I Prayed have prayed
Father God, I’m so tired of being misunderstood. Please help me find the place in the Body of Christ where I fit in, where I can be effective, and where this intercessory call on my life will be celebrated, not tolerated, in Jesus’ name.
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Dear intercessor, do you feel lonely and misunderstood today? If so, I want to encourage you.

Feeling like you’re running alone can be very painful. Being an intercessor can be a lonely job. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. We can and should pray for covenant friends, and the Lord will lead us to them. However, even before we get there, I want to encourage you today by talking to you about the depth and riches of loneliness.

The pioneer life can be lonely sometimes.

People with a pioneering, intercessory call are separated – not separated from things, but separated unto—usually separated unto the presence of the Lord. As intercessors, we minister directly to the heart of God.

And that separation means that we are often misunderstood.

Loneliness is a feeling, so it can come and go and there can be reprieve from it. But ‘being misunderstood’ isn’t a feeling. It’s reality; as an intercessor, you will often be misunderstood and misjudged. I would wager that you know this from your personal experience already. People who don’t share the same call simply cannot understand you.

Take heart: That’s not the encouraging part.

But, my friend, there are people out there who have battle-scars like you do. There are people out there, just like you, who are separated unto the glory of God—who have borne the cross of loneliness all their lives. Even when they are surrounded by dear friends, there are still people who—just like you—feel the separation, the tug of Heaven pulling you to come aside and rest awhile.

And beloved, if you’re lonely today, I want you to know this: There are people who will understand you.

There are people who also bear on their bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ and of their lonely walk with Him. THOSE, and only those, are the people who will understand. Like you, there are people who have survived; who are running the race, come what may.

You will not fit in with any other kind of people … and it’s okay to stop trying. It’s okay to have boundaries; to operate in discernment; to love people and be friends with them without trying to establish a spirit-level covenant friendship with people who could never understand, because they do not share your DNA.

It’s not that your DNA is better. We are all equal in Christ Jesus. But, we are also unique. We are individuals, with individual DNA. And the closer someone else’s spiritual DNA is to yours, the more likely it is that a person will understand you and be able to run with you.

This is key: Stop trying to get people to run with you who cannot fathom where you’ve been; who don’t understand who you are; and who can never identify with your assignment.

And stop worrying about what they think, too.

There will be people who look at you and form their own opinions. There will be people who will not bother to truly know you. They will shape their perception from their own perspectives, and often based on their own bias; and from that position, they will try to tell you who and what you are.

Don’t listen.

Some things are illegal in the Kingdom, and this is one of them. It is absolutely illegal in the Kingdom for someone who doesn’t know you and doesn’t have relationship with you to tell you who you are and what your DNA is.

Some people will try, but don’t listen. This doesn’t mean not to listen to godly correction; we must be humble and receive it when godly correction from appropriate people comes our way. But godly correction will be from people who have taken the trouble to know you, understand you, and find out the truth of the matter—not from people who judge you with zero knowledge of your heart, calling, or assignment. From such people flee away.

My friend, it’s okay to have boundaries.

Every battle is not worth fighting. Every person is not going to be a “bosom friend,” as Anne of Green Gables said. Every person who judges you is not going to do so from a legal place of knowing you.

Sometimes it’s good to simply walk away, shaking the dust off your feet if necessary.

This doesn’t mean we become harsh or hard in our hearts.

We should never become harsh or hard; we should and must carry the Father’s heart both for ourselves and for other people at all times. We have no license to carry offense; getting offended blocks the anointing of the Holy Spirit from flowing in our lives. And we certainly cannot get into unforgiveness, which is a horrible sin.

But you have to understand that the pioneering life is between you and God alone.

We still have to dwell in community. We still need one another, for we are parts of the Body of Christ. But there are depths of your relationship with the Lord that no other person can ever see; those depths are too private. And the jewels of your intimacy with our Father are not to be traipsed about and displayed to all others, in the hopes that someone will see and understand.

You are called to live facedown, and only a few people will be able to live in that place with you.

Facedown before God is the only place you will find Someone who really, really, understands. He is the one who made you, and the Creator knows and understands His created. He is the only Person who can.

Well-meaning people can try to understand. Many will try to befriend you, but they have not trodden the courts of the eternal where you have been—and they will never be able to understand you because of it. The Lord will send you kindred-spirit, covenant friends when you ask Him to do so, but be aware that those friends are likely to only be pioneers like you are.

The pioneering path is a lonely path. By its very nature, it is walked alone.

A.W. Tozer said it best in his brief essay called “The Saint Must Walk Alone” (click here to read it). Tozer wrote:

“Again, Abraham had Sarah and Lot, as well as many servants and herdmen, but who can read his story and the apostolic comment upon it without sensing instantly that he was a man “whose soul was alike a star and dwelt apart”? As far as we know not one word did God ever speak to him in the company of men.”

He goes on:

“The prophets of pre-Christian times differed widely from each other, but one mark they bore in common was their enforced loneliness. They loved their people and gloried in the religion of the fathers, but their loyalty to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob … drove them away from the crowd and into long periods of heaviness. “I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children,” cried one and unwittingly spoke for all the rest.”

He also wrote:

“There are some things too sacred for any eye but God’s to look upon.”

and

“The man who has passed on into the divine Presence in actual inner experience will not find many who understand him. … [True] spiritual fellowship will be hard to find. But he should not expect things to be otherwise. … He walks with God in the garden of his own soul and who but God can walk there with him?

He is of another spirit from the multitudes that tread the courts of the Lord’s house. He has seen that of which they have only heard, and he walks among them somewhat as Zacharias walked after his return from the altar when the people whispered, “He has seen a vision.””

The words above make me cry, then whisper. It’s true: “There are some things too sacred for any eye but God’s to look upon.” Such is the state of nearly every intercessor and pioneer in the Kingdom of God … and that can be hard. The lonely path of pioneering new territory in the Kingdom can be hard.

Nevertheless, my friend, God fashioned your DNA so that you will be able to endure the difficulty.

You were made of sterner stuff. I know you hurt sometimes, and I know you can be lonely. I know people don’t understand you.

But beloved, you were born for this. And if you’re like me, you know in your inmost heart that you wouldn’t be happy doing anything else.

Therefore, beloved intercessor, the encouragement I want to offer you today is this:

Don’t quit. Don’t get angry at people for not understanding you. Simply find your companionship, your being-known, and your being-understood, in Father. Locate the pioneering posse that Father has for you, so you can be rightly connected with the Body of Christ. This is the secret to thriving, surviving, walking in victory, taking new territory, and living a joy-filled life despite being lonely sometimes and misunderstood most of the time. Father is the One who sustains you, and He will walk with you all the way.

Beloved, the pioneering call of God on your life is important.

The Lord created you to be who you are because He needs you to fulfill this role in the Kingdom. And precious one, He understands. He knows that your call will bring you great joy, but that there will be hard times too.

When hard times come, crawl into the lap of Father. The One who knows you best loves you most, and He will sustain you.

Does this message encourage your heart today? If so, please leave a comment below. We’d love to hear from you!

Jamie Rohrbaugh is a prophetic pioneer who equips people to walk in the manifest presence of God. She blogs for a global readership at FromHisPresence.com, where she writes about radical prayer, the prophetic word, the supernatural lifestyle, inner healing, and Kingdom wealth. She is a frequent contributor to Charisma Magazine, The Elijah List, Spirit Fuel, and various other ministry outlets. Her podcast, Take Your Territory with Jamie Rohrbaugh, can be found on iTunes and Spotify. Read her free series of encouraging Letters to Pioneers here. (Photo Credit: Canva.)

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THERESA SPRINGER
November 1, 2022

My name is Theresa It is Tuesday November 1,2022. I am called into the prayer ministry I was feeling lonely & then Holy Spirit spoke this message to me This message revived me Thx u sooo much!!!!!

Pat
April 22, 2022

Thank you for addressing the problems of Pioneers for Jesus
Please continue to encourage us all with your GOD-given writings

Debbie
May 1, 2021

This speaks to me. I am this person who is misunderstood. The last year for law enforcement has been very very difficult. In trying to fulfill the calling the Lord gave me to bridge the gap between the church and law enforcement needs, I have tried to explain over and over to no avail. I have been misunderstood and told that I am the one misunderstanding and not giving the church a chance when the discussions i engaged in were exactly for the purpose of clearing up the misunderstanding and establishing this groups needs as being overlooked. Nothing was getting through. And it’s not only this people group being overlooked in the midst of trying to engage in “social justice.”
I have been floundering because of discouragement. Where do I go with my message? How do I help if my help is rejected? What then, O Lord…

I’m sending this article to a bunch of my people who have felt the same.

    Catherine Seybold
    May 1, 2021

    Don’t listen to the voices of those sitting in the grandstands. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus and continue to run the race that is before you. Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Vickie
April 30, 2021

Dear Lord, I sometimes get really tired of being misunderstood. Help me find the place where I fit in best in the body of Christ and help me be an effective intercessor and where this intercessory on my life would be celebrated and not just tolerated. In Jesus holy and precious name, amen.

10
Susan Brummer
April 29, 2021

I am not a “pioneer” as you have described, but neither do I reject those who are. Just the opposite. I am envious of those who seem so much more mature in their prayer walk than I am. Who see things I don’t see and who go so much deeper than I do. Since I have retired I am so blessed to have more time to spend with the Lord and my prayer time is much more intimate, but I don’t think I was called to be a “pioneer”. I have enjoyed reading your articles because it helps me understand that this is just not where I am. I love to pray with others and for others and will take every opportunity to do that. And I love praying with IFA. Thank you for your articles helping me to see your heart.

8
Tess Jaworowski
April 29, 2021

This article was truly up-lifting. I’ve often been frustrated and confused by this loneliness.
Even though I’ve read and have been told that it was normal to feel that way, this is the first presentation that has connected with my heart and lifted me out of my ditch.
Thank You and God Bless You

11
    Jamie Rohrbaugh
    April 30, 2021

    So glad the Lord encouraged your heart, Tess. Blessings to you!

    1
Grace Strong
April 29, 2021

Tears. Thank you so much for this post. This is me, and I am so encouraged. Thank you. Thank you.

7
Jana Lee Johnson
April 29, 2021

Thank you!
This article was exactly what I needed. I haven’t “fit in” since I was a teenager. I’m now in my late 50’s, and without going into detail, I sure could use your prayers.
I love the gifting’s, God has placed and trusted me with, it’s all for His glory. But it is very lonely at times, and people even say, I freak them out at times. Or they dismiss when I share what the Lord has shown me, and it can be frustrating, disappointing, and heart breaking. I’m believing for breakthrough for all of us and our nation!
Anyway, thanks again, this was very encouraging, and much appreciated.

Blessings,

Jana Lee Johnson

18
Toni Kushner
April 29, 2021

When I first came to know the Lord It was so freeing that spending time with Him became my life line for over 45 years. In the 90’s as more teaching was out I began to learn more about the call of Intercession and it helped me to rest, because often one doesn’t even understand the pull God has placed in your heart. Yes, loneliness, rejection and many times feeling when you are in a group praying does one be silent or do you rest in who you are and just pray as God’s Spirit prays through you. I have learned that the call of Intercession brings an opportunity to experience the suffering of Jesus, “for we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you”. An Intercessor is given the gift to see not with temporal eyes but with eternal vision, and can pray God’s heart as He reveals this. I have learned that because of the call in my life that misunderstanding, loneliness and separation is a part of the call, but the peace that comes from obedience to the call, far exceeds the cost. He has always given me what I needed in fellowship and has taught me to accept others who may not have this call to prayer. I think the hardest part of being an Intercessor is to learn what it is all about, but once you have insight one can walk in humility, wisdom and discernment. Jamie, this was a very insightful article and will encourage many who need understanding in their calling.

15
Shirelle JOHNSON
April 29, 2021

Those words of misunderstanding, and all else written is almost exactly what I e prayed or said. I was heartbroken about it
I seemed to be going opposite from family, even kids. I tried to fit into church and groups but never did
Tried friends but hard to gain or tolerate. Those seeking my friendship didn’t last long. Hard to hd a conversation with someone not in sink. I wanted to pray, no one else didn’t. I would say okay Father, I don’t need anyone else but You, and He would say, people are your ministry. Lol. I just about gave up. I would ask leaders what were they hearing regarding me…from God….they never replied, but I didn’t fit their mold. I’m glad you wrote this because I felt like I didn’t belong to the body. Been downcast for a long time, I need my best friend…He is my breath.

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    Karen E. Kendrick
    April 29, 2021

    God Bless you sweatheart…
    You are unique in The Lord…
    You are understood by Your Creator..
    You are just the way He made you..
    You are a Beautiful Person..inside and out..
    Keep going..He’s got you!!!
    💖💖💖

    21
    Judy McDonough
    April 29, 2021

    Shirelle, We are praying for you! We thought an article from Tuesday by this same author might bless you: https://staging.ifapray.org/blog/are-you-lonely-and-isolated-on-your-intercessory-journey-heres-help/. On Saturday we will be publishing the 3rd article in this series, which will also bless you.

    Shirelle, you are not alone! You absolutely belong to the Body! God knows and sees and cares. He is good and He loves you.

    13
      Shirelle JOHNSON
      April 29, 2021

      what! I’m almost afraid to open it. This still has an effect on me. I can feel the heaviness and the tears. I had to pray my way through to keep it from rooting in my heart. But, I will read it, I need to
      Thank you all sooo much!

      5
    E
    April 29, 2021

    Shirelle I’m praying the Lord to find the right church home for you ..and it will be the right one He has chosen for you
    And you will know it 💛
    You are not alone !

    10
    Jamie Rohrbaugh
    April 30, 2021

    Hi Shirelle, I’m so sorry you have felt like that. You are definitely an important part of the Body of Christ! If you haven’t ever read Tozer’s essay that I mentioned above–The Saint Must Walk Alone–you might want to; I really believe it would encourage you greatly. I will pray for you today! I pray the Lord would comfort you and bring you into alignment right where He wants you to be in the Body, in a place where you will find people of like faith, like destiny, like spirit, and like anointing with Him.
    Love in Jesus,
    Jamie Rohrbaugh

Francoise Armstrong
April 29, 2021

Over the last year, my Partners In Prayer have been praying for the ills of the world. A few weeks ago we were depressed, stressed, and not being effective in our prayer. We trashed our planned agenda and picked up a hymnal and started singing. We sang for what seemed a very long time. Our spirits were lifted up and then rejoiced. We had the shortest prayer time, but our souls were renewed. I would recommend to all Intercessors to take the time to sing to the Lord in Worship so that He will renew your soul and give you a new direction. Carry on Intercessors, but take the time to feed our spirits and renew our souls. Peace to all. Have courage and Believe the Lord will make all things right.

39
    George L
    April 29, 2021

    Yes. Amen. I’m often led to times of weeping and praising the Lord.

    14
    Karen E. Kendrick
    April 29, 2021

    That is exactly what The Lord has been showing me in the last few months…
    Praise…keep Praising…in song…out loud or under your breath..
    I have been suffering with kidney and adrenal issues ( now on dialysis) thelast few months after a promise from God of healing and that is the word He gave me…keep PRAISING!!!
    KEEP STANDING..KEEP EXPECTING…
    Not only for my healing but for this country..my state..my family and EVERY PROMISE HE HAS GIVEN!!
    NEVER STOP..NEVER GIVE UP…
    And with His help I NEVER WILL💕

    .

    23

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