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Mission Statement
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INTERCESSION …Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints… Ephesians 6:18 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men… I Timothy 2:1 Intercession by definition is putting yourself in the place of another, intervening in another person’s affairs. A good example is how Jesus intervened, came between God and man, in our affairs. Intercession is also a gift. A freely given gift just as salvation is. We are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We all know that this means to follow His behavior, His actions, His words. But what has He been doing for nearly 2,000 years? Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:15 This is why I personally believe intercession is the highest call on the Christian’s life. Intercession is a freely-given gift but not necessarily when we want. Intercession is more than praying the scriptures and being a prayer warrior. It is a willingness to get involved; to get dirty if required. This point was brought home to me years ago when I asked a friend to intercede for me in a struggle I was in. She brought me up short when she said, “I can’t promise that. I’ll pray for you and ask the Lord to give me intercession for you but since I haven’t asked yet I can’t promise that.” Since that time I have checked the scriptures out to see if what she said was true. I found that: INTERCESSION IS ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED BY PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT AND IDENTIFICATION WITH THE ONE BEING PRAYED FOR. Intercession is not a sitting back and pointing the finger at “you” or “they.” It is not self-righteous self-justification. It is not a forgetting of how much we have had to be forgiven for. Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger. Zephaniah 2:3 I stress this point because in intercession, you will receive words of knowledge, prophecy, discernment more often than any other type of prayer. If this supernatural knowledge does not come out of a clean, humble vessel, that is willing to be used in action, IF what comes is from God at all, it will be tainted, soulish, and/or judgmental. I say IF it is from God because the attitude makes it questionable since God is a God of love and everything He does is in love and out of love. Bits and pieces may be true but the wrong spirit can distort God’s message and actually do harm. I think this is why so often in scripture, God complained about the lack of intercessors. I’m sure there were plenty of people praying, crying out to God. But no one was willing to get involved and they insisted on praying against “those terrible Romans, or Chaldeans, or whatever.” We’re the same today. Yet scripture specifically says, “humble yourself and turn from your wicked ways” not go straighten out and clean up the mess those ungodly Romans or Chaldeans or Republicans or Democrats have made of our nation. Sometimes we have to ask God what our wicked ways are so we can repent! After all, “the heart is deceitfully wicked, who can know it?” And we’re just like the people in the Bible so we lack intercessors. Lest you get discouraged, you need to know that you do not have to have your life totally cleaned up to be an intercessor. I’m talking about a heart attitude here. An intercessor must be in the place where he/she has been able to say, “Lord, I give my all to you. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me. and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23,24 And mean it. Prerequisites of Intercessory Prayer 1. You need to have an absolute conviction of God’s righteousness and that God will never bring judgment on the righteous which is due only to the wicked. However, you must also know of the absolute justice and inevitability of God’s judgment upon the wicked. (mention but don’t read) Genesis 18:20-33 - Abraham’s intercession for Sodom. Ezekiel 9 2. You need to have a deep concern for God’s glory. Exodus 32 - we will look at this in depth later. 3. You need an intimate relationship with God. You need to be frank, yet reverent. Exodus 33:11a So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. 4. You need to be willing to develop personal courage and be prepared for risk. God may choose to use you to answer your prayer so you need to be willing to “get involved.” Numbers 16 5. You need to be aware that intercession is a gift. You cannot “work it up” on your own. STUDY SCRIPTURES 1. Jesus’ example in Isaiah 53 2. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. Leviticus 17:11 3. Abraham intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah - Genesis 18:20-25. 4. Moses and the children of Israel: Exodus 19:3 - Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying… 19:7 - So Moses came and called for the elders of the people… 19:8 - all the people answered 19:8 - So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord 19:9 - And the Lord said to Moses… So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord 19:10 - Then the Lord said to Moses… 19:14,15 - So Moses went down from the mountain to the people…and he said to the people… 19:17 - And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God… 19:19 - Moses spoke and God answered him by voice. 19:20 - Then the Lord came down…and called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 19:21 - And the Lord said to Moses… 19:23 - But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up…for You warned us…”… 19:24 - Then the Lord said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. 19:25 - So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them. 20:1 - And God spoke all these words, saying:…the 10 commandments. 20:19 - Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” How sad a decision. 20:20 - And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” Being in the presence of God is for your own good.. 20:21 - So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near…where God was. They failed the test. 20:22 - Then the Lord said to Moses… 24:1 - God told Moses to go get Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and 70 of the elders. 24:3 - So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord…And all the people answered… 24:9,10 - Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. And they saw the God of Israel… 24:12 - Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone… 24:13,14 - So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, “Wait here…” 24:15 Then Moses went up…the glory of the Lord rested…He called to Moses…and Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights. 25:1 - Then the Lord spoke… 31:18 - He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. 32:1 - …the people saw that Moses delayed…and said… 32:7 - God told Moses what the people were doing. And the Lord said to Moses…your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt… 32:9 - And the Lord said to Moses…”let Me alone…I will make of you… 32:11 - Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God… Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt… 32:12 - Moses is concerned with God’s reputation - “Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them…’….Your people.” 32:13 - Remember…Your servants…You swore by Your own self…I will…I have spoken…I give…” 32:14 - So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people. 32:15 - And Moses turned and went down… 32:17 - Joshua heard…he said to Moses… 32:18 - But he said 32:19-21 - he saw (for himself what God had already told him)…he cast…and broke…he took…burned…scattered…made…said 32:22 - So Aaron said… 32:25,26 - Now when Moses saw…he issued an ultimatum 32:27 - Then Moses said, “Thus says the Lord…God was obviously giving him on-the-spot instruction. 32:28 - the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses 32:30 - Based on the outcome of the people’s decisions, some good, some bad - Moses offered to make further intercession for them. 32:31 - Then Moses returned to the Lord and said… 32:33 - And the Lord said to Moses…
5. Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them. - Psalm 106:23 6. Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped, and that was accounted to him for righteousness to all generations forevermore. Psalm 106:30,31 7. Korah’s rebellion - Numbers 16 - the intercession of Moses and Aaron and the use of “prophetic acts. 8. Ezekiel 22:23-31 - a description of the U.S. today and what happens when there is no one willing to “stand in the gap” - for WHERE THERE IS NO INTERCESSION, THE JUSTICE OF GOD RULES OVER THE MERCY OF GOD. 9. Isaiah 59:12-21 - God is a God of fury and recompense to those who choose to be His enemies but to those who repent and turn (vs. 20) He is a God of promise and incredible, long-lasting promise. PRINCIPLES TO APPLY FOR EFFECTIVE INTERCESSION 1. Make sure your heart is clean before God by giving the Holy spirit time to convict of unconfessed sin. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. Psalm 66:18 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me. and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23,24 2. Acknowledge that you can’t pray without the direction and energy of the Holy Spirit. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 3. Say, “I don’t know how to pray.” Then die with an act of your will to your own imaginations, burdens, and desires for what you want to pray for. Get rid of all prayer lists. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5,6 For My thoughts are not your thoughts; nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered. Proverbs 28:26 4. Ask God to utterly control you by His Spirit - body, soul, mind and emotions. 5. Receive by faith that you are under the control of the Holy Spirit and praise Him for the remarkable prayer meeting you are about to have. …he (Moses) looked to the reward Hebrews 11:6 For a great and effective door has opened to me…I Corinthians 16:9 (that you may know…what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power. Ephesians 1:19 6. Deal aggressively with the enemy - with faith. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7 He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. I John 4:4b And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Rev.12:11 7. Worship God for Who He is. Don’t be concerned with time. The ark coming into the newly built temple - II Chronicles 5 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said…Acts 13:2 8. Wait in silent expectancy. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father… Acts 1:4 Then pray believing that what comes to your mind is from God. When in a group, by sure He is through with one subject before you move on to another subject. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 27:14 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, the shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 9. Always have your Bible with you in case God wishes to speak to you from it. Paper and pencil is handy also. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 10. When God ceases to bring things to your mind, praise Him for the prayer meeting. Give Him all the glory. DO NOT TELL GOD’S SECRETS (the transfiguration) When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen. Luke 9:36 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19. Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11 As we apply these 10 points, we are able to come to Him and let Him give us who and how to pray. We must discipline our lives to be intercessors. If we begin to pray this way and God doesn’t give the gift, we need to check to see if we meticulously followed step 1 and 3 as well as the prerequisite information. Luke 2;35 - Jesus was being sent into the world…that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
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