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Intercessory Prayer
And he said unto them, This
kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. (Mark
9:29)
Most people think of prayer and
fasting as a way of getting things from God, or as a means to
convince, or persuade God to do something they want done. Although
most people would not consciously think this way they basically
think that God looks at prayer and fasting like we look at the
tricks our pet dog does. When he does what he is supposed to do on
command we reward him with a treat. People have the concept that if
we pray “hard enough” or fast “long enough” God will be obliged to
grant our requests. In other words, if we DO what God wants us to DO
He will give us what we want him to give us. Folks who never get a
deeper concept than this of what prayer and fasting really are never
really know the power of prayer.
Intercessory prayer is the kind of prayer that brings powerful
results. It is the kind of prayer that God is able to answer in real
life here and now for everyone to see. What is intercessory prayer?
Very simply, it is a plea to God on someone else’s behalf. It is
having the mind of Christ toward some other person, whether they are
an unconverted sinner or a saint that is suffering. Jesus was
interceding when He prayed at the tomb of Lazuras: “Father, I thank
thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me
always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that
they may believe that thou hast sent me.” (John 11:41-42) The four
that brought the sick of palsy to Jesus and let him down through the
roof were interceding for him: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said
unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Mark
2:5)Abraham interceded for Lot when he plead for God to spare the
city for 10 righteous people in Genesis 18. Moses interceded for the
children of Israel in Exodus 32 because God was ready to consume
them and make of Moses a great nation instead. The woman of Canaan
in Matthew 15:22 was interceding for her daughter. The man in
Matthew 17:14 was interceding for his son which was a lunatic and
possessed with a devil. There are many, many more examples of
intercession found in the Word of God.
In order for your prayer for someone else to be effectual you must
have the mind of Christ. You must see and think as God does toward
sinners, toward sin, and toward the cure. The cure for sin is the
death of Jesus Christ. He gave his life that we might live. That is
the significance of the blood of Christ, which cleanses us from ALL
SIN. “The life is in the blood.” His blood was poured out for you
and for me. His life was poured out, laid down, given up, sacrificed
for us.
I am the good shepherd: the
good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John
10:15)
Therefore doth my Father love
me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. (John
10:17)
Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
Our perspective must be the same
about OUR lives. We must be willing to lay down our lives. We must
be willing to be sacrificed for the sake of someone else. We must
give up our right to ourselves and be willing to be poured out so
that others might know the Father, also.
And they overcame him by the
blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they
loved not their lives unto the death. (Rev 12:11)
Paul said about his own burden:
And I will very gladly spend
and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the
less I be loved. (2 Cor 12:15)
Is your burden for others great
enough to sacrifice yourself for?
Mike Miller
Saturday, January 5, 2008
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