Standing in the Gap
Notes
Transcript
Prayer Needs & Intro
Prayer Needs & Intro
The family of Kay Brown (Dee Unmoth & Dawn Hall)
Richie Long - Has been hospitalized since Monday
Pastor Tomlinson
Illustration: “Kick Out the Devil” (War Room)
Illustration: “Kick Out the Devil” (War Room)
What Elizabeth Jordan does in this portion of the movie is what every believer should do in prayer!
What Elizabeth Jordan does in this portion of the movie is what every believer should do in prayer!
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
“The Greatest Privilege of a Christian is Prayer,
yet the Greatest Problem of the Church is a lack of prayer.” Unknown
“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” Alfred Lord Tennyson
The days of Ezekiel are not unlike the days we are living in:
Gross devaluation of human life and murder
Gross devaluation of human life and murder
Blatant disrespect of God - Despising of holy things & forgetting God
Blatant disrespect of God - Despising of holy things & forgetting God
Unashamed immorality – sexual perversion of all kinds
· -Unashamed immorality – sexual perversion of all kinds
Perverse Injustice – taking of bribes and requiring high interest
· -perverse Injustice – taking of bribes and requiring high interest
ezekiel
30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.
#Numbers#
There’s a whole book entitled “Numbers”
Gideon’s 300 men
God is Searching for the One
God is Searching for the One
God searched among His people for one person in authority who would stand in the gap so that the enemy wouldn’t penetrate the wall and invade the city, but He found none.
God searched among His people for one person in authority who would stand in the gap so that the enemy wouldn’t penetrate the wall and invade the city, but He found none.
The Lord promised to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if He found ten righteous men in the city, () and He would have spared Jerusalem for one righteous man.
and He would
9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”
The Lord is looking for intercessors!
have spared Jerusalem for one righteous man.
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
The Lord is looking for intercessors
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
“If not YOU then WHO... “If not NOW then WHEN “If not HERE then WHERE”
Quote – “If not YOU then WHO... “If not NOW then WHEN “If not HERE then WHERE”
Throughout the Bible, God primarily did his great work through intercessory prayer:
Moses’ prayers delivered the children of Israel from Egypt
· Moses’ prayers delivered the children of Israel from Egypt
Ester’s prayers delivered her people from the murderous plot of Haman
· Ester’s prayers delivered her people from the murderous plot of Haman
Daniel’s prayer life brought down the kingdoms of his day and magnified the kingdom of God!
· Daniel’s prayer life brought down the kingdoms of his day and magnified the kingdom of
God!
The prayers of Nehemiah rebuilt the Jerusalem wall
· The prayers of Nehemiah rebuilt the Jerusalem wall
The prayers of the church of Antioch started a missionary movement
· The prayers of the church of Antioch started a missionary movement
23 Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
D. L. Moody heard a preacher once say, “The world is yet to see what God can do through one man who totally committed to Him.” His response to this statement was a prayer to God, “By God’s grace, I want to be that man.”
Truth: God’s call is powerful & personal – He is looking for One – YOU!
If you are without Christ, He is looking for you in salvation
If you are in Christ, He is looking for you in service/ prayer closet
· -if you are without Christ, He is looking for you in salvation
· -if you are in Christ, He is looking for you in service/ prayer closet
Do you believe that God can use you to release His power on earth through prayer?
3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
God is Searching for The One Who Will Stand in the Gap
God is Searching for The One Who Will Stand in the Gap
30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.
Hebrew word for breach in wall – result of battering ram used for entering a city under siege
Hebrew word for breach in wall – result of battering ram used for entering a city under
siege
There are a lot of walls today that have been battered down:
The Walls of Morality
The Walls of Spirituality
The Wall of Family Values
Truth: There is nothing on earth that prayer cannot do; for there is not anything that God cannot do!
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Prayer is about ordinary people who desire God to do an extraordinary work
Prayer is about ordinary people who desire God to do an extraordinary work through prayer
Quote of E.M. Bounds – “What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use--men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.”
So, What is the petition that we pray on the wall?
What is the petition that we pray on the wall?
1. For the Leaders
31 Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.”
Why God’s wrath?
Vs.25 – Preachers who did not hear from God
Vs.26 – Priests who did not minister for God
Vs.25 – Preachers who did not hear from God Vs.26 – Priests who did not minister for God Vs.27 – Princes who did not lead the people Vs.29 – People who were far away from God
Vs.27 – Princes who did not lead the people
Vs.29 – People who were far away from God
Truth: People seldom rise above the spiritual commitment of their leaders!
Importance of godly, dedicated spiritual leaders
Importance of prayer for spiritual leaders
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
2. For The Land
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
If prayer is so effective and powerful, what is the problem?
“And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach … but I found none.
God did not find One
...who was available
...who was faithful
...who was willing to be used
The fact that there is no one amazes God
16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.
· -the fact that there is no one amazes God
Truth: God never does anything apart from prayer!
Truth: God never does anything apart from prayer!
Samuel said “May it never be that I should sin in ceasing to pray for you”
Samuel said “May it never be that I should sin in ceasing to pray for you”
May we all be like Nehemiah:
Nehemiah
9 And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
Truth: He is looking for One – YOU!
If you are without Christ, He is looking for you in salvation
If you are in Christ, He is looking for you in service/ prayer closet