Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn Romans 12:15
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
1 Timothy 2:1
Dear Friends and Members of IBC,
On Sunday, we spoke about how empathising and identifying with other people’s joys and sorrows is vital if we are going to obey the apostle Paul’s command to intercede for one another. Interceding for someone means praying for them on their behalf. It is a powerful ministry that every believer is instructed to carry out, although some Christians are especially called to be intercessors.
Of course, we can all fire off a few prayers for people whenever we remember, but I doubt this is what Paul means when he urges us to intercede for others. True intercession means standing in the gap, and this requires us taking on people’s burdens, bearing with them ourselves. For our prayers to make a difference, to have power and authority, we need to be able to identify with what the person we are praying for is going through. Many of the well-known Biblical characters demonstrate this, often to an extreme degree. Below are three great intercessory prayers that we see in Scripture:
Whilst God was giving Moses the Ten Commandments, the impatient Israelites made and worshipped a statue of a golden calf. This angered God, but Moses stood in the gap, pleading with God to spare the Israelites. “So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves. 32 But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!” Exodus 32:31-22.
Although Daniel was still a young man when he was exiled to Babylon, when he learnt that Jerusalem had to lie desolate for seventy years, he pleaded to God with prayer and fasting, identifying with Israel’s sins himself, despite him not being responsible for them. “I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfil your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. 5 But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations.” Daniel 9:4-5.
When Stephen was brought before the high council and forced to address some trumped up charges against him, his 52-verse reply infuriated the Jewish leaders, which resulted in them stoning him. Yet, even as he died, he stood in the gap for his murderers, pleading for God to have mercy upon them. “Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:60.
Let’s be inspired and spurred on by these great intercessors and commit to interceding for one another. I encourage us to commit to interceding for one person in our church over the next weeks. First, seek to find out how they are doing, listen to them, share in their joys and sorrows, and then stand in the gap for them.
God bless you
James