Prayer - Seven Things We Need To Know

I. First, learn three things about prayer’s functions:

Ezekiel 22:30-31 30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. 31 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

1. Hedge Building

o A hedge is a protective wall that keeps out enemies.

Job 1:9-10 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an

hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

o When the hedge is broken down, it allows …

o Satanic harassment

Ecclesiastes 10:8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

o God’s vineyard to be trampled

Isaiah 5:5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:

o Spiritual fruit to be ruined

Psalms 80:12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?

o Satan’s seat to be established

Revelation 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

o Like Nehemiah, we need to build the wall!

Nehemiah 4:6-9 6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work. 7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, 8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

2. Gap Standing

o In battle, one soldier would sacrifice his life to stand in the breach the enemy had made in the wall.

Psalms 106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in

the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

o God repented (or, relented) more than 30 times in the Old Testament. He doesn’t change His character, but He alters His actions toward mankind as a GAP-STANDER carries out God’s purposes through intercessory prayer.

o If we do our part, then God will do His part!

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their

land.

3. Cup Filling

o We are in a "race" to fill up the cup of prayer before the cup of God’s wrath is filled up!

Psalms 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Acts 10:4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy

prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

Proverbs 30:15-16 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are

never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

· The leech is the symbol of an insatiable appetite because it sucks blood through its two suckers (here

called its “two daughters” who cry “Give, give!”). It is found in stagnant waters everywhere.

· The author of Proverbs 30 is “Agur the son of Jakeh.” He gives several lists, including this in v.16: