In our first post, we talked about how we are called to influence the workplaces we are set in. The second reason why I believe we are where we are in the marketplace is to Intercede.
Firstly, we intercede for blessings and Shalom peace to be released over our offices and our colleagues.

“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.””‭‭ (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:7‬)

Many believers are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11 but few I believe study the context of this famous verse. 

Here the children of Israel have been taken off into captivity. They’ve been forced out of their homes to live in a foreign land against their will. They certainly did not want to be there! (Sounds like many believers and how they feel about their current jobs!). 

I believe God is stirring a burden of prayer and a heart of intercession in His people who work in the marketplace. Why? Because prayer avails much! God desires that our workplaces and the people there be blessed, because it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance. 

Secondly, we can only pray what touches our hearts. We are where we are to understand and identify and then intercede for the needs, hurts, pains, dreams and destiny of the people around us.

This is known as the “Immanuel principle”. Jesus himself came down and made His dwelling with men. We too need to discover the needs of the people around us and bring that to the Father in prayer.

I always understood prayer but failed to see my need to pray for my colleagues until one day the Holy Spirit released this thought in me – that many unbelievers have no one praying over them! 

I think about how I have benefited from prayer and many of us have received prophecies and prayers that guided us and blessed us tremendously. Yet many of these unbelievers have no one interceding for them! We are where we are to change that. 

Finally we need to intercede because we are under warfare. 

The apostle Paul reminds us that:

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:3-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

I’ve personally experienced this opposition and many of you have unknowingly. Every time you invite a particular friend to church, something happens. The person can’t attend or problems at work arise, quarrels happen in the family…

John Piper famously said once: until you know that life is war, you don’t know what prayer is for.


We intercede for the veil to be lifted. We intercede for opportunities for the gospel to be shared. We intercede for God to intervene in their lives, through us or others. 

Intercession of this nature reflects what Jesus Himself does at the side of the Father:

“but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews‬ ‭7:24-25‬)

In every soul, there is a God-appointed purpose and destiny locked up. As we intercede, we pray for divine destiny to be released so that the person sitting next to you can move and live in the purposes God has for them! Your intercession could see an entire household or even generations after saved! When we pray we mustn’t just pray for a number to be added to the Church, we pray because a precious one needs to come home to the Father.

In summary, we work because it gives us access to intercession, allowing us to:

  1. Pray for blessings to be released
  2. See and learn their needs for effective intercession
  3. Stand in the gap for precious ones to come home to the Father

Did you find this helpful? Share your thoughts and comments with us. And stay tuned for our next instalment!

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