In his book The Gifts of the Spirit, Derek Prince states that in ministry gifts, the believer himself (or herself) is Christ’s gift to His church. He is referring to the five ministry gifts Paul lists in Ephesians 4:11-13: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Worship leader, missionary, and prayer minister could be added to the list along with others. I believe that behind these highly visible ministry gifts are many hidden-figure gifts such as senders, servants, intercessors, and administrators. This is where my ministry gift lies. Yes, I am a prayer minister. At Servants, however, the Lord has been growing me as an intercessor. Intercessors stand in the gap for others in prayer. This can even mean sharing in their pain as a burden-bearer. Sometimes the pain and suffering around me is overwhelming. At other times the Holy Spirit is so present that praying is a great joy. Sometimes the prayers simply flow and at other times I feel like I am beating my head against the proverbial brick wall.

 

Several people have told me that I have a child-like faith. Being an intercessor has given me glimpses of what Jesus did for us on the cross. The cross was the ultimate act of intercession as described in Isaiah 53:4-5. I know what it feels like to enter one person’s suffering for a brief period of time. Jesus carried all of it as He hung on the tree at Golgotha. This is part of my deep faith.

 

I also have a wonderful relationship with my heavenly Father. I have experienced His healing touch and truth, which has made Scripture so real to me. I crawl into Abba’s lap when I am struggling and am brutally honest with Him. I have fallen asleep in the arms of the Holy Spirit. I have learned to listen to Him and often get words of knowledge, wisdom, and even prophecy for myself and those I intercede for.

 

As an intercessor, I have developed a deep compassion for people. Of course, there are areas of prejudice in me that the Lord is still working on, but He has brought me so far from where I started. I have even experienced deep compassion for people I don’t know.

 

Would it surprise you to know that I’ve struggled with feeling like a failure as a Christian because I am a failure as an evangelist? I might not be able to share the Gospel in words, but I witness in my actions as best I can and I pray. There would be no souls to save if there weren’t people praying for them. Think of the long list of credits that come after the actors’ names in the movie credits. They won’t win Oscars or get stars on a street in Hollywood, but the movie wouldn’t happen without them. Embracing a hidden-figure ministry is hard, but so worth it. After all, where would Christianity be if the women, the hidden figures of Jesus’ ministry, hadn’t gone to the tomb on Easter morning?

 

 

Elena Rhodes