The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer
Notes
Transcript
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Prayer is an immeasurable privilege for the child of God. The open invitation to commune with Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, is an unspeakable gift.
Prayer is given to us for many wonderful reasons. We can fellowship with God, find mercy and grace, receive forgivness of strength, obtain wisdom and power, and requisition our needs.
We should pray about everything! Requests little and big are welcome. There is no prayer too small to be considered and no prayer too large to be answered.
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
However, there is an even higher purpose of prayer that is often forgotten. That neglected work is the subject of our Bible study tonight.
The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer.
The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer.
Christians are priests of God. This is an inestimable privilege granted through our so great salvation in Jesus Christ. Just as the sons of Aaron were Old Testament priests, God’s children are priests in the New Testament age.
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament foretold a day when all of God’s people would be priests of the Lord. That prophecy was fulfilled through our purchased salvation.
But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord:
Men shall call you the Ministers of our God:
Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
And in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
Are you fulfilling your duty as a priest? Examine these Bible truths and enlist in this holy calling.
The Way To The Priesthood
The Way To The Priesthood
And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
The priesthood of the Old Testament was a an honor that could not be purchased or earned. It only came by birthright. So our priesthood is an entitlement of our spiritual birth through faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
As every son of Aaron, so every Christian has the right to the priesthood.
We are the sons of the great, eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ.
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
The priest of Aaron were set apart for their spiritual work by the application of blood and oil.
And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.
The blood cleansed them from sin and made them worthy for the work. The oil, symbolizing the Holy Spirity, sanctified them and empowered them for this spiritual ministry.
This ritual was a picture of the finished work of Christ in the believer.
The blood of Christ cleanses the child of God of sin and uncleanness. We are worthy of this priestly work because of the righteousness of Christ through His blood.
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
The Holy Spirit dwells within the believer after the second birth as a benefit of salvation. He is our Helper and represents Christ in us.
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
The indwelling Holy Spirit of God equips and empowers believers for the supernatural, eternal work of God.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
We are worthy because of the blood. We are able because of the Spirit.
The Work Of The Priesthood
The Work Of The Priesthood
We have been called to the work of our Saviour and Lord. Intercession to God for Man.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
The work of the Priesthood has two sides.
To God
Priests were separated from the congregation and called to stand before the LORD and minister to Him.
At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.
Priest spent much time with God and performed services for Him.
2. To People
The work of the Old Testament Priest was accomplished to bring God to the people and the people to God. He received the sacrifices, presented them to God, and then brought blessing back to the people.
This is the great work of intercession! We take the needs of the people to God and call down blessings of grace upon their lives!
The Walk Of The Priesthood
The Walk Of The Priesthood
Priests are involved in holy work. They were to be separated from unholy and unclean things and separated unto God. This is the true purpose of separation. To set ourselves apart unto our Holy God.
Priests were set apart in their appearance. This represented their attempt to live a righteous life.
And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
Priests were set apart in their purity. This represented their effort to live a holy life.
Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.
These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.
Priests were set apart in their perfection. This represented their need to be mature.
Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.
Our priestly power in intercessory prayer depends upon the purity and maturity of our personal lives and walk with God.
Others may fight for personal rights and walk according to fleshly lusts, but those who seek to be effective in the ministry of intercessory prayer must prove their consecration to God by how they live.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
You have been blessed with a holy calling. Your prayers can affect the lives of others for all eternity.
Will you take up the mantle of holy prayer?
Pray for others. Bring their needs before the God of Heaven. Call down blessings upon their lives by spending time at the throne of grace.
Join the ministry of intercession today!