The Responsibility Of Intercession

5/11/03

 

God has chosen to operate on the earth through the prayers of His people.

We have to keep the vision of prayer for the big picture!

Ez. 22:30 “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. ³¹ So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

The church gets lulled into the attitude that “God will do what God will do.”

We not only have the privilege to pray, but we have the responsibility to pray!

What does it mean to be a soldier in the Kingdom of God?

Phil. 2:25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.

2 Tim. 2:3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Phile. 1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, ² to Apphia (ap-fe-a) our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:

The term “soldier” automatically causes you to think in terms of warfare.

Most of us are so caught up in our own private battles keeping us from seeing the big battles!

We absolutely must understand the fact that God chooses to move upon the earth through the prayers of His people!

Amos 7:2 In my vision the locusts ate everything in sight that was green. Then I said, "O Sovereign Lord, please forgive your people! Unless you relent, Israel will not survive, for we are only a small nation."

³ So the Lord relented and did not fulfil the vision. "I won't do it," he said.

The church has a tremendous responsibility to intercede.

Gen. 20:1 Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar (gee-rar), ² and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.

³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, «You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”

⁴ Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation” ⁵ Did he not say to me, “She is my sister,” and didn't she also say, “He is my brother?” I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”

⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now return the man»s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die.”

Job 42:7 After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. ⁸ So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”

The prophet Daniel gives us some tremendous insight into the attitude of intercession.

Approximately 606 BC

Jer. 25:8 Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, ⁹ I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the LORD, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. ¹⁰ I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. ¹¹ This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Jer. 29:10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfil my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Here»s the point. Even though God has spoken that after 70 years I will bring my people back, look at the heart of intercession with Daniel. It would have been easy for Daniel to have the attitude that since God spoke it, it will happen with our without my praying.

Approximately 538 BC (68) years later.

Read Dan. 9

It’s a sin not to take our responsibility of intercession!

1 Sam. 12:18 Then Samuel called upon the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel.

¹⁹ The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

²⁰ “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. ²¹ Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. ²² For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. ²³ As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. ²⁴ But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. ²⁵ Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

The admonishment to Timothy to intercede is an admonishment for us all.

1 Tim. 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone” ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, ⁴ who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all men»the testimony given in its proper time. ⁷ And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle” I am telling the truth, I am not lying»and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.

⁸ I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

Matters of prayer we need to keep before us.

The situation in the middle east.

The horrendous sin in this land of shedding innocent blood by abortion!

Our Supreme Court Justices.

The President of the United States of America.

Pray against the liberal process of this land.