Do you know what Jesus was really talking about when He said those words? He was talking about the mourning of the intercessor. He was teaching about the comfort that comes to the intercessor when he is assured by the Holy Spirit that he has prayed through.

To pray through means “to break through the barriers that have stopped the work of God in the lives of others.” It means using your spiritual armor to push back the forces of darkness that surround them.

There’s a desperate need for believers who are willing to do that today. There’s a need for intercessors who will go before God and reach out for His mercy and compassion for the sinner, for the sick and for this downcast world. For prayer warriors who will stick with it until they have the assurance inside, in their spirits, that every barrier is broken and every area of bondage has been abolished.

God is looking for intercessors like that—and there are certain things that won’t happen on this earth until He finds them. There are blessings and moves of God that won’t come until someone gives birth to those things by prayer.

Even the Lord Jesus Himself was ushered into the earth by intercession. Remember Simeon and Anna? They were both intercessors, prayer warriors of God. They’d spent years in spiritual mourning, praying for the Messiah to come. But when they were done, they experienced the comfort of the Holy Spirit. For when they saw Jesus as a tiny baby in the temple, they recognized Him and rejoiced.

If you’re wondering if you’re one of those who’s been called to intercession, then you probably are. God is calling believers everywhere to experience that unique kind of mourning and comfort that only the intercessor knows. He’s calling you to lay down your life for others through prayer.

Somewhere in the world, someone needs you to pray them through. Spend some time on your knees today.