by Warren Heckman.

A couple months ago, I heard a preacher make the statement that life’s irritations should motivate us to intercession. In fact, he suggested that maybe God allows us to experience irritations so we’d get into intercession for the situation causing us the grief and anxiety.

He drew our attention to Hannah’s bitter circumstances in 1 Samuel 1, of being childless, which was a curse in the minds of people in her day. Hannah grieved and endured nasty persecution, but in the end, she took serious action: she prayed-enough to be accused of being drunk.

The Heckmans as a clan have gone through a rather painful three years of crises, failures, sickness, financial reverses, and unexpected challenges. A few months ago, one of our adult kids said, “In the past, when things seemed to gang up on us, we called for a unified, serious, altogether storming of heaven and God always surprised us with miraculous answers. So, enough is enough, let’s all join together and intercede regarding these multiple irritations!”

I had to agree. It was time to “reverse the curse” (as the old saying goes), break the stronghold of the enemy. We all agreed to claim certain Scriptures and believe God for a breakthrough. Since then, it has been amazing, sweet, exciting, and beautiful to watch what God has been doing in our various family members, our kids, their spouses, our grandkids and churches.

I grew up amid strong teaching about fasting and prayer, intercession and “praying through.” I’ve always believed it and tried to practice it, but going beyond that to engage the whole family has been something that has produced amazing results.

Take note, I don’t mean there’s always an instant answer; we find ourselves in times of prolonged prayer, when our hearts cry out, “How long, O Lord, how long?” There are family issues you don’t share in the church prayer meetings, but the whole family knows about them, and it’s powerful to unite together and keep on praying until the Lord intervenes. What an encouragement to our faith when the answers begin rolling in.

Irritations are part of life. Difficulties are the norm. Problems will be faced until the day we die. Some things are overwhelming. We can be burdened to the point of discouragement and depression. Job said it like this, “Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7 NIV).

We can give in to the irritation, just give up, quit, and live wounded and defeated lives. But, perhaps God has a better plan and even a purpose in irritations that come our way. I am convinced that one of the purposes of irritation is to bring us to intercession. I am glad God has kept me from discouragement and depression these past three years, even though they have been very difficult and a real test of my faith.

Are you going through irritation? We all do from time to time. I encourage you to let it stir your heart toward intercession. And if you can rally friends or family to join in with you, it will be a great help.

Warren Heckman is the U.S. National Coordinator for Fellowship of Christian Assemblies.