I believe that God has positioned us to be “salt and light” (Matt 5:13,14) in the marketplace. God has prepared good works for you to walk in as you are at work with your company business. Don’t miss the opportunity that God prepared for you to affect the place and places where He has called you to do business. As business leaders, I encourage you not to overlook the impact that can take place once strategic intercession begins to be practiced, not just with your family, but particularly in your business activity. Let’s take a closer look at what strategic intercession is and its application for you.

I followed Jesus for many years before I learned about intercessory prayer and the process of intercession. For the first twenty years of my Christian life, I had minimal understanding of intercession and the incredible strategic value that it has for the Body of Jesus Christ. I knew the word of God quite well, but intercession was something that I was not trained in, nor did I understand the value of it. Maybe this is the case for some of you as well. For others of you, you may be quite familiar with intercession because of the powerful effect that it has had in your life and in the lives of others. Regardless of how much you know about the ways of strategic intercession and intercessory prayer, there is always much more to learn and experience through the Spirit of God, especially when it comes to facilitating it in a company or business.

Let’s look a little more deeply into what intercession is by taking a closer look at its definition, and some of the Scriptures related to it. Intercession can be defined as prayer and petition; however, let’s describe it more.

Intercession (noun) – Prayer, petition or entreaty in service of another.

Intercede (verb) – To mediate for someone; to act between parties with a view toward reconciling differences; to act on behalf of someone; to advocate.

Mediate (verb) – To be in the middle; to interpose between parties in order to reconcile them; to reconcile differences.

As one who has facilitated strategic intercession and has become an intercessor, I have seen people who are powerfully impacted as they connect with the presence of God through the process of strategic intercession and prayer. The picture that God has for us may not be as complex as we tend to think. In fact, it is really quite simple: Just start worshiping God and then begin praying. As you begin the process, then learn to pray intentionally and in a targeted manner. Pray regularly. Pray with someone. Pray with your strategic team of leaders. Pray with the understanding that is available through the Holy Spirit when you strategically pray.

I believe that Jesus wants us to establish “houses/places of prayer” in our homes, our churches, and in our places of work. He is not waiting for us to go through a bureaucratic process and get permission from someone to pray. Step out in faith and begin to build “houses/places of prayer,” whether they are small or large. It would be amazing to see these built up in the marketplace! It is possible; I have seen it happen before in businesses where I facilitate and serve. Trust God to lead you to the good works that He has prepared for you, which will also produce the fruit that comes from declaring His word over yourself and others. God’s adventure for you is waiting to happen! Don’t wait for a “best time” to start. Now is the best time to launch out and do it! There are many resources that you can draw from to start this process.

Powerful things will happen whenever and wherever we start the strategic intercession process. I recall when my best friend, my prayer mentor, and I decided to do a 40-day strategic prayer and fasting time with another close friend, who is a businessman. We were to fast and pray one day a week for almost seven weeks. The Lord began to give very specific, supernatural revelation to us the day before we even started! Week after week, Jesus spoke to us clearly through the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and gave us insight and understanding that we would never have gained without that strategic 40-day intercession process.

In conclusion, look closely at some verses from Habakkuk 2, Isaiah 30 and Ephesians 2. As you will discover, when we pray, we are to station ourselves to keep watch and listen for what God will speak to us. More often than we realize, He will give us a direction and tell us which way to walk. The vital key has been and always will be this: Intimacy with Jesus! As we practice intimacy with Him in our strategic intercession, the Holy Spirit will lead us to the good works that He has prepared in advance for us. This includes good works for us in our business! May we take God at His word as we are led by the Holy Spirit in this adventure of strategic intercession!

Habakkuk 2:1 – “I WILL stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved.”

Isaiah 30:19-21 – “O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. 20 Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. 21 And your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.”

Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Joe Galindo is the Chair for C12 North Texas. Since 2008, Joe has had the pleasure of facilitating forums in North Texas. Contact him at [email protected] or 214-680-0468.