Ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.
—Isaiah 27:12
In our bodies, every member has its appointed place. The same is true in society and in the church. The work must always aim at the welfare and the highest perfection of the whole, through the cooperation of every individual member.
In the church, the thought is too prevalent that the salvation of men is the work of the minister. But the minister generally only deals with the crowd, seldom reaching the individual. This is the cause of a twofold evil. First, the individual believer does not understand that it is necessary for him to testify to those around him for the nourishment and strengthening of his own spiritual life and for the ingathering of souls. Second, unconverted souls suffer unspeakable loss because Christ is not personally brought to them by each believer they meet.
Intercession for those around us is far too rare. Its restoration to its right place in the Christian life—how much that would mean to the church and its missions! Oh, when will Christians learn the great truth that what God desires to do needs prayer on earth? As we realize this, we will see that intercession is the chief element in the conversion of souls. All our efforts are futile without the power of the Holy Spirit given in answer to prayer. Only when ministers and people unite in a covenant of prayer and testimony will the church flourish, and every believer will understand the part he has to take.
And what can we do to stir up the spirit of intercession? There is a twofold answer. Every Christian, as he begins to get insight into the need and the power of intercession, must begin to intercede on behalf of single individuals. Pray for your children, for your relatives and friends, for all with whom God brings you into contact. If you find that you do not have the power to intercede, let this discovery humble you and drive you to the mercy seat. God wants every redeemed child of His to intercede for the perishing. Prayer is the vital breath of the normal Christian life, the proof that it is born from above.
Then pray intensely and persistently that God may give the power of His Holy Spirit to you and to those around you, so that the power of intercession may have the place that God will honor.