This article is part 4 in our newest series on intercession. To read part 3, click here.

The word “burden” appears in many of the writings of the prophets. It can have different meanings. In Moses case, the burden (weight) of leadership became so heavy at one point that he asked God to kill him. In response, God placed the Spirit of the Lord to rest on seventy elders, so the weight would be lifted from Moses (see Numbers 11:14-17). Burdens are heavy. If you don’t release them properly, the pressure can become too much. I say this because intercession involves burden-bearing. 

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In Ezekiel 12:10, his burden involved the prince of Jerusalem and the house of Israel. God had given him a word for them. In Isaiah 13, the prophet saw a burden, a message proclaimed against Babylon. A burden can be an assignment, as Ezekiel’s was. Or it can be an oracle, a message from the Lord, like Isaiah’s was. One in particular is Habakkuk, and I feel his is not only timely, but many will relate to his heart’s cry. 

The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds. (Habakkuk 1:1-4). 

Habakkuk’s burden was for justice. He bore the weight of what he saw happening, and it was so vexing that rather than intercede, as he normally would have, he asked the Lord why He was taking so long to deal with the wickedness. In the next chapter, Habakkuk visits the watchtower, presumably his place where he would meet the Lord in prayer. 

 I think we can all relate to his words. Maybe we have all asked the Lord, “How long until you deal with the evil in our nation?” or Why do they get away with it?”  The Lord gives us burdens or assignments to pray into until we see a breakthrough or feel a release from the Lord. And sometimes the weight of the assignment can get heavy, especially when we have been waiting and faithfully praying for years. Here are some things we can glean from Habakkuk when we have been waging a good war in prayer. 

• The burden which Habakkuk saw.

First, you must know what burden the Lord has given you. Habakkuk saw violence, plundering, strife, and corrupted justice rather than righteous judgment. 

What is your assignment? What do you see in your city or nation that causes you to cry out to the Lord in prayer?  Is it a cause like defending life in the womb, or human/child trafficking? Do you have an urge to pray for a leader in your state or a national leader? You will be able to identify your burden because the Spirit will lead you in prayer. You may feel weight, grief, or tears as you sense the Lord’s heart and intercede over these. 

• I will stand at my guard post. 

I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the watchtower; And I will keep watch to see what He will say to me, and how I may reply when I am reprimanded (Habakkuk 2:1). 

Habakkuk went to stand guard at his watchtower. I will emphasize standing guard because intercessors are watchmen on the walls. When God gives you the assignment, guard it faithfully in prayer, and stand. In Ephesians 6:13, in the chapter on the armor of God, it says, “And having done all, stand”. We kneel in prayer, prostrate ourselves in His Presence, but after we have fasted and prayed, or done what He has asked us to, we must stand. Habakkuk was standing against injustice in his nation. What are you standing for? 

• I will station myself on the watchtower

Habakkuk was in a position to receive from God. The watchtower was where the watchmen gathered to oversee and protect the area and, if needed, sound the alarm to warn others. He was where he was supposed to be. We must be focused in prayer. If you know what God has asked you to pray for, stay faithful because it is relatively easy to get distracted and switch lanes. In chapter 3, Habakkuk writes a prayer and praise to the Lord. He goes back to prayer, back to what he was called to do. 

Jesus the Burden Bearer

Intercessors are burden bearers. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” And much like Habakkuk’s life shows us, it can be weighty. But we are not to carry the weight of assignment for too long; otherwise, we will end up overwhelmed, as Moses was. But if we ever feel crushed, we have a perfect Intercessor and High Priest in the Lord Jesus, who sympathizes with us and understands us.

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). 

We are not meant to carry our burdens continually, but to cast them on the Lord, and He will sustain us. Jesus is the Burden-Bearer; we are merely his vessels. We give him the weight; He gives us rest. Intercession is more than a commitment; it’s a call. A call to being open to the Lord’s leading, even if it means fasting more or being woken up in the middle of the night to pray. Maybe He will give you a burden to pray for someone you have never met and maybe never will. Sometimes it will look like showing up to speak out after you have prayed. It is getting back into your prayer closet to pray for the hundredth time over a cause he asked you to, with no visible results. Yes, the assignment can get heavy. But take solace that when it does, Jesus invites us to a great exchange and offers us rest. We need to be refreshed in His Presence so we do not burn out. It is a blessing to partner with the Lord in prayer, and a privilege to stand in the gap before God on behalf of others; always remember that rest is holy too.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT). 

Father, thank You for the privilege of being called to intercede for others. Give us your heart for the people we stand in the gap for.  I am asking for the burden of the Lord, an assignment that You have for me. I know it will be heavy at times, so I pray to keep my heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings as He leads me to intercede. Teach me how to carry it in prayer, and release it when I have done my part. And when it feels like too much, draw me into the Presence of Jesus, where I will rest for my soul, in Jesus name, amen. 

IFA contributing writer Gloria Robles is a passionate intercessor with a prophetic voice for today. For more from Gloria, go to Spotify or Anchor and listen to her podcast, Something To Share. Photo Credit: PonyWang from Getty Images Signature.