Intercessory Prayer
Notes
Transcript
Praying On Behalf of Someone Else
Praying On Behalf of Someone Else
Prayer for a teenage child, Lord, Please forgive them for their sin, bring them to a place where they can repent, where they see that you alone are the life-giver, where you alone are their savior, where you alone can forgive, where you alone are the rightful king of their lives. Lord, for your names sake, for your glory I ask these things, Amen
Proposal: Saints of God, praying on behalf of others moves the hand of God.
The real business of your life as a saved soul is intercessory prayer.
Oswald Chambers
God accomplishes his will on the wings of praying saints.
7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ 9 “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” 11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” 14 Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
“God accomplishes all he wants on the wings of praying saints.”
Moses went to the Lord to stand in the gap and plead for mercy on their behalf.
This is one of the best examples of a man performing intercessory prayer in all of scripture.
1. Humility is important when praying for others
1. Humility is important when praying for others
11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
Notice he doesn’t say, “Why should your anger burn against these mostly good people?”
Never does Moses hint at the people deserving God’s mercy. Never
If God were to give sinful man what he truly “deserves”, nobody would make heaven. Hell would be brimming over with deserving people.
What foundational reason was Moses proposing as the reason for God to be merciful?
The message the world would get if God were to destroy them...
The message the world would get if God were to destroy them...
12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people.
Mercy based on the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Mercy based on the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ”
2. Love for others is important to be a good intercessor.
2. Love for others is important to be a good intercessor.
Moses was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of the nation
30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
That means that if we are to improve our praying, we must strengthen our loving. As we grow in disciplined, self-sacrificing love, so we will grow in intercessory prayer.
D. A. Carson
Moses loved these sinful people and was willing to sacrifice to see them saved from God’s wrath against wickedness.
Every Christian should be growing in love for the people around them.
The apostle Paul was willing to go to hell on behalf of his people.
2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race,
God did not, and would not accept any person’s life as an offering. It wouldn’t work anyway. The only substitute that could actually work to take away the guilt of sin would be a person who was perfectly sinless. That is a true intercessor that not only speaks on the peoples behalf, but also redeems them perfectly through justifying them completely.
Jesus did suffer and die, not just for Israel, but for every people group in the world.
Jesus was the perfect offering for sin.
Jesus was the perfect offering for sin.
Behold the lamb that takes away the sin of the world.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus is the perfect intercessor for God’s people.
Jesus is the perfect intercessor for God’s people.
34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
It will enable you to see Christ’s role as THE intercessor. (Our intercessory prayer will always and only be an extension of His intercessory work. This is crucial and will become clearer as we progress.)
Dutch Sheets
3. If you are a Christian, you are called to stand in the gap for others in prayer.
3. If you are a Christian, you are called to stand in the gap for others in prayer.
3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.
James 5:16 (NIV)
16b The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.
The Holy Spirit helps us pray effective prayers
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
987God the Holy Ghost writes our prayers, God the Son presents our prayers, and God the Father accepts our prayers. And with the whole Trinity to help us in it, what cannot prayer perform?—54.342, 343
Charles Spurgeon