is on the Lord’s heart.
Hence the principle calls for the exercise of the mind to help the
spirit locate its trend.
Frequently a slight exercise of the mind effects the spirit 7s
response, but on other occasions—due to our narrow-mindedness or
our mental dullness—we may be forced to consume considerable
time before the spirit cooperates. For example, God would like to
enlarge the scope of our prayer to include the nations in order to
defeat all the behind-the-scene works of Satan. Or He may want us to
intercede for all sinners worldwide or for the entire church. Your