MEETING WITH GOD

FRIENDS OF GOD

To meet: Isaiah 64:5, an intercessor is someone who meets with God for the purpose of reconcilation. A called intercessor is a friend of God, someone who walks in a intimate relationship with the Lord. Referances: Exodus 33:11 (Moses), and Genesis 18:22-33 (Abraham).

Isaiah 64:5 (NKJV)

You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned— In these ways we continue; And we need to be saved.

Exodus 33:11 NKJV

So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

James 2:23 NKJV

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.

John 15:14–15 NKJV

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

You cannot be an intercessor without being a friend of God.

What is a friend? Someone you have met, spent time with, and cultivated a relationship with.

When you are friends with someone you know their likes and dislikes, you know their character, you know their desires, you know intimate details about this person that other people do not know.

Intercessors represent God. You cannot represent someone without knowing them intimately.

In order to intercede from the heart of God. You need to know God’s likes and dislikes, His character, His plans, you need to know and have a cultivated relationship with God.

Moses was drawn in by God, had an encounter and met with God, and in that place accepted the call and position of an intercessor for the people.

KNOWING GOD

John 15:14–15 NKJV

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

God is looking to reveal Himself to us.

Jesus defined a friend of God as someone who knows God.

Exodus 3:2–6 (NKJV)

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

Exodus 3:13–15 (NKJV)

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’

God revealed His name to Moses.

Name is connected with your identity. Abraham- father of many nations.

When God is revealing His name to you He is revealing who He is.

Exodus 33:11–15 (NKJV)

So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’

Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”

And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.

Moses was a friend of God, and we see He is someone who knows God and is known by God.

We see how intercession is birthed from this place.

Moses knew the plan of God.

Exodus 33:15–17 NKJV

Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”

Exodus 34:9–10 (NKJV)

Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”

And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.

Exodus 34:29–35 (NKJV)

Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.

So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them.

Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.

And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.

But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded.

And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

YOUR SECRET PLACE

Matthew 6:5–6 NKJV

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

We understand the importance and power behind coorperate prayer however there is a type of prayer where Jesus says go into your room, shut the door, and pray in secret.

Intercession starts in the secret place.

Mark 6:46 NKJV

And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

Luke 5:16 NKJV

So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Mark 1:35 NKJV

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Jesus the greatest intercessor practiced this discipline of praying in the secret place.

Jesus would frequently send people away, and retreat into private places to be alone in prayer.

We see Jesus coming out of prayer and walking in power, doing miracles, preaching, healing the sick, casting out demons etc.

We pour out of what we have received in the secret place.

Jesus being the greatest intercessor needing to spend time in the secret place implies that all of us need to do the same and follow His example.

We cannot be affective intercessors without having quality time with God in the secret place.

Exodus 33:7–11 NKJV

Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

We see as Moses enters his secret place, the presence of God desends and meets him there.

Stood at the door… Like the Lord closing Noah in the ark so the Lord closed Moses into the tabernacle.

I stand at the door and knock. Jesus desires to spend time with you.

As the presence of God desends in the secret place we see the Lord speaking to Moses face to face. Out of this place Moses develops a relationship with God and intercedes out of this revelation.

Genesis 28:11 NKJV

So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.

We see Jacob entering the secret place and simutaniously entering the realm of the spirit, where the intercessor operates from.

What can we learn about the secret place from these scriptures?

Exodus 3:3–4 NKJV

Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Go to your room and shut the door… we know we carry the presence of God and can be in communion with God at all times. However Jesus has instructed us to have a private place we go to meet with God in prayer.

Secret place… when you are in a secret place you put yourself in a position to be able to fully focus on God without distractions. Anything in your life that is a distraction or an idol should be kept out of your secret place.

Jesus sent the people away… we all need private time with God. Jesus didn’t even bring His disciples or His mother or brothers into the secret place. Allow yourself to have private time with the Lord, even from your spouse and children.

Early in the morning or late at night… Jesus had a designated time He spent in the secret place. Early mornings and late nights are times most people are asleep. In addition setting times where we meet with God daily creates a healthy pattern in our lives and ensures “life” doesn’t take over..

Moses pitched a tent and Jesus liked to pray on mountains… Make your secret place comfortable for you. It is an intimate space where you meet with God.

ENDURANCE IN PRAYER

Matthew 26:40–46 (NKJV)

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

We see in the hour of temptation for the disciples, Jesus asked them to “watch and pray”.

However they submitted to the flesh and not the spirit.

Jesus lived a life of prayer (prayer builds us up), but the disciples did not carry this same life of prayer. We see they couldn’t cast out strong demons except by prayer fasting.

Jesus equaled not being able to pray for an hour to the flesh.

There is something to be said for endurance in prayer.

Mark 6:46–47 NKJV

And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.

Luke 6:12 NKJV

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Jesus was built up with a life of prayer.

This life of prayer prepared Him for His greatest moment of intercession.

We are poured into in our secret place of prayer, so we can pour out in intercession.

There are realms of prayer you will not enter unless you stay the distance.