This series on intercessors training for Singapore is based off my written notes, which I took as I attended a church conference on this topic in Feb 2025.

Speaker: Ps John Mulinde

Ps John Mulinde sends greetings from Uganda, to SG.

Let’s go to the book of Isa 59:1-2.

Isa 59:1-2: Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that he cannot save, nor is his ear heavy that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated you from God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Lord we hunger for Your ways to be done, let Your will be done.

I want to start by sharing a story, that changed the direction of my life.

The Scripture we just read is one that disturbs many intercessors, what prompted the prophet to write this.

It should be people have been praying and praying, but they cannot see breakthroughs.

Then the prophet comes in and say, the Lord hand is not shortened.

So don’t think He cannot hear, he hears, it’s whether He wants to answer or not.

I want to share a short story of how I entered intercession.

In 1987 I have just given my life to God, and was on fire burning for God.

And a friend of mine was also focussed on soul-winning and trip to Uganda, I asked whether I could come along, and so we had a very wonderful crusade.

But we had less than 100 people accepting the Lord, but my heart was so burning that I wanted to stay after the crusade.

So I requested from my boss to stay a few months after, and all I wanted was to see more people coming to the Lord.

We also found a place to build a worship house, so Mondays to Friday we would be busy building the worship house.

And weekends we would evangelise, but I realised only few people come and they were abusive, they were making fun of us and it was painful to witness this.

Then one day I was praying to God, asking if He has a calling for me just like my pastor.

So one night I had a dream and I saw what God wanted me to do for ministry.

When I came out from the dream, I was so excited knowing I have been assigned.

So then I expected more people coming to the Lord as I was walking in my assignment and anointing, but still the same very few came to God.

So I felt very discouraged and wanted to go back to my job.

Then I fell sick and was bedridden 4 days, so I asked the Lord one thing if you don’t need me here anymore send me back, but if you still have use for me then let me stay here.

On one of the nights I was dreaming I was lying in bed awake that I saw everyone sleeping in the dream.

So I laid my head down again, I was the first one from the door, then I heard the door open and squeaking.

Then I saw a young man dressed in tunic, the colour was not white but pale yellow, and he had a robe and a most beautiful face and most beautiful smile.

He came straight to my bed and sat down on the (mattress) I was in.

And he said Shayne I have come to give you understanding, so I took my Bible.

And he said firstly you have been wondering if that dream you had was coming from God, and I want you to know it is from God so don’t let go.

Secondly you have been wondering why people are not coming to the Lord and people don’t respond.

I’m here to give you understanding, you need to know people are blind spiritually, they don’t see the Lord you are pointing to, and they are deaf spiritually their hearts.

So it’s like you both are in two different worlds, and nothing you do is going to change unless somebody stands in the gap and intercede for them.

The way they live their lives are like enemies to God, and they cannot even pray for themselves because God will not hear.

So somebody has to pray them, and he has to be a friend of God.

But I was wondering that’s what we do, we pray for them everyday.

Then he smiled as though he knew what I was thinking, and said the way you pray cannot help them because you pray from a position of safety and comfort.

But their lifestyle does not give God to be merciful to them.

Let me ask we go back to Scripture, Jer 7:16-19: Do not pray for this people, nor intercede for them, for I will not hear, see what they do giving offerings to idols provoking me to anger.

God is speaking to prophet Jeremiah, do not pray, cry or make intercession for them, for I will not hear you.

There is this moment where sometimes you are praying for people, and God says don’t pray for them.

Why because look what they are doing, the men, women, and children are all involved in it.

They worship other Gods, do you think they are provoking Me?

If this situation exist in your country SG, what do you do?

You want to pray.

But God says no no, don’t lift up your prayer for them.

So this look like a draw you don’t know where to turn, if I don’t pray for them what happens.

By the way, that young man who came in, I understood later was an angel of God.

And he quoted to me Ezekiel 22:30, so I sought for a man amount them to stand in the gap before me in the land that I should not destroy it, but I found none.

God is looking for a person who has good standing before Him, not an enemy of God.

And stand in the gap on behalf of God, and intercede on behalf of the land.

So I was wondering what kind of person of that, he must be of good standing with God.

Not in perfection but good standing.

And that person would be able to render acceptable prayer for the land, represent it.

And in this case, you don’t say Lord help them, because then you are putting them to stand in their own merit, and God won’t here.

So then you have to be one of them, and stand with them, and your prayer would not be help them, but help us.

So you have standing before God, and you stand with them to pray.

But it’s not when you stand with them, automatically God will hear you.

God was so angry with the nation of Israel in the wilderness, that He wanted to destroy the whole nation, and make a nation out of Moses.

So he asked Aaron what have this people done, that make God so angry.

So he separate those who made the golden carve, and those who didn’t.

Then he went back and spent another 40 days fasting, to try intercede for them.

Exo 32:10: Toward the end of the 40 days, we hear Moses interceding for Israel, it’s like the Lord allows us to peek into the throne room of God.

Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, this people have created a great sin making themselves a calve of gold, but if you would forgive them, but if you won’t forgive them blot me out of your book as well.

Moses was identifying with the people, saying count me with them, if you are going to destroy them, destroy me too.

That’s what Jesus did for us, He came knew no sin, but took our sins.

He paid for our sins, and made a propitiation for us.

And Jesus said, if He laid down for us, we should lay it down for others.

And the angel said to me, this kind of commitment is not easy, because if you choose to identify with this people, you have to go all the way.

And pray everyday, because if you don’t break through, you have already identified with them, you are going to receive what they deserve.

So that’s what Moses did, he said take me too, if they are beyond forgiveness.

So God then said to Moses, I’m not going to punish you for their sins.

And that is the assurance every intercessor should have.

You are not risking when you identify with the people.

Sometimes you are thinking, what if I fail and perish.

But our God is faithful, He will not punish the holy and unholy in the same way, so this is the assurance you can have.

So this is how you can pray for your nation, identify with them, own their sins on their behalf, and come and bring intercession.

Now even if you do that, God won’t automatically say ok ok.

He will still say, don’t you see what they are doing, should I still reward them with my Spirit.

But you as an intercessor, have to be persevering, knowing He will hear.

So after my encounter with the angel that night, I know I have to be persevering, praying daily.

Once I took the commitment, and follow through, and pursue it, until I see the breakthrough.

But there’s going to be resistance.

The first one, is where we feel rejected.

Once we identify with the people, and take their place, we may feel rejected by God as they have been rejected by God.

So that’s where prayer and supplication comes in.

And as Christians, we know the word of the Lord.

Isa 1:18: Come let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow.

So it doesn’t matter if we feel if we that way, because we as Christians know the word of the Lord.

Because God says, come and present your case, it doesn’t matter how bad your sins are, it’s possible to make to them white as snow.

So that’s when your faith comes in, Lord we don’t deserve your grace and mercy, but we can still come not because we are worthy but because you are merciful.

He invites us and say come.

Isa 43: I blot out your transgression, and will not remember your sins, put me in remembrance, and let us reason together, state your case that you might be acquitted, I even I am He that blot out your transgression for your sake.

So when we pray for Israel for example, we may say Lord don’t you see babies are suffering innocent killed.

But when we do that, we are praying for the sake of the people.

But as we see in Isa 43, that God is even more merciful than us blotting out our transgression.

And when we say God don’t you care, God may say pray about what.

So an intercessor should have an understanding of the heart of God.

Saying God we have sinned against you, and we deserve what we are going through.

But we are a people called by You, and for the sake of Your name, would you have mercy on us.

It’s about Him, not us.

Dan 9: Daniel was praying for his nation, based on Jeremiah ‘s prophecy that the exile was only promised 70 years.

But the promise has not come to pass, after 70 years they were still in exile.

And Daniel prayed and make confession, saying oh great and awesome God who keep His covenant, we have sinned and done iniquity even departing from your precepts and judgement.

He is not saying they have sinned, but we have sinned.

Dan 9:6: Neither have we heeded the voice of your prophets.

v7: Oh Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us, shame of face to this day.

Because of the unfaithfulness, they have committed against you.

Oh lord, to us belongs shame of face.

But to the Lord our God, belongs mercy and forgiveness to those who sinned against Him.

We have not obeyed the laws of God, hearing the voice of His prophets.

Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law, and departed from your law.

Therefore the curse written by your servant Moses, have been poured out on us, because of our sins.

As it is written in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, that we have not confessed our sins.

Notice Daniel is not saying see God how much we have suffered.

He is saying, we are getting what we deserve, you kept your word.

Shame is for us, but to you righteousness.

And that is intercession, you don’t come to God to move Him with sympathy, but with righteousness.

v15: Oh Lord our God who brought your people out of Egypt, we have done wickedly.

v16: Lord according to thy righteousness, let thine anger be turned away from thy holy city Jerusalem, they holy mountain, because of our sins and father’s sins.

v17: Now, hear the prayer of thy servant and supplications, cause your face to shine upon they sanctuary.

v18-19: Lord redeem the city for your sake, and seek your mercies.

The Lord remains righteous and has no blame in the suffering.

But because of His grace and mercy, plead for intercession.

Jesus is our best intercessor seated at God’s right hand, gave His life for us.

But some say I’m not Jesus, I can’t lay down my life for others.

But in scripture John, this is what God expects of us, as Jesus laid down His life for us.

And we do that, God will say, don’t you see what they are doing.

And this is when things becomes exposed, things you don’t know.

One time we were invited to a Kenya conference, and we were seated at the front, and they invited us to sit on stage, but my Spirit said to me don’t go, so we didn’t go.

When I went up to speak, my mind was confused, and I felt conflicted.

My other speaker had same experience, and were wondering what is going us.

So the next day, none of us went to meeting to speak, and remained in our room, to pray.

By lunchtime, I went to get something to drink, I found this fellow speaker there, and more and more speakers came.

None of us went to the meeting and spoke that morning, so we sat in the lounge.

So you did not go, what have you been doing.

I was praying, did you get something from the Lord.

So everyone shared, we had a piece each, and the full picture became clear.

When the church was started, everyone had mixed motives, they were seeking to become wealthy.

And had done something awful, they sacrificed a young man, and buried him right at the platform.

And the Lord showed us, who was involved in all this: the bishop, his wife, and the assistant pastor, and we saw them in visions.

So you understand now, when God will say, don’t you understand what they have been doing.

The Holy Spirit will reveal to us, and open our eyes things we have not seen, and to hear things.

So we went out to the assistant pastor, with another pastor.

He was at home, and we tenderly told him this story.

And he broke down in tears, said I never wanted to be involved in all this.

So we asked is it true you buried the young men at the pulpit, he said yes.

So next day, I stood up at the platform and told everyone what happened.

There is only two ways forward, either we own up and come before the Lord in repentance, or we have to leave the next day already.

The life of an intercessor is the life of a confidant of God, He will share you secrets and mysteries.

Like how Elisha was able to hear all was happening in the king’s court.

But we have to keep confidential, we don’t say all we heard God shows us.

He who is faithful in little, will be faithful in much.