Intercession is the act of intervening on behalf of another.

Intercessory prayer is the act of saying a prayer on behalf of another.

No Joshua = no victory.

No army = no victory.

No Moses = no victory.

No Aaron and Hur = no victory. 

Luke 18:1

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Colossians 4:12

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. 

Why do we need to intercede if God already knows?

Prayers of petition—requesting for God to meet a need.

If petition prayers can be selfish, intercessory prayer is selfless.

Intercession expresses a willingness to bear the burden for others, and when we are willing, God acts.  

Isaiah 59:1–2

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Isaiah 59:15–16

. . . The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.

Jeremiah 5:1

“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.

Ezekiel 22:30

“I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” 

Isaiah 59:16

He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.

Intercession is where we stand in the gap so others who are dead can find life.

Galatians 4:19

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you 

“If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer. Intercession is a way of loving others.”

-- Richard Foster

Romans 8:26

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 

The Holy Spirit prays for us in a power we don’t own.

The Holy Spirit prays for us with a wisdom we lack.

The Holy Spirit prays for us in a mercy we could never fathom.

The Holy Spirit prays for us with a connection we don’t possess.

The Holy Spirit prays for us with God’s will in mind.

The Holy Spirit prays for us with a love we can’t contain.

"...[People] may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons -- but they are helpless against our prayers."

-- Sidlow Baxter