INTERCESSORY PRAYER

"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 2:1-4).

Devotion 2 of 17

INTERCESSORY PRAYER DEFINED

Intercessory prayer is selfless prayer. Intercession involves an approach to God in the behalf of another. It can be made for or against individuals. Elijah, for instance, made "intercession to God AGAINST Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, and digged down Thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life" (Rom 11:2-3). The remarkable thing about this incident is that God answered Elijah, divulging something no one else knew. "But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal" (Rom 11:4). Interceding against people is not the point of this lesson, although there have been times when such things have occurred (1 Cor 5:4-5; 1 Tim 1:20). This study will focus on petitions for the favor of God to be upon people. Jesus has taught us that our efforts are primarily to bless, not to curse. As it is written,"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matt 5:44-45). The intercessor is intervening on the behalf of another, seeking divine intervention and blessing. The objective of the prayer is to constrain the Lord to consider the petition of the intercessor as a basis for answering it. Clearly, such an one must be looked upon favorably by the Lord. The very thought of someone alienated from God praying in the behalf of someone else is absurd. Yet, this circumstance is regularly practiced in the religious world. Let me be more precise. In this lesson, I am defining intercessory prayer as the request of someone accepted by and pleasing to God, for benefits to be granted to someone else on the behalf of the intercessor.

God looks for an intercessor

God's nature constrains Him to look for an intercessor; someone to stand up in the behalf of those in need of blessing. Often, He seeks for an individual to speak to Him for those that are an enmity with Him. This is an arresting consideration, and opens great possibilities to the saints. Because the Lord has spoken on this matter, we do not fear to proclaim it. "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it" (Jer 5:1). Although the ancient people of Israel had provoked God to jealousy, angering Him with their spiritual harlotry, He did not want to destroy them. He was willing to spare a great number of people on the behalf of ONE individual. You must not miss that this is how the Lord thinks. It is an index to His Person! "I will pardon it," He declares, upon the basis of "a man" that "executeth judgement and seeketh the truth." How marvelous the truth! And, if this was true of God during the era of the old covenant, how much more is it true in the reign of the Son; under the new covenant, where we have been reconciled to God and translated into the kingdom of His dear Son! "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none" (Ezek 22:30). Again, God was not desirous to destroy His people--even though they richly deserved it. He looked for a person, someone that had a heart for the people, and would stand between them and Him. If He could find such a person, He would "not destroy" the holy city. In this particular instance, God could not find such a person--an intercessor. Therefore, He poured out His indignation upon them. It is a dreadful thought, but we must take it into our hearts and minds. Can it be that there are some people that have perished simply because no one was present that could effectually intercede for them? I want to challenge you to be such a person! If the occasion ever arises that God wants to spare someone within your influence, may He find in you an effective intercessor that can stay the hand of judgment!

-- TOMORROW: SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERCESSION --