INTERCESSION --- IF WE? --- THEN GOD!
WE NEED THE OFFICE OF THE INTERCESSOR TO BECOME A PRIOTITY.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
2 Chron. 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.
Intercession can turn away the judgments of God.
I. THERE ARE SEVERAL SAD RECORDS IN THE BIBLE.
ONE OF THE SADDEST IS RECORDED BY EZEKIEL...
A. NO ONE... NOT ONE TO STAND IN THE GAP...
Ezekiel 22:30 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.
B. GOD HAS A REAL GOAL SET BEFORE YOU AND THE CHURCH.
GOD DESIRES THE RIGHT HEART TO BE RESTORED.
Malachi 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
C. THE PROBLEM OF THE HEART IS THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM.
Will someone STAND UP and be counted in the HIGH CALLING OF THE
INTERCESSOR?
D. WHO WILL INTERCEDE FOR THE LOST AND THE BACKSLIDDEN?
WHO WILL INTERCEDE FOR THE YOUTH? THE OLD?
II. INTERCESSION:
The act of intervening or mediating between different parties.
Intercession involves the ACT OF PRAYING TO AN HOLY GOD ON BEHALF OF
ANOTHER PERSON OR PERSONS.
Intercession is refusing to accept things as they now appear.
Intercession is PRAYER, BEGGING GOD FOR A DESPERATE NEED OF FAITH,
HOLINESS, BELIEVING FOR GOD TO INTERVENE AND BRING CHANGE AND
RESTORATION TO GOD’S VALUES AND STANDARDS.
HEBREW TERMS:
PARA: The Old Testament Hebrew term is used to intercede, plea, stand in the gap.
PALAL: To pray for others.
CHALAH: To intercede, or appease.
ABRAHAM stood in the gap for ABIMELECH’S HEALING.
III. THE BIBLE RECORDS SEVERAL PPEOPLE THAT WERE VERY FAITHFUL TO THE
ACT OF INTERCESSION...
A. ABRAHAM stood in for LOT and his family.
ABRAHAM stood in the gap for ABIMELECH’S HEALING.
Abraham prayed for his SON ISHMAEL.
Abraham pleaded for Sodom and Gomorrah. 50? 45? 40? 10?
INTERCESSION FOR THE LOST AND THOSE THAT DO NOT KNOW JESUS IS A
PRAYER MUST!
B. MOSES IS LISTED AS ONE OF THE GREATEST INTERCEDERS OF ALL TIME.
MOSES STOOD BETWEEN GOD AND PHARAOH.
MOSES STOOD BETWEEN GOD AND THE PEOPLE AND LATER BETWEEN GOD,
AND HIS FAMILY.
The people delegated to Moses to stand before God for them...
Exodus 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
C. REMEMBER WHEN AARON BUILD THE GOLDEN CALF AND DENIED IT?
MOSES ALONE BEGGED GOD FOR MERCY!
32:11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
D. REMEMBER WHEN AARON AND MIRIAM BAD MOUTHED MOSES’ WIFE.
Why wait over 40 years and then bad mouth.
Miriam was the ring leader of the NEGATIVE CROWD...
GOD WAS GOING TO MAKE HER PAY?
Moses ask God: "FEAL HER NOW!"
Numbers 12:13 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
E. MOSES DARES TO TAKE INTERCESSIN TO THE NTH DEGREE...
IF YOU BLOT THEM OUT, JUST BLOT ME OUT... Moses did not know what God
would do?
Exodus 32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
IV. WHILE IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE THE OLD TESTAMENT INTERCEDERS,
THE ROLE INTERCESSION DEEPENED AND WIDEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
A. In the New Testament we find the Hebrew term: ENTUNGKANO:
To pray, to intercede, to stand in the gap...
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
B. Jesus touched the crowds. Jesus came to SEEK and to SAVE.
C. Jesus cried, he wept for LAZARUS...
Jesus wept for Jerusalem.
D. JESUS ROLE WAS TWO FOLD:
1. To give himself as a SACRIFICE.
2. To make continual INTERCESSION for God’s people.
Jesus intercedes on your behalf in heaven.
V. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS OFFICE WORK TO DO. HE CONVICTS MEN OF SIN.
HE TEACHES. HE COMFORTS. HE DRAWS MEN TO JESUS. HE LIFTS THE
NAME OF JESUS HIGH. ONE OF THE HOLY SPIIRIT’S MAJOR ROLES IS TO
INTERCEDE WITHIN THE BELIEVER WHILE WE ARE ON EARTH.
A. We need help in our spiritual walk. God’s sweet spirit will help us
pray and will pray through us.
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
B. We do not know how to pray and intercede, but the Holy Spirit does.
Let us yield to Him.
VI. THE LOCAL CHURCH WILL NEVER ACHIEVE GOD’S GOALS WITHOUT
INTERCESSORS LIFTING THE ARMS OF THE PASTOR.
A. There is a special little interceder in the Bible.
His name was HUR. Some historians believe HUR was Moses’ brother-
in- law? HUR was Miriam’s husband.
B. HUR HAD LEARNED THE SUPPORTIVE ROLE BEHIND THE MAN
OF GOD. The V-I-C-T-O-R-Y was limited and up and down.
HUR SAW A NEED, A MINISTRY, HELP THE PASTOR...
C. HUR pulled up a rock, this required great effort, then HUR got under the man of God’s arm.
D. Perhaps in the heavy load and heated battle MOSES HAD B.O. (body odor)
I doubt there was OLD SPICE back then?
HUR STOOD FAITHFUL TO LIFT GOD’S MAN’S ARMS, VICTORY WAS THE
END EFFECT OF BEING AN INTERCESSOR FOR GOD’S MAN.
Romans 15:30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; [31] That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; [32] That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. [33] Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
PRAY FOR THE PASTORS:
1. DELIVERANCE
2. ACCEPTANCE OF SAINTS
(? WHY WOULD NOT THE SAINTS ACCEPT THE PASTOR?)
3. MINISTRIAL JOY
4. SPIIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL REFRESHMENTS
5. PEACE AND UNITY
6. OPEN DOOR
7. FOR THE FRUIT TO REMAIN...
VII. WE MUST INTERCEDE AND BE FAITHFUL IN OUR PRAYERS FOR
MISSIONS AND MISSIONARIES...
A. TWO FOLD PRAYER:
1. PRAY FOR THOSE ALREADY WORKING...
2. PRAY FOR MORE WORKERS TO HELP ADVANCE THE KINGDOM.
Matthew 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
B. THE HARVEST IS RIPE, THE HARVEST --- SOULS CAN NOT WAIT.
Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
VIII. WE ARE TO PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.
THIS IS AN EMPHATIC COMMAND... INTERCEDE FOR THE MIDDLE
EAST.
A. David has his pen in his hand and writes an emphatic command
that is very clear.
Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that
love thee.
B. Let us pray for the world --- for peace --- hope and a return to
the Bible.
Conclusion:
Come to the altar. Let us grow and be faithful to INTERCESSION.
Remarkable prayer brings remarkable results.
You are not the problem, through intercession and prayer we can
find GOD’S SOLUTION.
What we GAIN BY INTERCESSION, WE KEEP BY INTERCESSION.
IF NOT YOU? --- THEN WHO?
IF NOT HERE? --- THEN WHERE?
IF NOT NOW? --- THEN WHEN?
The Bible is full of people that changed the church and the world
by intercession and prayer...
Look at:
Daniel --- lions
Hannah- Samuel
David--- faces the giant, lost son
How did Paul and Silas and Peter get out of jail?
INTERCESSION OF PEOPLE PRAYING IN UNITY AND PURPOSE.
2 Chron. 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.
IF WE --- THEN GOD...
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Volunteer to intercede and be faithful at it.
