We’ve been looking at our Lord’s response to the request of His disciples to teach them to pray. Jesus shared a parable with them from which we discover three important truths about what kind of praying we must do.
First, we learn that the kind of praying we must do is bold praying. Our prayers need to be bold in size, in stubbornness, and in sacrifice.
Second, we learn that we must do definite praying. Lifting up specific requests to God makes us more aware of our need of Him and more aware of His power, when He works in response to prayers.
At this point, I think it would be good for us to consider the four different levels of involvement in prayer that we move to as we grow in this foun-dational discipline of the Christian life.
Level One - Inconvenience level - At this level, we only pray to the Lord when we are inconvenienced. Otherwise, we go on about our business, never thinking to pray about anything. In fact, we see prayer as an inconvenience, until we find ourselves in a crisis. We may go days or weeks at a time, never once praying to God about anything, until we are inconvenienced by something and then we turn to God in prayer.
Level Two - Initiation level - At this level, we have learned the value of setting aside time with God in prayer and lifting up requests to Him. So we take the initiative to meet with Him in prayer regularly.
Level Three - Invitation Level - At this level, we move beyond a set time for prayer, to being willing to respond to God’s invitation to pray, whether it be day or night. Prayer is not only at our initiative, but God’s initiative. We live in an attitude of prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Level Four - Inter-Active Level - At this level, we move beyond a set list of things we want to talk to God about to allowing Him to guide us by His Spirit to pray about those things He calls us to pray about.
"With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit" - Ephesians 6:18 (NASB)
"You must pray at all times as the Holy Spirit leads you to pray." - Ephesians 6:18 (New Life)
At this level, we are led by the Spirit to know what we should pray for, and how to pray about them.
This thought brings us to a final truth for us to glean from this parable.
(READ TEXT)
What kind of praying must we do?
It must be INTERCESSORY PRAYER!
The man in this parable makes a request on behalf of another who was not in a position to ask for himself. The traveler was not in a position to make this request, because he did not possess the relationship with the neighbor that the man who made the request did. This is what intercessory prayer is - approaching God on behalf of another who is not in the position to approach God that I am in.
Intercession is offering up requests to God on behalf of another who would make the same request of God if they had sense enough to ask.
This is different from agreeing prayer. When I pray for someone else who is also praying for what I am asking, that is agreeing prayer (Matthew 18:19). Intercession, on the other hand, involves praying for people who are not in a position in their relationship with God to make requests of Him. This means then, that intercessory prayer relates to my praying for those who are unbelieving and lost or unfaithful and backslidden. Why must the Christian be involved in intercessory prayer?
1. Because of our inescapable responsibility - v. 6
The man says to his neighbor, "a friend of mine . . . has come to me." In other words, he had a personal responsibility that had come to him.
God calls us to partner in prayer. In His sovereignty, He has voluntarily linked Himself to human cooperation. He has bound Himself to the prayers of His children. He merges His working with man’s praying.
"The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads," says the Lord GOD." - Ezekiel 22:29-31
In this passage we note several things:
A. God’s desire was to bless.
B. God’s law called for judgment.
C. God wanted to extend the opportunity for repentance.
D. God required an intercessor before he could extend His mercy.
E. Without an intercessor, God could not do what He wanted to do, but did what He had to do.
God has sovereignly decreed that He will postpone judgment and extend His mercy in response to our prayers. The degree to which God can move in the lives of others is determined, in part, by the degree to which we are willing to intercede for them as God directs us in inter-active praying. This is why we must pray for others!
“I have seen these people,’ the LORD said to Moses, ’and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.’ But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. "-Exodus 32:9-11; 14
Did Moses change God’s mind? Well, yes and no. Moses did not do anything that God, in His sovereignty, did not allow him to do. The peo¬ple were about to reap what they had sown. It is a sovereignly instituted law of God that we "reap what we sow."
"You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life." - Galatians 6:7-8 (CEV)
Now, which direction do you think God wants people to go? He wants them to go in the direction of life, not death! Blessing us is what God wants to do. But if we do not turn to Him, trust in Him, and live for Him, God will do what he has to do—He will mete out judgment.
God’s will is not that He mete out judgment, but mercy, and that all who are headed in the wrong direction be given opportunity to repent (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, in response to our prayers, God will delay judgment in order to allow more time for repentance.
The Bible tells us that as Christians, we are called to be priest.
"But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work."- 1 Peter 2:9 (The Message)
The Old Testament priest basically had two responsibilities:
A. He represented God before men (witness).
B. He represented men before God (intercession).
These two tasks are the responsibility of the New Testament priest, too. And if we are going to be effective in representing God before men, we must be faithful to represent men before God.
"As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you."-1 Samuel 12:23
When Samuel said this, Israel had committed sin against the Lord and were in danger of God’s judgment. Despite this, Samuel continued to pray for them, that judgment might be delayed, and mercy be extended. This is what we need to do for the lost and backslidden - for all in danger of God’s judgment. For all the Lord calls us to pray for.
2. Because of our inadequate resources - v. 6
The man in the parable says, “I have nothing to set before him." Likewise, in and of ourselves, we have no resources, no answers, no solutions, no power to bring about meaningful change in peoples’ lives. It is only by the power of God that an eternal difference can be made!
"Without God, we cannot; but without us, God will not." - Augustine
3. Because of our inevitable reward - v. 8
The man in the parable received his answer because he was persistent in his request. Likewise, if we faithfully ask God to have His way in the lives of others, we can rest assured that He will answer, and grant them further opportunity to make the choices they should in allowing God to extend mercy toward them, rather than judgment.
The legendary intercessor, George Mueller, had a group of five per¬sonal friends for who he prayed to be saved. After five years of inter¬cession, one of the five came to Christ. After ten years of intercession, two more came to Jesus. The fourth man was saved after Mueller had prayed for him for twenty-five years! Mueller died, however, with his fifth friend not having come to Christ. It was a few months after Mueller had gone to be with the Lord, that fifth friend was saved. All told, he had prayed for this fifth friend for almost fifty-two years!
Conclusion: Who is that friend that the Lord has laid on your heart? That wayward child, that lost neighbor? Don’t quit praying for them.
