CAPTIVITY TURNED BY INTERCESSORY PRAYER
Job 42:10
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. Evan, 5 year old, told his daddy he'd like to have a baby brother. “If you pray every day for two months for a baby brother, I bet that God will give you one!"
2. Evan prayed every night for a whole month, but after a month, he got tired & quit.
3. 8 months later, his now pregnant mother went into labor. It was twins!
4. Evan's dad looked down at him and said, "Now aren't you glad you prayed?" Evan hesitated a little and then said, "Yes, but aren't you glad I quit when I did?"
B. TEXT “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends” JOB 42:10.
C. GOD’S PURPOSES IN TRIALS
1. Our longest trials WILL have an end. Our deepest sorrows shall have a conclusion -- when God’s purposes are completed.
2. What was God’s purpose in Job’s trials?
a. THAT SATAN MIGHT BE DEFEATED. God showed that His relationship with a human couldn’t be overcome by the enemy, even if he had everything his own way. Instead Job uttered those conquering words, “Though He [God] slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”
b. THAT JOB’S FAITH MIGHT BE PURIFIED.
c. Another – that GOD’S GLORY MIGHT BE RESTORED from Satan’s slander.
D. THESIS
We’re going to look at the importance of intercessory prayer. The title of this message is “Captivity Turned by Intercessory Prayer.”
I. INTERCESSION IS NORMAL FOR GOD’S CHILDREN
A. BELIEVER’S HAVE ALWAYS PRAYED. Let me remind you that intercessory prayer has been practiced by all the best of God’s saints.
1. ABRAHAM prayed for Lot & his family and it showed how kind and generous God is toward sinners!
2. MOSES and Aaron fell on their faces before God to ask Him spare Isreal.
3. Think of SOLOMON, who interceded for Israel at the dedication of the temple.
4. Or HEZEKIAH, who spread out Sennacherib’s letter before the Lord & 186,000 died by an angel.
5. Or ELIJAH, who prayed for rain, and said to his servant, “Go again” seven times.
6. And don’t forget JEREMIAH, the weeping prophet because of his many crying intercessions.
7. PETER prayed on the top of the house; how STEPHEN prayed even as the stones were falling. PAUL – never stopped remembering the saints in his prayers.
B. TO PRAY FOR OTHERS IS A DUTY
1. SAMUEL said “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you.”
2. The best example of intercessory prayer is the Lord Jesus. Even in the agonies at the crucifixion, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And today, before the throne, Jesus “ever lives to make intercession for us” Heb. 7:25.
C. PRAYER UNITES US
1. One man told a Pastor he had a bone to pick with him. The pastor said “Let’s pray first”. When they rose from their knees, he said, “Now, friend, I think we are both in a good state of mind; tell me what you find fault with.”
2. The man blushed, and stammered, and said, “I don’t think it’s important after all!”
D. INTERCESSION A ROYAL PRIVILEGE
1. People who are close to a King are said to “have the King’s ear.” It’s the same way with God’s servants; WE have access to the King of Kings!
2. WE can take the petitions of people separated, and away from God – before the throne of grace and get them aid.
II. WHY BE EXCITED ABOUT PRAYER?
A. GOD LOVES YOUR PRAYERS
Prov. 15:8 says, "the prayer of the upright is his delight." Intercessory prayer is the sweetest prayer God ever hears. Instead of us praying for our ourselves, God is pleased when we’re selfless and pray for others’ needs.
B. PRAYER HAS UNLIMITED POWER
1. God healed thousands of people when King Hezekiah prayed for them (2 Chron. 30:20).
2. A Prophet prayed for a King’s withered arm and God healed it (1 Kgs. 13:6).
3. A woman named Hannah was infertile, but she prayed and the Lord healed her (1 Sam. 1:27) and gave her 6 children!
4. Seas were parted, dead were raised, armies were defeated, nations were overthrown, history was altered, and people gained heavenly places – all because someone prayed!
5. There’s nothing that intercessory prayer can’t do. "Prayer breaks all bars, dissolves all chains, and opens all prisons...” (E.M. Bounds).
6. William Cowper said, "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees."
C. IT OVERCOMES OUR EXCUSES
1. “THERE’S NO USE PRAYING FOR SO-N-SO”
a. MAN THOUGHT DEAD, WAS ALIVE. On Aug. 5, 2013, Anthony Yahle, a 37-year-old diesel mechanic, was pronounced dead at the hospital. His upset 17 year-old son Lawrence shouted, "Dad, you're not going to die today!" Moments later, the doctors again tried to revive him, and it worked. Now he is fine.
b. There’s probably a lot of people we’ve given up on that are still within the reach of grace. Don’t give up on them! Pray!
2. Some say, “I’M TOO WEAK TO PRAY”
a. Prayer doesn’t depend upon the strength of the person who prays, but on the strength of the God who made the promises!
b. A farmer who sows seed may be very feeble, but it’s not the farmer who makes the seed grow; the vitality is in the seed. The Word of God is ALIVE and POWERFUL! Put it in your prayers & and your prayers will be powerful!
c. Elijah was a man of “like passions” as us (James 5:17). He had weaknesses & fears yet his prayers still touched God!
III. WHO YOU SHOULD PRAY FOR
A. FOR THOSE WHO MISTREAT YOU
1. Job prayed for his two-faced friends. They accused him of robbing the poor, being evil in his heart, only serving God for what he could get, being a hypocrite and a liar! Wow, with friends like that who needs enemies?
2. But God told Job to pray for them; so should we pray for our enemies. The 2nd group to pray for is...
B. PRAY FOR BELIEVERS WEAK IN FAITH
1. HUMOR: One little boy always prayed when he heard sirens go by. One day he & his dad were on their way to McDonalds.
2. An ambulance passed them and the boy bowed his head & silently prayed. The dad asked, “What were you praying for?” The boy answered, “I was praying that the ambulance wouldn’t block the McDonald’s driveway!”
3. There are many of our fellow Christians who have problems & difficulties. Maybe they’re not in the place they can pray believing prayers. That’s where we come in – the Bible says Let the strong bear the infirmities of the weak (Rom. 15:1).
4. Let’s encourage believers who are struggling by holding them up in prayer.The 3rd group to pray for is...
C. PRAY FOR THE LOST
Then there’s the millions of lost people who have no connection to God; they’re dead in sin and cannot pray. Let’s pray for their eyes to be opened to faith in Christ.
IV. MOTIVES: WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?
Let’s do an honest inventory. Have you prayed for your children, your church, your neighbors, and the lost world lately? Why should we pray?
A. WE OWE A DEBT TO OTHERS
1. Church, how can you and I repay the debt we owe to the Christ’s church unless we pray for others? How were we converted? Somebody else prayed for us. I’m sure someone was interceding for me when I got saved.
2. Someone was praying for you -- your mother, your grandmother, your neighbor, your teacher.
3. So if we were brought to Christ by other’s prayers, shouldn’t we repay the debt but by praying for others?
B. IT’S THE PROOF OF LOVE
1. The Apostle John said, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" 1 Jn. 3:14. If we don’t love them enough to pray, then we’re still dead!
2. How can we hope to get our own prayers answered if we never pray for others? Won’t the Lord say, "You selfish thing! You’re always pounding on My door for your own needs, but have no concern for the needs of others!”
3. Didn’t Jesus Himself NOT COME to BE SERVED, but to serve & give His life as a ransom? Why pray...
C. WE’RE PRIESTS
1. Christians are said to be priests unto God (Rev. 1:6; 5:10), but how are we priests if we don’t act as mediators for others?
2. Christians are lights – for others. Christians are the salt of the earth – for others. If we won’t pray for others we should strip off our priestly garments! Why pray? We're...
D. WE’RE WATCHMEN ON THE WALL
1. Mothers, bring your children before God! Fathers, hold up your sons and daughters! Church, let’s bring the lost & discouraged before God!
2. Wake, watchmen on Zion's walls! We’re supposed to watch for the enemies and warn the people of what God says to do.
3. Wake, you favored-of-heaven! Renew your prayers! The rain-clouds hang above you, waiting for your intercessions to release their blessings.
4. How long has it been since you prayed 30 minutes of intercession? Are your prayers just “Now I lay me down to sleep...?” or “Thank you for the food we eat?” GOD EXPECTS MORE OF US!
5. Let’s weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice. Let’s join in the wrestling ministry like Epaphras, who wrestled in prayer for the church at Colosse (Col. 4:12). When we pray for others, GOD WILL TURN OUR OWN CAPTIVITY AS HE DID FORJOB!
6. In SELFISH INTEREST, we should pray for others, because God will bless US if we do. If you pray for others, God will release YOUR HEALING; He will release YOUR MIRACLE, YOUR KID, YOUR FINANCES. Read it again, “And the Lord TURNED THE CAPTIVITY OF JOB, when he prayed for his friends!”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUS.: WHEN PRAYER STOPPED FIRE
1. Some years ago a Nova Scotia town was burning. An old retired minister entered the church, and knelt to pray for its safety. The oncoming sea of fire was very near. His friends begged him to leave, but the old servant of God prayed on.
2. Then the strangest thing happened. The great sea of flames parted into two streams. When it had passed the church and a few surrounding buildings, the two streams of fire came together again, and completed their work of destruction and desolation.
3. But the man of God was still on his knees in the church, and the church was spared because of intercessory prayer. [Knight's 3000, p. 509]
B. THE CALL
1. We’re going to take the next 15 minutes and get out of our seats and move to the different banners around the room.
2. Please pray at each banner for the prayer-need mentioned, for 2-3 minutes. Pray that God will move in our church, community, and families in healing, salvation, etc. PRAYER
[This is a rewrite of a message of the same title by Charles Spurgeon.]
