The Greatest Intercessor Series

Abraham was the first great intercessor in the Bible. He had the audacity to plead

with God to change His mind and not destroy the city of Sodom. It was the most

successful prayer ever, for God agreed to his request 7 times as he talked God down

from saving it for the sake of 50 righteous persons to just 10. He got seven yes answers

in a row, and yet the paradox is that it was also a completely unanswered prayer, for

there were not ten righteous people to save, and so the city was wiped out in judgment.

It was great intercession, but it failed to achieve its purpose. So Abraham was a great

intercessor, but he could not save the people by it.

Moses was the great intercessor that saved Israel in the desert when God was

ready to destroy them. He was so earnest that he pleaded in Ex. 32:32, “But now,

please forgive their sin-but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” God

was impressed, but He could not let Moses pay for the sins of the people. He spared

them for a time, but later they were judged for their sin and destroyed. He was truly

great, but he could not atone for their sin. The Bible makes it clear, you can be a great

intercessor and still fail, for there are limits to the power of prayer. Prayer can never

persuade God to do what is evil, wrong, or folly. He will not be moved to do what is

contrary to His wisdom and nature. And so successful intercessors must learn to live

with failure, or unanswered prayer.

Because God will not answer many prayers, due to their being contrary to His

wisdom, nature, and plan, many conclude that there is no point in praying. This is

folly, for it is a rejection of all the Bible says about the purpose and power of prayer.

Paul did not have every prayer answered, but he was a continual man of prayer and

urged all believers to be such. He wrote,

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of

thanks, be made for all men . . . For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our

Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the

truth" (I Timothy 2:1, 3-4).

Paul knew that not everyone that you pray for will be saved, but it is God’s will that

you seek that goal. Everyone is to be a subject of prayer, for all are potentially

children of God. There is no one that does not deserve to be on your prayer list.

Intercession is to be a part of every believer’s life if they hope to be pleasing to God.

He cares for all, and Jesus died for all, and so all are to be prayed for by someone. You

can have a ministry every day of your life by just praying for the people you work with

and contact in every situation as you go through a day. Some Christians feel like they

have no ministry, but this is to be blind to the reality that the ministry of intercession

is with them all the time. Abraham and Moses did not have all their prayers answered,

but they pleased God by trying and that is what made them great leaders. The ultimate

goal in life is not to get prayer answered, but to please God, and those who do that will

have more prayers answered than the average. Such was the case with Abraham and

Moses, and many other great people of prayer.

The great sorrow of history is that their have often been times when there was no

intercessor to stand in the gap and sinners had no hope of salvation. Ezekiel 22:30-31

says, "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.

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." It is scary to think that God makes us partners in deciding how history

will play out. This means that by not being an intercessor we can let people become

victims of judgment rather than the mercy of God. That is why we hear Samuel saying

to the people of Israel in I Sam. 12:23, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin

against the Lord by failing to pray for you.” This is a sin we seldom think of, but we