Spirit-filled participants and clergy on the last day of the training
By Mary Low Shwee Hoon
Sep 23 2023
KOTA KINABALU – What is the difference between traditional intercession and prophetic intercession? In traditional intercession, faithful takes a whole list of requests and bring them to the Lord and identifies with the needs and burdens of the people. On the other hand, prophetic intercession is intercession in conformity with the burdens which are upon God’s heart. God reveals His mind to the intercessor who comes to Him to get a prayer list. Through prophetic intercession, many hidden messages will be revealed.
The world is undergoing a turbulent time. God is calling more people to answer His call to be a Prophetic Intercessor and it is an urgent calling. God wants us to pray for repentance, world peace, for churches, family, and much more.
To respond to a time such as this, a Prophetic Intercession Training Course was held for Asia Region at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Aug 14-19, 2023, with the theme “You did not choose me, but I chose you taken from John 15:16.
A total of 192 participants attended the training including 12 priests and 10 religious persons from Sabah, Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Philippines, and Africa.
The event was organised by CHARIS Intercession Commission, International in collaboration with CHARIS Malaysia and Malaysia Prophetic Intercessors Group as local hosts.
Archbishop Francis Kalist of Pondicherry-Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu, India and Chevalier Cyril John, appointed member of world-wide CHARIS International Service of Communion, were the speakers for the whole training. They the two international speakers are called by God for this important mission of raising more prayer warriors and have been traveling tirelessly all over the world to train those who are called to be Prophetic Intercessors.
Chevalier Cyril John (left) and Abp Francis Kalist
As believers, we recognize the power of prayer and the crucial role of intercession in seeking God’s will for our lives and communities. The Lord has called us to be intercessors, “for such a time as this”. The Book of Esther in the Bible contains a narrative that can relate to intercession. Esther 4:16, “Go, gather together all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish”.
In this passage, Queen Esther is about to approach the king to intercede for her people, the Jews, who are facing a grave threat. Her decision to fast and seek divine intervention before taking action is a form of intercession. Esther’s willingness to risk her life for the well-being of her people exemplifies the profound commitment that intercession involves, as well as the belief in the power of prayer to bring about transformation and protection. God needs his children to stand in the gap to pray for the world and all the problems.
Chevalier Cyril John emphasized the importance of prophetic intercession. He said “There’s no other strategy to save our church. This tool (prophetic intercession) is given by the Holy Spirit. This tool is needed to save our nation, our church and our families. This is because the power of darkness has taken control of most important part of our lives.”
He further explained that Jesus after resurrected and ascended into heaven, is interceding for us from heaven. St Paul explains it in 1 Tim 2:4, on why Jesus intercedes for us. It is because Jesus desires for everyone to be saved and to know the truth. Jesus paid a heavy price for us to be saved. Prophetic intercession is a Ministry of the Heart. Our senses, eyes, ears, heart are connected to Jesus. This is a Ministry where two hearts unite.
The training over five and a half days covered teachings on 11 topics, three practical workshops and one intercession outreach. To be an effective prophetic intercessor, one must live a pure and holy life. On day two, all participants received the Sacrament of Reconciliation ministered by 10 priests followed by a healing Eucharistic celebration in the afternoon.
The inaugural Eucharistic celebration for the training, held Aug 14, 2023, aligned perfectly with the Feast of the Assumption. On this significant occasion, we remember the Assumption of Mary, who stands as a paramount intercessor. From her heavenly position, Mary intercedes on behalf of all of us, exemplifying the powerful role of intercession in our faith.
During the training, the participants learnt about six important steps for conducting prophetic intercession prayer effectively. To practice these steps, the participants were divided into 18 smaller groups for hands-on workshops. In these workshops, they put the six steps into action. Each group had a leader, called a moderator. These moderators were experienced because they had been trained in prophetic intercession before and often take part in these kinds of prayers. By the end of the third workshop, many of the participants were able to connect with prayer intentions (what they were praying for), strategy prayers (how to pray effectively), and even messages from God. It was like they were learning to listen and communicate in a special way through their prayers.
During the group workshop
Archbishop John Wong showed strong support for the training by sending priests and seminarians to take part in it, demonstrating his encouragement for the program and commitment to its success. Archbishop Francis Kalist said, “In a special way I would like to thank the priests and seminarians. We heard their sharing, and they are all open to prophetic intercession and it is so encouraging that they want to use what they have learnt to reach out to the people they serve.
“It was wonderful to see all of us as a family. The Prophetic Intercession training has brought all of us as one people of God. Pope Francis is dreaming of making the church a Synodal church. Pope Francis keeps repeating against clericalism, i.e. clergy dominated church where there are no intermingling and coming together between priests and the people. But here in Kota Kinabalu, your Archbishop and priests are one among you. This is a Synodal way, and we are seeing here a reality at this training course.”
Abp John Wong presided the Opening Mass, concelebrated by local and other clergy including Abp Kalist and Msgr Nicholas Stephen, Vicar General of KK Archdiocese
On the fourth day of the training, the participants were all sent for intercession outreach in their groups to 18 locations around Kota Kinabalu covering among others, hospitals, schools, churches, and government offices. Each location was carefully chosen to cover different parts of life. During the outreach, the groups were operating their various charisms and they experienced the power of prophetic intercession with clear visions, prayer intentions, messages, inspirations, word of knowledge and prayer strategies from God.
Throughout this experience, the participants put into action everything they had been taught during the training. Some of them also encountered spiritual challenges, but what was remarkable is that in each case, God intervened, showed His power and protection for every group. Chevalier Cyril John highlighted the importance of praying at a particular location, emphasizing that prayer becomes even more powerful when intercessors are physically present in that specific place.
On day five, it was a day of prayer and fasting. Participants received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and prepared themselves for the Jericho Prayer. This was an important event where everyone came together to pray in a powerful way.
Jericho March
During the concluding Eucharistic celebration presided by Archbishop John Wong, he expressed his appreciation to CHARIS for choosing Kota Kinabalu, Sabah as the venue for the training. He said to the participants, “You have gained so much during this training. I heard during the sharing, many prayed especially for the priests. I assume priests also including bishops. We need your prayers, especially for the bishops. Throughout this training, if you ask me how I feel? I feel very peaceful and calm. Thank you for your prayers.”
The training concluded on a positive and enthusiastic note as the participants gathered in groups according to their respective archdioceses and dioceses. In these groups, they collaboratively devised future plans, drawing from what they had learnt during the training. Each group then shared their action plans, outlining how they intended to carry forward their roles as prophetic intercessors after the training concluded. This final session showcased their commitment to the mission and their readiness to apply their newfound knowledge in practical ways.
