Topic: Standing in the gap
Objective: standing in the gap by getting in synq with our co-intercessors - the Risen and Living Christ and the Holy Spirit.
In Isaiah 59:16, God looked, but couldn’t find any intercessors for the people. Nobody stood in the gap for them. He was ready to hear and answer prayers according to His Word (Jer. 33:3), but no prayers were being offered.
There are 2 major qualities that must characterize intercessors
1– love for the people being prayed for – i.e., a heart that is willing to stand in the gap.
Standing in the gap also means that we’re taking risks for others.
Standing in the gap is an investment in the lives of others –
Standing in the gap is a priceless investment, worth more than anything you could give to the other person.
2- Faith is essential. Without faith, how can you put your own needs aside and pray for others’ needs?
You have to believe God for/on behalf of the people you pray for. Sometimes the Lord calls you to get on your knees for others, and each time you try adding your own topics, He steers you right back to the needs of others. Luke 5:17
And as you do so, he will still answer your personal prayers about your needs that you put aside. Job 42:10
When we intercede, we are filling the breach in the wall (Ezek 22:30). A breach in any wall means a covering or protection has been broken
outsiders can see what’s going on within the confines of the wall. When we pray, we place ourselves in that breach - we become part of the wall or covering for the people we intercede for.
Being part of the wall has implications – it means serving as a covering.
Examples: When Moses and Abraham interceded, they stood in the gap and served as a covering for Lot and for the Israelites.
That covering shielded them from God’s judgment, and the blessings that God poured into Moses and Abraham’s lives became theirs too.
Lot lived/walked under the covering of his uncle. Minus that covering, who knows what would have become of him?
Being part of the wall also means being positioned to receive attacks. You’re like part of the wall of Jericho – attacks will come from outside, so you have to be prepared for those attacks.
One image that comes to mind is the ancient castles where the top was open, designed with gaps in the wall for soldiers to hide in and look out from there, or launch arrows from there.
Being part of the wall is an advantage – you not only protect, but you can launch attacks from there.
Intercession is a high and sacred honor – you are getting in sync with the resurrected Christ and the Holy Spirit – joining them in their prayer ministry.
Rom 8:26 tells us that the Spirit intercedes on our behalf in groans that words cannot express.
Heb 7:25 also says that Christ lives forever to plead for us. God rules through the prayers that rise like incense to Him and cause Him to move on behalf of men.
Jesus’ work as a priest covers the past, present and future. He lives on forever to intercede – that’s His purpose forever – to intercede for those who come to Him and are called by His name.
Christ’s intercession is deeply personal. He interceded for Peter before the betrayal. His intercession is what caused Peter to indeed become the rock on which the church was built.
He knew Peter’s weaknesses well enough o say a personal prayer for him. The best person to pray for me is Christ Himself because He tailors His pleadings to cover my weaknesses, and since He sees into the future and knows all things, His prayers will cover my past, present and future.
Isaiah 62 talks about watchmen who are called to pray – as sentries set on the wall. Intercessors are not only gap/breach fillers, but they also serve as sentries.
What does a sentry or watchman do? A watchman protects – he goes on the offensive when threats come near. It’s the watchman who will first spot the danger that is approaching.
In oder to stand in the gap effectively, the watchman must learn how to get in synq with Jesus and the holyspirit.
Come up higher
1. The watchman must have spiritual eyes first of all, so that he can see the enemy approaching. My life as a watchman means that I must be spiritually alert/sensitive so that I will be able to see and identify threats. This will make the work easier – prevention is easier and better than cure.
The more I see, the better I can strategize and counterattack. Ever heard of a blind watchman? How will he ‘watch’ if he can’t see? Without spiritual eyes, it is impossible to be an effective watchman. You could rely on other senses – hearing, smell etc., but you’ll be severely handicapped in carrying out your work.
2. A watchman must be armed. If there’s no ammunition, then what’s the point of facing the enemy? If you can see your enemy approach and you’re not equipped to fight back, then you’ll surely be defeated or will have to run and hide…GIDEON ,
Defense alone will not bring victory. When you see the enemy approach, you must be able to launch an attack too. As a spiritual watchman, your weapon is the Sword/Word of the Lord. 2 COR 10:4
I must have the Word in me and be prepared in and out of season to fight with it as Jesus did in the wilderness when the devil faced Him. It means that I must make a very conscious effort to study and know the Word.
What use is it to have a weapon in hand, but not know how to use it? I’ll probably hurt myself with it if I’m not careful. I must not just have the ammunition, but must know how to use it. When the enemy comes in like a flood, I can raise the Word against him.
3. Every good watchman must be trained to protect. As an intercessor, I must also go through practical training – training where I myself have learnt to pray on my own as an individual, so that I know what it takes – it takes earnestness, faith, love, etc ….
I’m supposed to know about keeping watch because God has taken me through personal watches, and through this training, I will be able to recognize the enemy, know which weapons to use etc…
Training instills discipline – I must grow to the point where I pray whether I feel like it or not, whether I have personal needs or not; whether somebody asked me or not etc … it all takes a lot of discipline.
4. Watchmen wear uniforms. My uniform as an intercessor is described in Ephesians 6. I must be covered from head to toe in order to be fully protected from the darts of the enemy.
The uniform not only protects, but it also identifies me in the intercessory role.
A spiritual watchman, like the soldier who is out there fighting a battle specific to time and place etc., must be ready at all times.
Those who serve as sentries may not have specific/targeted times of warfare/battle, because the thief can strike at any time, so the watchman must be prepared in and out of season. If we’re protecting self and others from the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy, then we must be ready for sudden attacks.
5. A watchman sounds the alarm – Ezek 33. If I’m a watchman who sees the threat and cannot relay the message, then I’m of no use.
I must be able to tell those involved. If and when the Lord reveals something, I must send the message on, or else the blood of those I am supposed to warn will be on my hands.
The blood of Abel spoke, and if I don’t warn as I’m told, the blood of people will speak against me.
6. The watchman is most needed at night. In the daytime, many people can see, and so many take care of themselves or each other.
At night, most people are fast asleep, so the watchman cannot afford to sleep. If there’s a time the watchman is needed the most, it is nighttime.
In an age where the body of Christ seems to be asleep, dulled by the elements of this world, and surrounded by spiritual darkness, watchmen must rise up.
The work of the intercessor is most crucial at night, but it’s a 24/7 job that must continue even in the daytime.
7. The watchman serves as a liaison between God and man. God expects the intercessor to give Him no rest – be persistent in prayer and not give Him any rest UNTIL He answers.
We’re given the permission to harass Him – keep reminding Him of His promises until He moves. Like the watchman who sees attackers coming, I must summon help from a higher source –
like calling 911 or the security company for help. If my co-intercessors are the Risen and Living Christ and the Holy Spirit, then there’s nothing the Sword of the Lord and my sword cannot accomplish (Judges 7:20)!
Dr. Tg Badia
