![]() ![]() He gave thanks for their support, and testimony about how effective it was in his ministry. In his letters, the Apostle Paul often asked for prayers from the churches he planted and visited. And I will teach you the way that is good and right’” ( 1 Samuel 12:23). “‘As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. ![]() But he stayed faithful to pray for them, hoping for their repentance. ![]() The prophet Samuel dealt with both a king and a people who had strayed from God. In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now’” ( Numbers 14:17-19). Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation. “‘Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. His words were echoed by other writers of Scripture. When Moses faced the anger of God against the Israelites because of their lack of faith, he boldly asked for the Lord's mercy. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?’” ( Genesis 18:22-25). Then Abraham approached him and said: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing - to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. “The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. In Genesis 18, Abraham heard about the Lord’s plan to destroy the city of Sodom, and immediately lifted up a heartfelt petition for any believers there. Righteous people in the Old Testament turned to the Lord on behalf of people, cities, and even whole nations. Scripture clearly teaches that intercessory prayer is valuable and impacts the world for good. When we feel a burden for someone else, we can be encouraged to bring that to the Lord, stand on their behalf, and seek His Will for their lives. Intercession happens when we reach beyond ourselves and our needs in prayer. Praying to our Heavenly Father grows our understanding of and strengthens our relationship with Him. We can give Him praise, we can cry out to Him, we can ask Him questions and lift up our cares. And though they both have things in common, they are not exactly the same thing. Many people use the words “prayer” and “intercession” interchangeably. What Is the Difference Between Regular and Intercessory Prayer? 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” ( Romans 8:34). ![]() “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Not only did He pray for His followers during His life on Earth, but He continues now to petition before the Father on our behalf. The Merriam Webster definition of intercession reads, “prayer, petition, or entreaty in favor of another.” The root word is intercede, which means to mediate between parties.Īgain, we can look to Jesus to see this in action. And it is an expression of agape, or selfless, love. Intercessory prayer, sometimes called "standing in the gap," is essentially lifting up the needs and concerns of others to God. “‘Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one … While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me … My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one’” ( John 17:11-12, 15). His prayer for the Disciples in John 17 is one of the most powerful examples of intercession in the Bible. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |