False Intercession Does Exist!

Where To Begin?

*(Updated March 26, 2024)

My heart and mind travel to so many places of tho’t, re-visiting so many areas of re-examined beliefs and practices, observing the disparaging distance between what was once a thrilling, fulfilling pastime, participating, leading, teaching corporate prayer, what was fully believed, and believed confirmed, ‘the burden of the Lord’, upon my own life. I don’t know if I will ever be able to fully describe and account for the process I have been exp’ing, in particular on the subject of prayer and intercession.

To approach this subject, I must again address my spiritual detox journey, which has entailed a complete re-examination of almost all of my spiritual beliefs, short of deconstructing my faith in God my Heavenly Father, the One True God, Author of all of creation, all reality, all existence, Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, as my Redeemer, Saviour, Propitiation of my sin, the only way to the Father, the promised indwelling Holy Spirit, to all who would rec’ Him, thro’ faith in Jesus Christ, and the inspired, inerrant in original, Scriptures…

“the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

2 Tim. 3:15-17

Because I had begun to discover long held beliefs and practices that were beginning to seem like they were either unBiblical or unverifiable by Scripture. This re-examining process started small, with questions and research, both Biblically and historically, pertaining to a few specific questionable practices and beliefs. My research eventually convinced me, that these areas of question were indeed unBiblical. Some try to distinguish between ‘unBiblical’, (meaning Scripture addresses certain things as wrong, against God, against His truth, etc.) and extra-Biblical, (meaning something not found in Scripture, not verified by Scripture.) My perspective is, that anything not verified by Scripture, at least most everything, pertaining to spiritual matters, that is not verified by Scripture, is in essence, unBiblical, for ‘harmony and agreement of Scripture, is the bedrock of all testing, and weighing of spiritual matters.

I had to re-learn, or refresh my education in orthodox exegesis, and hermeneutics of Scripture. Principles do exist in such, that require understanding of, and application, in order to correctly read the genuine communication existing in the Scriptures. In learning any language, one must learn the rules and principles of that language, the rejection, ignorance, or disdain of, leading to faulty application and understanding of that language. I have re-iterated some of these principles from time to time.

This became extremely important to me, when detoxing down to the bare essentials, and progressing forward, as I gradually, re-examined various areas, discovering yet more beliefs in disharmony with the orthodox reading and application of the Scriptures.

Prayer and intersession appeared upon my detox radar, more so when I was asked once if I’d heard about a certain person, who was well known in some intercession circles. I read a bit about them and gave my impressions based on what I’d already been sensing a areas of concern in the prayer movement. As well, someone had asked me if I’d heard of the ‘Awaken The Dawn’ prayer initiative, and so I researched this as well, writing a few blogs on ‘Stadium Enterprises’ and ‘Awaken The Dawn’ specifically. I was already familiar with IHOPKC and the 24/7 prayer movement, even attending a weekend seminar, on ‘Harp & Bowl’ prayer & worship, at a host church in Canada. In 2019 I had started research on IHOPKC, my eyes being opened to much more troublesomeness, which led to a series of blogs on IHOPKC. In 2020, after writing about ‘Awaken the Dawn”, I wrote about ‘Spiritual Disciplines Causing Spiritual Harm’, where I finally began to comprehend some of the problems with the 24/7 prayer movement.

Not wanting to diminish nor neglect the importance of prayer, approaching this area of concern, and applying it to my detox journey, was very difficult, and frustrating at times, and adding to the conflict were the numerous ways prayer was practiced and beliefs involved, having discerned several areas, in which I could no longer participate, or practice. In writing the blog on Spiritual Disciplines Causing Spiritual Harm’, false intercession became a reality, as I saw how any number of practices and beliefs could thwart prayer initiatives.

And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

1 Jn. 5:14-15

I observed many things out of harmony and agreement with the Scriptures, and God’s will. Many of these things I will cover in this blog, that either are or produce false intercession. I have linked a summary blog written a little earlier, on the fallacy of the 24/7 prayer movement. In it I address the fallacy of 24/7 prayer being a divine mandate of the Lord for His Church.

One final tho’t introductorally. I have posted some video clips of ex’s of false intercession, practices that have become rather more common, and more absurd. Coupled with these aberrant beliefs and practices spawned of them, is a tendency to stridency;

Stridency: the fact of being expressed, or of expressing things, in forceful language that does not try to avoid upsetting other people. – the quality of being loud, unpleasant, and rough in sound.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/stridency

I would add, false, excessive, striving, intensity. Some, who in my estimation, are strident in prayer, would consider themselves just being authoritatively force full, but in reality, it is an intensity lacking Spirit inspiration, perhaps soulish striving, or uncalled for emotionalism. This stridency could possibly be considered false intercession, since it is not Holy Spirit inspired. There are numerous other forms of prayer, many of which contain an element of stridency, (fleshly zeal, soulish intensity, striving in anxiousness etc., activities that are not, in reality prayer at all, like decreeing, declaring, prophesying in prayer. Others will be covered as we go along. Below is the link to the blog on the fallacy of the 24/7 prayer movement ideology, and then a few ex’s. of obvious false intercession.

.ahttps://scribalwell.wordpress.com/2024/02/13/the-fallacy-of-24-7-prayer-paradigm-magic-bullet/

Samples Of Manifested False Intercession

False Intercession Does Exist!

John Elving Video Archives On Spirit Birthing

https://www.brotherjohnelving.com/new-apostolic-reformation

Protestia Article On Midwife Birthing Angels https://protestia.com/2022/03/30/spirit-birthing-a-demon-is-this-the-wildest-charismatic-manifestation-ever-stolen-babies-midwife-angels-golden-parachutes-and-labor-noise/

Charismatics are a different bunch, aren’t they? Here’s a video from a Battle for Canada Event where false prophet Art Lucier presided. Art previously issued formal prophecies in 2019 and in early 2020 revealing that because Jesus and his disciples caught 153 fish, there was a supernatural tie to Canada’s 153 birthday, which was to take place in the summer of 2020, and so these moments day would be preceded by a series of national gathering leading up to Canada day. Then the pandemic hit, and it was a crime in most of Canada to even go outside if not for work, or to sit on the grass for any reason, making Lucier definitely a false prophet.

No outlier, this mainstream revival meeting leans very heavy on… demonstrative birthing actions, with a disturbing amount of mixed metaphors on display. For context, the first woman up shares some visions the Lord gave her, interlaced with a bunch of fake gibberish tongues.

There was a) birth, where there was a vacuum and it was because the baby needed help to come forth…God wants to pull on us. You want to bring forth an effective bride. Two weeks ago at Battle for Canada intercession, water broke in a birth process, but there’s been a war against the coming forth of that baby. And so God wants to bring the suction, the device that pulls and helps the mother to bring forth that which is to come, to tonight Lord.

Let’s collectively, together, pull on the spirit…We pull and make demand on the spirit. We pull, we pull on the spirit right now. Bring this body into alignment. Bring your suction God, pull us up to those higher places… the multiple babies. The multiple babies! The multiple babies! The multiple babies come forth! We make a demand tonight oh God. We make a demand. Come..come forth.”

“Then ‘Colleen’ gets on stage and does likewise, acting like she’s in labor, leaving us unsure what exactly the baby is and whose suctioning it and vacuuming it out of the spiritual birth canal.

If you’re wondering what those people a the front are doing, at first they’re “pulling” the baby out of the spiritual womb, and later when they’re huddled underneath a golden parachute….er…we have no idea.”

Abba Father… we repent. I repent where we wanted to keep this baby for ourselves. I repent where we have stolen the last baby Lord…We’ve kept the baby for our glory, and not for the glory of Jesus. Father forgive us where we’ve kept the glory for ourselves. The glory that is being born is yours…cleanse us of our flesh…take our flesh away… this baby will be born by the spirit of the fear of the lord.

Bring it in your fullness…the seven spirits of God, come into this house… Just as the mother in birth needs to breathe the contractions, Holy Spirit come and breathe into this room…Breathe life into the baby that’s overdue…Lord of angel armies, send forth your angels. Fill this birthing room, this delivery room. The midwife angel’s coming in. Promise overdue. Generations of promises overdue, bring them into Fullness for the delivery tonight.”

John Elving Video – Mid-Wife Birthing Angels ahttps://www.youtube.com/clip/Ugkx3sqG2X0hQmGLFLe6hm2W8k1SXu8M-TWA

Stridency: False Spiritual Authority, False Intensity

Kim Owens I consider being strident, misinterpreting ‘spiritual authority’ as overbearingly forceful, fleshly exertion, false, excessive intensity. (begininning @ 8:15 min. mark) Kim Owens Fresh Start Church https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5zdF3lc7CQ

I used to pray this way. I believed ‘atmospheres could be shifted‘ thro’ intense prayer in tongues, decrees, strong warfare worship, excessive emotionalism, etc. Years ago, my wife and I were in our church Sat. night praying for the service the next day. A favourite verse of mine at the time, regarding prayer, was Joel 2:17

Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”

Joel 2:17

So I was praying this Scripture, and then started a forced weeping in prayer. My wife strongly felt the Lord telling her to tell me, to stop, this was not of Him! We can easily pick up false ideas, false burdens, false types of prayer. I’ve heard people pray long, ‘religious sounding prayers,’ that were a hindrance, because time, energy, attention was being consumed in these ‘religious prayers. In the least it was soulish foolishness, at worst, it could be have been a demonic influence trying to get me into fruitless excessiveness.

And praying, do not use vain repetitions, (heap up empty phrases, babbling on), like the pagans, for they think that in their many words they will be heard.

Mat. 6:7

Soulish, fleshly, or demonically influenced excessiveness, will bear fruitless prayer. (for they think that in their many words they will be heard.) Perhaps ‘long winded prayer’ may be one thing, not necessarily false, but continuous fruitless excessiveness, in various ways, may very well be false intercession. James tells that prayer can be fruitless because of praying wrongly. The tho’t here is wrong motives, but wrong prayer can include anything that makes prayer fruitless.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, that you may spend it in your pleasures.

James 4:3

The whole concept of ‘birthing prayer’, or ‘travailing prayer’ as it was first called, is based almost entirely upon a single text in Gal.4:19

My little children, for whom I am again in [the pains of] labor until Christ is [completely and permanently] formed within you

Gal.4:19

The context of Paul’s statement here, is the intense struggle he was involved with in endeavouring to fend off and defend the Galatian believers against the Judaizers who were insisting on enforcing the Jewish laws upon the new believers, particularly circumcision. We were taught this in the 90’s in Bible school, how to groan in prayer. I witnessed people laying on the floor at the front of the church on Sunday morning, groaning, as if giving birth!

I’m not adverse to intense prayer at times, even weeping in prayer, but the teaching, drawn from completely erroneous misapplications and misinterpretations of Scripture, and soulishly, carnally, applying them in an aberrant, fleshly, striving manner, produces nothing but more soulish, fleshly, carnality, that can quickly descend into demonically inspired excessiveness!

Misinterpreting Scripture, using certain texts for promises that do not exist, and ‘claiming those promises in prayer, can be false intercession. It’s not prayer. I mentioned decreeing, declaring, prophesying prayer, as false intercession, because it’s not prayer, and will accomplish nothing. So much time and energy is being devoted to completely vain activities, people deluded into believing it’s producing a great spiritual awakening! Pleading with God for things He cannot give, such as one’s own ideas about revival, or an outpouring of His Spirit, a great awakening, a ‘touch from God, an encounter, a feeling, an exp’, etc. etc., are all acts of false intercession, that WILL LEAD TO FALSE REVIVALS, FALSE EXP’S, etc. ‘Identificational intercession’ is not prayer. One cannot identify with the sins of others, repent on their behalf, asking for forgiveness, owning the sin as one’s own, whether applied individually, or corporately, for a city, nations etc. https://scribalwell.wordpress.com/2021/09/28/identificational-repentance-is-not-intercession/

False spiritual warfare, is false intercession, which I became aware of long before my spiritual detox journey. The whole warfare ideology and theology, is unBiblical, for the most part. Eph. 6:12 is notoriously misused and abused, in teaching about ‘spiritual warfare in the heavenlies.’ The word struggle should used rather than ‘wrestle‘, as most modern translations do. Very much has been written about this aberrant doctrine of ‘spiritual warfare.’ It is a clearest ex. of false intercession. The context of Eph. 6:12 is clearly seen before and after, in the description of the armour of God.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. (Ampl.)

Eph. 6:12

Another text, notoriously misused in teaching ‘spiritual warfare is 2 Cor. 10:4-5

The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,

2 Cor. 10:4-5 (Ampl.)

The weapons are destroying sophisticated arguments exalting themselves against the true knowledge of God. There is very much false intercession transpiring in the form of erroneous ‘spiritual warfare.’ Again, stridency enters here, influenced by false authority, this could be described as spiritual stridency, ‘taking authority’ over the demonic realm, over sickness in regions, yea even nations, (as per. covid nonsense), over national racism, with ‘Gandolf’s staff’!

A video clip here discusses several false ideas and applications, enacted thro’ the infamous Gandolf’s staff renunciation of racism in America. False concepts of ‘apostolic authority’ and false doctrines drawn from misinterpretations of Scripture, another notorious spiritual warfare application from a complete misappropriation of Scripture, producing false intercession of the highest level, fruitless and deceptive, as it keeps it’s propagators in vain spiritual delusions. The video parses out the context of the text misused, in which multiple applications of false intercession ensue the false concepts. The modern prayer movement is rife and rampant with this and many other forms of false intercession.

I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth shall have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth shall have [already] been loosed in heaven. “Again I say to you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.”

Mat. 18:18-21

ahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df1Rgwxt89g

Exhort & Contend FB Covers Who’s Who Of Apostolic/Prophetic Movement @ ‘Fresh Fire’

ahttps://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid024viYcGRHYHoTvo5euh1C7wrHTDtX2386GWNtT5ombCvMEGEcXJEu8PVdwDAL8aF5l&id=101026978079655

The following (https://www.facebook.com/paulandkimowens/posts/265034188764633) was posted at Paul and Kim Owens’ Facebook page on Aug. 15: 2021

“Today was a marking moment @freshstartchurch The last four years of our revival the Holy Spirit has led us deeper into governmental intercession. Today we had the General @ciministries give his commission & validation that the Lord sees this as ‘a headquarters for His war angels to operate.’ Thank you Bishop Bill Hamon for your wisdom & impartation this morning!”

BILL HAMON Prophetic Word:

“The Lord says I have been taking this church through extensive testing and challenge over the last 10 years and the Lord says they’ve passed every test and met every challenge.

I was testing them for a purpose because I need a headquarters for my war angels to operate from!

I have chosen this place to be a Headquarters for war angels to be sent out, come in, and operate!

This is a place, God told me to dedicate it because you passed the test. He’s been waiting for this moment, day, and hour, And today God’s going to officially let Heaven and earth know this is your headquarters for war angels to go in and out and accomplish God’s purpose!”

The entire apostolic/prophetic movement is awash with false intercession, as seen here, in endorsing and claiming Fresh Start Church as a headquarters for warring angels!

Perhaps one reason so much aberrancy, error, excessiveness, spiritual, emotional, physical abuse, has thrived in the presence of much false intercession, is because prayer is looked upon as one thing that could do no evil. Yet this horribly faulty illusion, is a breeding ground for all of the above! Many past ‘revivals’, birthed in what may very well may have been false intercession, in hindsight, have been considered rampant with excessiveness and highly questionable, spurious activities, the ‘Cane Ridge Revival’ being one, which I’ve extensively researched, yet to be published. Maybe here?

Inappropriate focuses on, and abuse, and misuse of speaking in tongues, and the application of ideologies of worship, are also producing false intercession. I used to think we were ‘shifting spiritual atmosphere’ in cities, when we prayed corporately in tongues for extended periods of time, as well warfare worship and other worship emphasis. The whole idea of shifting spiritual atmospheres in non-descript prayer, and strong worship, have no New Test. Biblical basis. This is false intercession as well.

I’ve written numerous article on fb, concerning false intercession in so many prayer initiatives, that have been sponsored or highly influenced by the apostolic/prophetic movement, which generally speaking, has focused on saving nations, largely using ‘prophetic decrees’, drawing upon numerous prophecies, accumulated over the years, and identificational repentance, which has been mentioned as a form of false intercession. These prayer initiatives are primarily inspired, directed and fueled by false prophecies, false ideologies and false theology, focused on national revival and global spiritual awakening, seriously corrupted by much bad doctrine, and egregiously aberrant practices and beliefs.

If an entire movement is so badly corrupted, and it’s influences permeating other sectors of the Body of Christ, and this movement is taking the lead in significant prayer initiatives, then those prayer initiatives will be highly charged and present with much false intercession.

The whole idea of intercessory missionaries, such as IHOPKC has produced, I don’t see as Biblically validated, nor the concept of 24/7 prayer, as covered above. One person described IHOPK’s operation this way.

 With 25,000 young people arriving for an annual conference, and many of them moving to Kansas City for full-fledged indoctrination in their internships and four year university, then being sent out as intercessory missionaries to spread it as far as possible within the body of Christ (they are trained predominately for influencing believers, changing the church, and starting more mystical houses of prayer, not leading new believers to Christ)

a https://bethcavete.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/the-bigger-picture/

In the 1st link, introducing this topic, ‘The Fallacy Of 24/7 Prayer…’, I include links to most of the other blogs I wrote on the issues concerning and surrounding the modern prayer movement.

There are so many false beliefs saturating practitioners of prayer initiatives and prayer movements, that continue to spawn more false intercession, based upon, influenced by, birthed in spiritual and doctrinal error. The list could go. Any prayer application, and focus founded upon spiritual and doctrinal error, with a presiding presence of excessiveness, will encourage aberrant spirituality, counterfeit activity, producing false intercession.

The foundation of prayer, individually and corporately, must be based upon Biblical truth and spiritual realities, whereas the modern prayer movement is floundering in self-deception, spiritual delusion, unBiblical error, aberrancies and vain imaginings!

Rees Howells – Intercessor – Norman Grubb

In my research for this blog, I came upon some disturbing information, as happens often. A beloved book by many, for many years, myself included, contains questionable perspectives, gone unnoticed by most, again, myself included. There was only statement he made, that I read at the time, in 1988, that bothered me, and that was about his belief, that intercessors needed to be willing to take on identificationally, the sickness of others, at times, before healing would come to them. This writer below, in critiquing the book addresses this issue along with numerous others. I wrote this inside the front cover of the book in 1988; “Identification, agony, authority.” This perspective, along with others cited, as the critiquing writer states, are dangerous, and can lead others away from Christ, rather than to him.

I recently discovered that Norman Grubb had veered off from orthodox christianity as well.

Here is another ex. of false doctrine within the intercession camp, that more than likely has led to false applications of intercession. Prayer does not get a free pass from scrutiny, testing, examining, weighing.

Ree Howells Intercessor – A Critique

JD Miller https://sharperiron.org/forum/thread-rees-howells-intercessor-critique

“As I considered God’s power interacting with man, I read with interest the story of Rees Howells as told by Norman Grubb in his book, Rees Howells Intercessor. I was impressed that Howells stressed that prayer would only be answered if it were according to God’s will, but I became concerned when presented with extra-biblical revelation that suggested he could know God’s will for certain.

As I continued to read, I must admit that I was quite impressed with Mr. Howells charity and willingness to forsake the cares of this world for the cause of Christ. Further, his trust in God’s daily provision was also something I would commend him for, though preparation for the future among the Lords servants is not prohibited. (Luke 22:36)

The issue that continued to trouble me was his extra-biblical revelation– especially when all of his predictions did not come true.(Deut. 18:20-22) “… the last person Mr. Howells had said would be healed, had so recently died.” (pg. 93). Either Mr. Howells was mistaken about what he had been told, or the messages did not actually come from God, because God does not make mistakes.

If this were simply an issue about God’s revelation about which prayers of Rees Howells would be granted and which ones would not, this would be concerning, but not nearly as serious as what ends up being presented in Grubb’s book. Not only was the extra-biblical revelation used to to determine what to pray about, but it was used to teach specific points of doctrine. Since the book presents teaching that it claims comes directly from the Holy Spirit, we must ask if those teachings match up with God’s written word.

In chapter 32, this quote is attributed to the Holy Spirit, “I have not come to give you joy, or peace, or victory.” This directly contradicts what God has already declared in His written word: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Based on the testimony of the Scriptures, I believe Norman Grubb is relaying a message from another spirit in his book.

Consider this quote attributed to the Holy Spirit in chapter 5. “As the Savior had a body, so I dwell in the cleansed temple of the believer. I am a Person. I am God, and I am come to ask you to give your body to Me that I may work through it. I need a body for my temple (I Cor. 6:19), but it must belong to Me without reserve, for two persons with different wills can never live in the same body. Will you give me yours? (Rom. 12:1). But if I come in, I come as God, and you must go out. (Col. 3:2,3). I shall not mix Myself with your self.” (pg 38)

To put this quote in context it was said, “The meeting with the Holy Ghost was just as real to Rees Howells as his meeting with the Savior those years before.” He is teaching that the coming of the Holy Spirit is a separate event from salvation, but consider the verse that was referenced above: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” ( 1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit is already in the believer once they trust Christ.

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?: (1 Corinthians 3:16)

“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16)

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Rom. 8:9)

As Howells spoke of this second blessing of the Spirit, he said he, “I had never seen that He must live in bodies, as the Savior lived in His on earth.” (pg 38)Though God clearly uses man, to suggest that the Spirit is unable to work independent of a human body is to miss the earliest testimony of scripture. “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Gen. 1:2).

The teaching that the Spirit needed a body to function, that once He came in the human will was no longer even there, that He will not mix with Himself with our self, and that this was just like when Jesus took on human form has frightening repercussions if taken to its full extent. It would mean that the person is no longer a normal man, but is now functioning as if he were God.

Let us consider another quote from later in the book. “But He showed us, ‘There is all the difference in the world between your surrendered life in my hands, and I living My life in your body.’” (pg. 233). To clarify what they believed by this it was stated, “…and if God the Holy Ghost took possession of these bodies, then His life was going to consume all that there was of ours.” This is how they frame the subject, “The Holy Ghost as a divine Person lived in the bodies of the apostles, even as the Savior had lived His earthly life in the body that was born in Bethlehem.” (pg. 233)

We have already established that every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but to suggest that such an indwelling would put us on the same level as Jesus Christ is blasphemous. Though Grubb does not outright elevate Howells quite to the level of Christ, he does come dangerously close.

In fact, in chapter 11, Howells is said to have been given a choice between giving his life or having a woman he had been praying for die. He was told, “If she is to be delivered, accept death in her place to-night.” (pg. 80). Consider as well the testimony that Howells gives about the Holy Spirit taking control of him. “He was coming in as God, and I had lived as man, and ‘what is permissible to an ordinary man,’ He told me, ‘will not be permissible to you.’” (pg. 40) Howells seems to be claiming that since God was coming into him, he would not be living like a man anymore. He would no longer be an ordinary man.

Rather than an ordinary man, Rees Howells is represented as acting in the place of God. Note this quote, “God is ‘a Father of the fatherless,’ and ‘relieveth the widow’; so he knew that unless he could prevail for the husband, the Holy Ghost would insist on taking that place through him, and he would be responsible to provide for this woman and support her children.” (pg. 92) When he spoke of prevailing for the husband, he meant healing him through intercession so he would not die.

Mr. Howells was considered an intercessor in prayer as distinguished from a prayer warrior. Grubb writes, “A prayer warrior can pray for a thing to be done without necessarily being willing for the answer to come through himself, and he is not even bound to continue in the prayer until it is answered. But an intercessor is responsible to gain his objective, and he can never be free till he has gained it. He will go to any lengths for the prayer to be answered by himself.” (pg. 103 emphasis mine) The glory for answered prayer should go to God and not man. “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.” (Isaiah 48:11).

In closing, let me ask a question to those who have read Rees Howells Intercessor. After reading the book, did you find yourself focused on following Christ, or wanting to follow the example of Rees Howells? No doubt this is a challenge anytime we read a biographical work, but this book made the challenge even greater. Unbiblical teaching was presented in the name of the Holy Spirit, and man was elevated to a place that he was not worthy of; therefore, I believe this book is dangerous and will lead people farther from God rather than closer to Him.

Rees Howells: Intercessor by Norman Grubb

full of mysticism, false spirituality, unbiblical teaching on prayer

Daniel Kleven: https://biblioskolex.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/review-rees-howells-intercessor/comment-page-1/

“This book came recommended from a source that I trust, as a book that would really help a persons prayer life. I got this book expecting to really like it and to be helped by it. Unfortunately, the opposite was true.  Howells turns out to be one of the worst examples of what the Keswick movement had offer.

Voices

Early in Howell’s life, he starts hearing voices. On the way to a Keswick convention, “a voice spoke to him…” and the voices just keep coming, on almost every single page of the book. This is a book about hearing voices in your head, and doing whatever they say. Almost every page contains “God told me” “the Spirit said to me” etc. And what are these voices in his head telling him? This is not just affirming what is taught in the Bible, but specific extra-biblical things like fasting a specific day (p. 55) and when he gave in to eating a little food, the voice said “I will forgive you, but you are not to go unpunished. You will hold up your hands while you pray from 6 to 9 o’clock” (56). Not following “the voice” is equated with disobeying God, i.e. sin! This is reiterated several other times in the book. The voice tells him not to wear a hat (109) otherwise he wouldn’t “gain the place of intercession.” The voice told him to seclude himself from all other believers (113) and not cut his hair or his beard, again in order to “gain a much higher position.”

After six months, the voice told him that “he was free” (119). Howells equates the voice that he hears with “God’s word” (139) a phrase usually reserved for the Scriptures, but not for Howells. The voice told him to abandon his son so that he and his wife could go to the mission field. (145) They left him with his uncle, and the voice told him that “for everything you give up for me, there is the hundredfold; and on this you can claim 10,000 souls in Africa,’ and we believed it” (147). The voice told him not to let his wife take medicine when she was sick (151). The voice told him to leave a ministry in which they were deeply intwined in love. It was “a great wrench on both sides. The Council did not want to let them go, and they would not have left the Mission and the co-workers they had learned to love…” – unless the voice told them to – “…for anything less than a direct command from God.” (175) The voice is equated with a commandment from God!

Equating the voice in your head with the voice/command of God results in twisted teaching on faith (believing what the voice says), obedience (doing what the voice says) and prayer. Most of the time this isn’t tied to the Scriptures at all, and when the Bible is used, it is ripped out of context, and misapplied terribly.

Prayer

Intercessory prayer is like climbing to higher and higher levels of spirituality. The phrase “gain the position” and “abide in the position” are used over and over again. The basic “law of intercession is that “before he could intercede for them, he must live like them.” (121) Before you can intercede for someone, you first have to “gain the position” of intercession, and then “abide in it” for some length of time. Gaining the position is done by either fully identifying with the person interceded for – one time the voice told him he couldn’t pray for the woman with tuberculosis until he was willing to get tuberculosis himself. (75) Once the “position of intercession” has been gained for physical healing, then any physical healing can be prayed for.

Now you have to “gain the position” for receiving money. Once that one is gained, you can move on to the next, getting higher and higher in the levels of intercession. “There are degrees and stages of abiding. The deeper the oneness, the more the power of the risen life of Christ can operate through the channel, and new positions of spiritual authority can be gained.” (65) Other ways of gaining a new position of higher spiritual authority are by not wearing a hat (see above), or secluding yourself for 6 months and growing a beard (see above). Fasting can earn you a higher position – “In this period of intercession, the final positions of fasting to which God called Rees were first to one meal every three days, and then to a total fast of fifteen days.” after seven days, “The Lord told him that the intercession was gained, and the fasting could finished.” (122-123). He is always trying to gain a “higher position” (138 for example.)

My criticism of all this? It is completely unbiblical, and presents a twisted view of spirituality and prayer, in which you have to attain to higher and higher levels of spirituality in order to intercede effectively. It appeals to human nature to have effort that results in higher positions and rewards. Kind of like trying to become a black belt. Put forth the effort and training, work hard, pass the test, and you get the next color. Prayer is NOT THIS WAY!! Prayer is a child crying out to his Father. Prayer is a child coming boldly to the throne of grace to find help in her time of need. Prayer takes work, yes, but not this jumbled mess of mysticism, voices, and bizarre tests of obedience.

Not only do I not recommend this book, I would warn any young believer to avoid this teaching. If you want to learn about prayer and have your prayer life to be stirred, read anything by E.M. Bounds. The Essentials of Prayer is excellent. Power Through Prayer is a classic. E. M. Bounds on Prayer (Hendrickson Christian Classics) is three of his books in one that I highly recommend.”

*>Daryl here: Hindsight has caused me to realize, that ‘the little foxes’ can spoil, corrupt one’s perspectives, beliefs, actions, without realizing it, identifying it, or it’s source. We may not remember a specific teaching, but it’s influences can remain lodged in our minds and hearts. This re-examination of a ‘holy grail’ book on intercession, should be a lesson learned in a willingness to examining/re-examining, all things, yes even prayer!

Wacky Intercession

This article is written by Alice Smith: https://www.onethingministries.net/word-of-the-lord/articles/wacky-intercession/

“As I walked down the corridor toward the large prayer room, several women rushed past me in a panic. They had been praying with more than 50 intercessors from various denominations for pastors in the United States. Curious as to what was happening, I quickly entered the room to an unbelievable sight. Lying on the floor in the middle of the room in a fetal position was a petite woman intercessor, groaning as though she were being tortured. Crouched over her, on his hands and knees, was a male intercessor stroking her hair and speaking words of encouragement. Standing around “the entertainment” were dozens of intercessors watching. No one was praying now. Their faces revealed many emotions. Some were in shock, others didn’t know what to think, a few intercessors had left the room, and most were simply disgusted.

Asked to correct the situation, I quietly bent down, asked the man to move away, and softly whispered into the intercessor’s ear, “Please stop what you are doing. Everyone’s attention has shifted from praying for the pastors – to you. This is not the way the Holy Spirit would lead.”

Gruffly the woman turned her head toward me and growled, “This IS the Holy Spirit.” Obviously, everyone in the room suspected that if it were God, He would not have answered in such a way.

Yet these kinds of activities are becoming too common in prayer rooms across the nation. If the prayer movement does not establish Biblical boundaries and acceptable corporate conduct within the next few years, it is possible that the work of prayer could be drastically derailed.

What are some of the wacky intercessory activities with which we should be concerned?

As I walked down the corridor toward the large prayer room, several women rushed past me in a panic. They had been praying with more than 50 intercessors from various denominations for pastors in the United States. Curious as to what was happening, I quickly entered the room to an unbelievable sight. Lying on the floor in the middle of the room in a fetal position was a petite woman intercessor, groaning as though she were being tortured. Crouched over her, on his hands and knees, was a male intercessor stroking her hair and speaking words of encouragement. Standing around “the entertainment” were dozens of intercessors watching. No one was praying now. Their faces revealed many emotions. Some were in shock, others didn’t know what to think, a few intercessors had left the room, and most were simply disgusted.

Asked to correct the situation, I quietly bent down, asked the man to move away, and softly whispered into the intercessor’s ear, “Please stop what you are doing. Everyone’s attention has shifted from praying for the pastors – to you. This is not the way the Holy Spirit would lead.”

Gruffly the woman turned her head toward me and growled, “This IS the Holy Spirit.” Obviously, everyone in the room suspected that if it were God, He would not have answered in such a way.

Yet these kinds of activities are becoming too common in prayer rooms across the nation. If the prayer movement does not establish Biblical boundaries and acceptable corporate conduct within the next few years, it is possible that the work of prayer could be drastically derailed.

What are some of the wacky intercessory activities with which we should be concerned?…”

(See link above for wacky intercessory activities to be concerned about). I do not endorse the entirety of Alice Smith’s spiritual perspectives, but she has some Biblically wise observations. Interestingly, this teaching was done for IHOPKC. Unfortunately, Alice’s wisdom and warning has gone unheeded by a vast majority of the modern prayer movement!

In Case You Were Wondering: Is 2 Chronicles 7:14 God’s Promise to American Christians Today?

One final ex. for now, chronically practiced, is the misapplied ‘identificational’ intercession for nations, taken from 2 Chron. 7:14. (mentioned prior, briefly,) Three links below explain the error and correct application of the text.

ahttps://scribalwell.wordpress.com/2021/09/28/identificational-repentance-is-not-intercession/

ahttps://michellelesley.com/2015/07/03/in-case-you-were-wondering-is-2-chronicles-714-gods-promise-to-american-christians-today/

ahttp://apologeticjunkie.blogspot.com/2010/03/text-out-of-context-2-chronicles-714.html