Onfire Insights

The Lord has called me as an intercessor and that call has been upon me for some time. I was searching through magazines when The Breakthrough Intercessor caught my eye. As the Word says, man can have plans, but the Lord directs his steps.
I saw on the website the call for people to sign up as intercessors, so I did. A few days later I received the packet of information and was thrilled that God had chosen me to stand in the gap for others. When my list came I began interceding and the Lord began to reveal Scriptures for each person. Sometimes I was led to sing or speak blessing over the beloved. I learned that I needed to follow the Lord’s instructions when sending in Scriptures.
I am also learning that sometimes I think I know how something ought to be done, but ignore the instructions that tell me exactly how to do it. The Lord gave me an illustration by way of my garden. I had bought a spray for bugs and disease and thought I knew how to use it. When I read the instructions, however, I found that if I had used the product the way I thought I should, I would have killed the plants! In like manner, I must go to the ultimate manual to find out how to live this life of intercession.
 When I completed my 21 days to pray for my list, I woke up with the thought that I must continue to pray for the people. The witness to my spirit was that God had given me a mantle of intercession and that I was to carry it for 21 days with him in prayer. Now He was teaching me to let it go and let Him have it back.
He was showing me that it isn't my mantle; but His and when it is time to release it back to Him, I must do so. To carry something longer would be the works of the flesh. He was showing me that to continue on was an act of taking the responsibility for the answers to the people’s requests; when, in fact, He is the only one who can answer. Instead, I was to offer thanksgiving to Him for allowing me the privilege of bringing the needs of others before Him.
I haven't been a good person in my life; as with everyone, I too was a sinner when Jesus took me into fellowship. I was a chief sinner when the grace of God reached down to save me. I had been in prison and was an evil man; thereby I was given a number.
So when I was given the number as an intercessor it didn't thrill me at all, but oh what God has planned for His children! I was praying one morning and the revelation came. God impressed upon me that I had originally been given a number because of evil and rebellion. He was erasing that number that held me to my past. He gave me a new number that represented obedience and faithfulness, just as He gave Peter the chance to redeem himself for denying the Lord.
 This revelation gave me extreme joy, for at that moment by revelation He was giving me the new life. I had always lived under condemnation for my past. Even though God forgave me, the evil one kept reminding me of it. So now after the revelation of my new status in heaven I am thrilled to have a number, for it is for the glory of God!