Travail prayer
“In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:26-27
There are times when one gets desperate for God and for His intervention. There are also times when the Lord will cause one to become heavily burdened for what He is burdened about. We could call it the burden of the Lord. Jesus demonstrated this, "And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling upon the ground.” Luke 22:44.
A travail prayer is the suffering of Christ in prayer. Romans explains it quite well. Paul writes, “that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.” Romans 9:2
It is also called a birthing prayer as it reads, “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you-” it is a deep cry out to deep prayer. Hebrews 7 says Jesus lives to intercede for us. He does so through the willingness of surrendered souls to pray. Ask Holy Spirit to put this type of burden upon you and be obedient to pray things through!
One must make time for this kind of prayer, one must be available and wiling to live with and take on the Lords burdens for others. It's an agonizing prayer as when Jesus was in the garden. Until the travail of His heart releases a new birth in victory of answered prayer. It is supernatural prayer which produces great victory.
Travail brings a deeper lifestyle of intimacy, it will cause us to walk in the fear of the Lord, humility and it brings deeper depths of discernment. It is a great discipline and a sacrifice of time and energy! It cannot be but by Holy Spirit coming upon us in prayer that this kind of prayer can happen. One cannot put a restricted time on this but block out personal time and allow the leading of Holy Spirit.
When travail comes many will not understand this especially if it comes upon one in a corporate setting. Stopping the travail will block Holy Spirit from Releasing victory in that area of struggle in the spirit realm. Travail will interfere with our traditional services and can be controversial.
We need the supernatural interruption in our meetings! My prayer is Come Holy Spirit!! Release the supernatural power of travail among us. Bring new birth and reformation.
In this spiritual era, it seems many have replaced the power of travailing prayer with good preaching or the prophetic movement. Decreeing and declaring and Releasing the word is very important for sure, but nothing is as powerful as a travailing church! In this church, Holy Spirit is completely released without any hindered agendas of man. "Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.”
Isaiah 66:8. We must have the mind of Christ concerning our prayer life and His purposes in the earth to bring this kind of change.
Father, help us all who are called by your name to take up the burden of the Lord through intercession and travail. I pray today that your church becomes a blazing inferno or passionate prayer!