Intercession: Step 6 For Cultivating Daily Delight in Prayer
“Could you not watch with Me one hour?”
Matthew 26:40 (NKJV)
Step Six _________________________
Basic Definition
The Act of Earnest _________________
Action Focus: Compassionate __________________
Key Word: __________________________
Voices from the Past:
“Prayer must be broad in its scope—it must plead for others. Intercession for others is the hallmark of all true prayer.”
—E. M. Bounds
INTERCESSION: A Biblical Basis
Scripture:
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)
Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:30 (NLT)
I have one request, dear friends: Pray for me. Pray strenuously with and for me—to God the Father, through the power of our Master Jesus, through the love of the Spirit—that I will be delivered from the lions’ den of unbelievers in Judea.
Romans 15:30 (MSG)
Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people. He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped.
Numbers 16:47-48 (NLT)
Psalm 2:8 (NLT) with Romans 8:17 (NLT)
“Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.”
Psalm 2:8
“And since we are his children, we will share his treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”
Romans 8:17
Claims for the Nations…
1. Open ____________…
To ____________ the Gospel
Scripture:
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
Colossians 4:2-3 (NIV)
2. Open ____________…
To ________________ the Gospel
Scripture:
…I am sending you to them [the LOST] to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.
Acts 26:17-18 (NIV)
3. Open _____________…
To _________________ the Gospel
Scripture:
For God… made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)
4. Open __________________…
To ______________ the Gospel
Scripture:
Open up, O heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth open wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together…
Isaiah 45:8 (NLT)
Summary Definition of INTERCESSION…
A time to ______________________
Voices from the Past:
“We often wonder at Luther, who spent three hours each day in prayer and meditation; at Bishop Andrews, spending the greater part of five hours each day in fellowship with God; at John Welsh, who thought that a day was ill spent which did not include eight or ten hours of closet communion. It seems to us as if such prolonged praying must involve an endless monotony of vain repetitions. We forget that when men are sent to market with a host of commissions from their neighbors and friends, they must needs tarry longer than when they go only for themselves. It would be a very wholesome thing if the causes of others were to detain us more constantly before the Lord.”
—F. B. Meyer
Understanding INTERCESSION: An Overview
Intercession is derived from the two Latin words:
A.Inter, meaning “_______________”
B.Cedere, meaning “______ ______”
To intercede, thus, is to become “a go-between”!
INTERCESSION: A Prayer Application
Contend for _____________.
Voices from the Past:
“When we pray for others we render them the highest service by treating them with such great dignity that we voice their needs before the throne of the King of the universe.”
—David A. Hubbard
INTERCESSION: A Life Application
Help someone in ___________.
Ananias — A Case Study
Intercession is to stand between a lost soul and an almighty God, praying that this person will be delivered from the snare of Satan. Ananias, the disciple from Damascus whom God chose to pray over Saul of Tarsus (the future chief apostle Paul), is an excellent example of a faithful intercessor (Acts 9:10-18). He became a spiritual ‘mediator’ on behalf of Saul.
Ananias became so involved in his praying that his intercessions led him into a life-threatening situation. He knew well the story of how Saul of Tarsus had been systematically imprisoning Christians. In a sense, he was taking his life into his own hands by going before Saul to pray for him as the Lord had commanded.
Yet, Ananias went into this spiritual battle and boldly placed his hands upon Saul of Tarsus. Through his prayer of intercession, God removed the scales from Saul’s eyes and he became Paul, a living witness for Jesus Christ. Yet, we must never forget that a spiritual battle had been fought at the outset over the soul of this man from Tarsus.
Where to Next?
INTERCESSION…
Four Ways to Get Started and Keep Going!
Following are four suggestions to help you personally apply this aspect of the 12 in daily prayer.
A Practical Prayer Summary
Step 6 in World-Changing Prayer
- Carefully prepare for intercession by developing a specific plan that includes special prayer for God’s work around the world.
- Summon a new compassion for these moments of intercession so your praying will reach out to the lost or suffering with genuine concern.
- Fill your intercession with the four spiritual claims: Ask God to open doors, open minds, open hearts and open heavens.
- Endeavor to include specific countries and their leaders during your time of intercession as well as unreached people groups.
Afterthoughts...Ponder and Pray
Ponder Points:
Discuss (or ponder) why intercessory prayer, in which the believer becomes a “go-between” in praying for others, most aligns us with the purposes of Christ who sits at the right hand of God in heaven. Why do you think many Bible scholars of the past have labeled intercession as the highest form of prayer?
Personal Afterthoughts
Prayer Points:
Pray for someone you know (by name) who needs a “go-between” to help him or her fight either a spiritual, financial, physical or relational battle. It may be a family member, friend or even a person in the media, government, business world or education.
