Your prayer has been laid before the Lord and we do most heartily join our amen to it, for it is a prayer according to the will of God and after the pattern of Scripture.
We rejoice to see in you a heart set upon that blessed work of intercession, for there is no power like that of intercession. The secret springs that move the puppets of earth, for kings and princes are often little more than that, are the prayers of God's believing people. Wherever you meet with one who makes this the main business of his life, you see in him one of the most precious gifts of God's grace to the age in which he lives. It is God that writes intercession upon men's hearts, and He will surely hear the cry which He Himself has prompted.
You have done well to begin as you have, by praying it over yourselves first. Our Lord Himself, before He went forth to overcome the world for the sake of others, overcame the devil for His own sake in the wilderness, as it is written in Matthew the fourth, Mark the first and Luke the fourth. He was led of the Spirit and He met the tempter with, It is written. So must we be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might before we would stand for others. Put on therefore the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Stand girded about with truth, for no child of God is sanctified by man, he is sanctified by the living God, and His truth must hold us fast. Put on the breastplate of righteousness, not your own, but the righteousness which is by faith in Christ Jesus, for as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. Have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, that you may run swiftly to publish good tidings. Above all take the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Take the helmet of salvation, for we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, not concealing the words of the Holy One but wielding them in the battle. And then, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful with all perseverance.
This praying always is the other hand for battle. With one hand we hold the sword of the word, with the other we draw near to God in powerful, prevalent intercession. You are right to be watchful to this end with perseverance and supplication for all saints, for your families, for pastors and evangelists, for churches and ministry partners, for every believer in Christ. He who can prevail with God for man can always prevail with man for God. And let none of his words fall to the ground who is a praying man, for God is with him.
We join you also in prayer for those in authority, according to the exhortation that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. And we join you in that hardest and most Christlike part, to pray for enemies, as our Lord has said, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. The Spirit Himself maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God, and He never prompts us to ask anything which is contrary to the eternal purpose of God, so we may pray with confidence that God would show mercy even to those who oppose themselves, if perhaps He may grant them repentance.
Therefore we will wait for you, O Lord our God, for you have made all these things. Though the heavens seem as brass and the battle long, we will persevere in importunity, for you are the God of the hills and the God of the valleys also, our God and our confidence in every place.
Our prayer for you is this, that the Lord would teach you His statutes as you declare your ways before Him, that you may be filled with the Spirit of God and so be made imitators of God as dear children, holy because you are His, and that utterance may be given unto you to speak boldly as you ought to speak the mystery of the gospel. May He keep you standing in the evil day, and having done all, to stand, strong not in your own strength but in His, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we ask it. Amen.