Going "Dutch"

"The greatest tragedy in life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer."
F. B. Meyer

Just got into "Intercessory Prayer" by Dutch Sheets as recommended by a brother in Christ (thanks meeting of one) and looking forward to Father opening my spiritual eyes to some of the thoughts in this book. It appears to have some amazing testimonials and some very powerful thoughts on what intercessory prayer is to this author as he has experienced.

Romans 8:26-30 (Young's Literal Translation)

26 And, in like manner also, the Spirit doth help our weaknesses; for, what we may pray for, as it behoveth [us], we have not known, but the Spirit himself doth make intercession for us with groanings unutterable,

27 and He who is searching the hearts hath known what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because according to God he doth intercede for saints.

28 And we have known that to those loving God all things do work together for good, to those who are called according to purpose;

29 because whom He did foreknow, He also did fore-appoint, conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be first-born among many brethren;

30 and whom He did fore-appoint, these also He did call; and whom He did call, these also He declared righteous; and whom He declared righteous, these also He did glorify.

From Chapter 7:

"..... The Lord is saying that we don't always know what needs to happen in a given situation. We don't always know what is necessary or right.

I find myself wondering at times, How do I pray for this person or this situation, Lord? What needs to happen?

At other times I have felt led by the Holy Spirit to pray for someone, yet had no way at that moment of knowing why the person needed prayer.

Sometimes mature intercessors are prompted by the Lord to pray, and not only do they no know what they are praying for, but they also don't know for whom they are praying. They just feel a burden to pray. Talk about a weakness - an inability to produce results. Talk about not knowing what is "necessary, right or proper" in a situation.

What do we do in these circumstances? This is when the Holy Spirit wants to help us. He will lead us as we pray, perhaps revealing things about the situation to us, or bringing Scriptures to our minds so that we can pray them in the situation. He will certainly help us by empowering our prayers. But another way He wants to help us is by literally praying through us as we pray in the Spirit."

And this is where it gets interesting and thrilling to me. Unchartered territory in some ways in my prayer life....the odd and the wonderful......stretching me and opening up the preconceived ways of thinking on things....the way they are supposed to be...or have always been. I like being uncomfortable in this place of uncertainty (this hasn't always been the case :), and I am open now like I have never been before. It used to send me running.....now I am there knowing that it has absolutely nothing to do with me....a vessel in His Hands. Let His Glory Fall.