Intercession is a necessity in our life that God desires, as stated in 1 Timothy 2:1 “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.” Elder Rochelle Semple, who has been a member of the First Assembly of God Wortmanville church Intercessory Ministry for fifteen years, in a recent interview, defined Intercession as “standing in the gap for someone”.
“We all need someone to stand in the gap for us” – Elder Rochelle Semple
THE BIRTH OF HER CALLING TO INTERCESSION
Elder Semple, who was baptised at the age of 19, joined several departments that were appropriate for her age group at the time, including the Y’s – Young Women’s Auxiliary group, which grew out of the Women’s Ministry, and the Christ Ambassador Department which is now known as the Youth Ministry. Elder Semple utilised her time after graduating from the University of Guyana in 1998 volunteering her service to the First Assembly of God church. This brought her to the Youth Prayer Meeting, a safe space for young people to pour out their emotions to God, and it was here that her prayer journey began. Elder Semple also became a member of the Christ Ambassador’s Prayer and Evangelism committee, which met an hour before their Sunday Service to pray and cover the upcoming service. Here is where the church’s leadership discovered Elder Semple’s gifting and recommended her to the Intercessory Ministry under the leadership of Elder Torance Semple.
THE JOURNEY
Elder Rochelle Semple stated that joining the intercessory group exposed her to a group of mature women. These women were both spiritually and experientially matured. They nurtured her by teaching her many things about life. Most significantly, they taught her that we can only achieve our goals through prayer. To this day she applies prayer to every area of her life. She expressed her gratitude for being exposed to such teachings at an early age, which has benefited her to this day. Elder Semple’s path has not only been an insightful one, but has propelled her into a seasoned intercessor.
BENEFIT AND IMPORTANCE OF INTERCESSION
When asked about the benefits of intercessory prayer to her life and the church at large, Elder Semple stated that intercession was an opportunity that brought her closer to God through prayer. At a young age, it helped her to understand that what we pray is not of our will but of God’s will. For the church at large, however, the Intercessory Department stands in the gap for the Presiding Bishop, leaders, members of the assembly, and the nation. The intercessors bring before God various challenges, activities and prayer requests of leaders and members. “The importance of intercession takes us back to the Word of God where the Lord was looking for someone to stand in the gap – Ezekiel 22:30. If the Lord Himself is saying that, in a time like this, we need someone to stand in the gap for us, then we need someone to go before the Lord for us because that’s the only way we can become overcomers and that’s the only way we can get the victory, by PRAYING,” said Elder Rochelle Semple.
PREPARING FOR INTERCESSION
Elder Semple advised that one should be prepared before interceding. She shared a few points on the preparation for intercession, which include studying and knowing the Word of God as well as fasting. Some situations require fasting in addition to praying for the purpose of intensification. You must also be able to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to you and be willing to be guided. You must be filled with the Holy Spirit, which includes the evidence of speaking in tongues and you must be able to pray in the spirit so the enemy cannot hinder you. Most importantly, you must know that this is your calling to the ministry.
INTERCESSION AND DELIVERANCE
Intercession, according to Elder Semple, is a very active part of deliverance. She explained that anyone who goes before God on someone’s behalf is interceding. She went on to say that praying is an important part of the process. A person may bring their situation before you for deliverance. As such you will need to intercede; prayer will set them free. So there is a close relationship between intercession and deliverance.
INTERCESSION IS NOT A LOST MINISTRY
Elder Semple expressed that Intercessory prayer is not a lost ministry in the church. She stated, “people are interceding, people are praying, especially in light of the pandemic and recent 2020 election. We saw people going before God for this nation. Different groups countrywide were called to pray for the nation.” People recognised prayer as our only help and that it is vibrant and active in the body of Christ. However, she stated that intercessory departments may not be large groups.
SPIRITUAL LEVEL OF AN INTERCESSOR
In relation to someone needing to be at a certain spiritual level to become an intercessor, Elder Semple shared that in her humble opinion, you do not need to be an expert orator or linguist. She expressed that when she joined the group, she did not feel like she had been “all of that”, but you must display certain characteristics such as humility, being an active student of the Word of God, disciplined, obedient, submit to spiritual authority, be confidential, feel the calling and understand what is happening around you. You must also be familiar with the fact that the Word of God states we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places. These are requirements for becoming an intercessor.
ADVICE FOR ANYONE CONSIDERING BECOMING AN INTERCESSOR
Elder Semple’s advice to anyone who feels a calling to the ministry was: “Know that God is calling you to the ministry; once you figure out that it is your calling, speak to your leader and they will guide your next step, pray about it, and be obedient to the Word of God and spiritual authority.
