Women intercessory prayer ministry

Posted on September 21, 2012 Updated on September 14, 2012

THE MINISTRY OF MOURNING WOMEN

In ancient Israel were groups of professional mourners, who could be hired and paid to weep at funerals. The louder they could cry the more popular and patronized they were. Their objective was to wipe up emotions so that more people will cry.

A special category of their professional mourners was known as “the women who weep for Baal” (Contemporary English Version CEV). The god Baal was believed to have died (at certain periods) and (could) come back to life. So some women would go to place for worship, and weep over the death of Baal (CEV).

It was believed that by their mourning over the death, they could bring it back to life. This actually was a Canaanite fertility ritual, which they do at beginning of planting season to give back “life to the soil”.

In Jeremiah’s time, judgment was inevitable over the land because of the pervading abominations of desolation ( Jer. 8;18- 9;26). The prophet saw ahead the tragic end of a spiritually sick and idolatrous nation that had stubbornly followed its own ways, in spite of prophetic warnings.

The land was soon to be desolate, famine was to come on the land, the inhabitants scattered and enemy soldiers kill in the streets. For all these, Jeremiah repented, mourned and wept (Jer. 8:18, 9:1,10 etc).

It was in this setting of impending judgment that the call for the mourning women was made in Jer. 9: 17-22. This time it was not for pretentious ‘professionally mourners’. It was to be for real, as death had already entered through the window to kill the children and husbands (Jer. 9:21).

It was no time for entertaining, playing-to-the-gallery wailing women, who merely sought to stir up emotions so that all around would say ‘Oh, how much they loved the departed’ (See Matt 11:17 and John 11:28-36).

Rather it was for mourners who like the widow of Zarepeth and the Shunamite women, will mourn to literally receive their dead back to life (1 Kings 17:17-20; II Kings 4:20-36).

Theirs was to be heart-rending mourning for the impending judgement, a cry for mercy; peradventure God will hear and give beauty for ashes, a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness.

True heartfelt mourning, has always moved God to respond to such repentance and plea for mercy in times of judgement. Even the wicked king Ahab and the Ninevites received mercy when they cried out to God in true mourning and repentance.

The church in Nigeria is at the threshold of judgement. Abominations that bring desolation have brought the four horns that scatter arrayed against it. The fate of Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Yugoslavia beckons.

Never since the last civil war has the need for mourning women become as urgent as now. The call was not for mighty men of valor, professional soldiers, prophets or even great ministers. It was for wailing, mourning women.

The call is not for novice wailers, but for skillful mourners and intercessors, ‘especially those who can cry the loudest” (Jer 9:17 CEV). Women, who like Hannah, received life to her dead womb by mourning. Like Rachael, who refused to be comforted until the Lord restrained and comforted her (Jer. 31:15-17).

Like Mary Magdalene who stood weeping by Jesus’ tomb, until she literally received the Lord from the dead (John 20:11-16). Women who are adept at weeping in private, qualified for this ministry of public mourning.

They must be women who are available, who can be sent for and will quickly answer the clarion call. Women who will leave every other task, to hearken to this call. Who even if they have other secular assignments, will take this as an urgent priority above everything.

The task of the mourning women include

– Sincere heartfelt mourning, repentance and contrition(verse 17)

– Provoke/stimulate the people of the land to mourn, confess and intercede (verse 18)

 Spend time to search the scriptures to find the Word of the Lord for the now (verse 20)

 Listen and pay attention to what the Lord is saying by His Spirit and by word of prophesy (verse 20)

– Teach and mobilize others, especially their daughters and friends, also to mourn and intercede (verse 20).

CONCLUSION

In Hebrews 11:35, the Bible lists and commends women who by faith “received their dead raised to life again” (Hebrews 11:35a). Mourning women have the grace to turn judgment into mercy, turn desolation into restoration and death to life.

This generation and time calls for such women now. As the mourning women arise for the occasion and do these tasks, God will have mercy on the land, turn our grief to joy, give us beauty for ashes, the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Amen.

August 2001

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