Reinhard
9 Intercessory prayer
1 Tim 2:1-3 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty 3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
We can pray for others. Even though other people have their own free will and can make their own choices, we can pray and believe for them.
We can see others in need and decide to pray for them. We can also be led by the Holy Spirit to pray for others. We may be awakened in the early hours of the morning to pray. When we think of someone in particular, we can take time to pray for them.
We can pray that people’s eyes would be opened spiritually. The Apostle Paul's prayer is an excellent model of how to pray for others.
Eph 1:16-18 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; :17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
We can pray that a Christian would go and witness to the lost. Sometimes, we have done all we can personally in sharing the gospel with someone. We can pray and ask God to send another person to them with a fresh approach and love.
Luk 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.
We can pray for people to be protected. We can pray that our children would be surrounded by godly friends and protected from wrong friends. We can pray that people will have peace with God and mankind.
We can pray for people to grow and be established in Christ.
We can pray for churches and ministries to be fruitful and grow. We can even intercede for ourselves, praying with our understanding and in the Holy Spirit.
We can pray that we will meet people who are open to receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is interceding for us and through us!
In Isaiah, we have the prophecy that was given first about our Lord Jesus Christ. He interceded for people while he was on earth. And He is still interceding for us in heaven. As Christians, we can share in interceding for the transgressors (that is those living in sin). As part of the body of Christ, we can pray for other members of the body!
Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Sometimes we don’t know exactly how to pray for a situation. We can trust the Holy Spirit to pray through us. We can pray in the Spirit and we can pray with our understanding.
Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
The Holy Spirit can even pray through us for things happening in our own lives.
Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
We are thankful that our Lord Jesus Christ is interceding for us up in heaven. We cooperate with our Great Shepherd’s prayers! We agree with our Lord Jesus Christ in our actions and in our prayers for ourselves and for others!
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
We are thankful to God for the prayers that preceded our receiving Jesus Christ as Savior. We are thankful to God for the intercession that has protected us in our daily activities.
Heb 7:25 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.
Moses in the Old Testament interceded!
Moses interceded for the children of Israel after they believed the ten spys’s bad report more than they believed God’s promise to bring them in to the promised land.
Num 14:19 Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now."
20 Then the Lord said: "I have pardoned, according to your word; 21 but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord
Abraham interceded for the city of Sodom.
He first started by asking God if the city would be spared if there were fifty righteous people in it. By the sixth request, he had asked if the city would be spared if there were ten righteous people in it. When there weren’t ten righteous people in it, then the angel came to warn the remaining righteous people to flee.
Gen 18:22-33 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 And Abraham came near and said,"Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 26 So the Lord said,"If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes." 27 Then Abraham answered and said, "Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?"
So He said, "If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it." 29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose there should be forty found there?"
So He said, "I will not do it for the sake of forty." 30 Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?"
So He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31 And he said, "Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?"
So He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty." 32 Then he said,"Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?"
And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten." 33 So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
Daniel interceded for his people, even when they were in a land of captivity
Dan 9:15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day — we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
16 "O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.
17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.
18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."
We too can pray for our country and our people. We can 'stand in the gap' as we intercede that people would hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Ezek 22:30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
Jesus Christ, interceded for people when He was here on earth.
Joh 17:9-26 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. :10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. :11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. :12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. :13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. :14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. :15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. :17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. :18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. :20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; :21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. :22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: :23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. :24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. :25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me
:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Jesus Christ is in heaven, right now, interceding for us as believers.
Heb 7:25b seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Paul interceded for the new believers.
Gal 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Paul interceded for the people who were already Christians.
Eph 1:15-21 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding* being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Paul interceded that he would be given a great door of utterance.
Eph 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
Christians can intercede for others!
We too can intercede in prayer for our families, friends, Christians, missionaries and those yet to be reached with the gospel.
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Matt 9:38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
A story about intercession is mentioned in Dick Eastman’s book ‘Living & Praying In Jesus' Name’ A missionary in China had been traveling in an area where there were known bandits who often attacked travelers. The missionary was able to travel into and then out of the area unhindered. It was heard later that the bandits had not attacked because they had seen 11 soldiers traveling with the missionary. Later when the missionary talked with a pastor back in his home country, he heard that there had been eleven people praying for the missionary.