I love to put together jig saw puzzles—I am not very good at it but I enjoy it. Growing up we often had a jig saw puzzle set up on a card table in the family room. Mom would work hard at it. I would work at it but I am not as good.....I am rather obsessive/compulsive in many areas—or rather I used to be. I have been pretty much delivered at this point.
When I start a puzzle I separate all the pieces first—usually by color or pattern and the edge pieces. The edges go together first. Then the next biggest color portion. I consult the picture on the box a lot. And so on. I usually work from the edges in. Isn't that how our spiritual life is? God works from the edges and goes deeper and deeper into our hearts.
One of the things I have noticed when working a puzzle is that the closer I get to being done the faster it goes.
Sometimes when I am working a puzzle and I get stuck. I sit and look and look and look. Then someone will walk by, reach over, grab a piece and put it into place. The worst part is when they do not even slowdown as they walk past. I don’t know about you by this irritates me. I mean really? I am the one sitting here working at this. It is supposed to be fun. It is supposed to be relaxing. So why am I sitting here getting discouraged? It should not be this easy for someone not intimately involved with this puzzle to just walk by and put in a piece or 5. In this case, I am thinking of one of my grandkids who was 5 or 6 at that time. He started this at about 3 and it was rather humiliating. Again isn't that what happens in the spiritual? We work and work at something and a baby Christian walks by--points out truth and boom everything changes.
Those days of a puzzle at a table have passed for me. Now I work jig saw puzzles on the computer. I sit and pray and work my puzzles. My prayers fly as fast as my fingers as I race the puzzle clock.
This is so similar to what happens in the spirit realm. We begin our walks in the Lord trying to sort things out so we can make sense of them. We read the word trying to see the final picture (consulting the box). We set some foundations and get frustrated in our growth, or our calling, or ..... Then someone will walk by and do a little sharpening in our lives, often without even stopping and often we react horribly.
The thing is, as we walk in the spirit it all becomes easier. The foundations are set, the spirit walk is coming together, sin is less prevalent, the promises are more apparent, and refining is desired instead of rejected.
What does this have to do with intercession?
We start thinking about putting together a new puzzle--(we feel that prompting over a specific situation).
We look at the boxes of puzzles to make a choice--(we talk to the Lord about how to pray).
We do the victory dance amidst the praise. We get out the table, pour out the pieces, turn them face up—we head into the war room to get the battle plan.
We separate and sort the pieces—we write out the plan, search the scriptures, sharpen our sword, set our armor firmly in place.
We put the edges together—we go into the spirit realm and take authority. We check the picture on the box—we stay in the word.
We put the center together—we set the answers in place and refuse any repercussions.
We continuously we put the pieces of intercession together making war against the enemy.
Then when we know we are done we rejoice in the essence of God, giving him glory for all He has done.
That my friends is intercession.