Intercessory
Prayer
God
already knows what you need, and your prayer releases His power into your life.
First
Word
·
Wikipedia; Intercession or intercessory
prayer is the act of praying to a deity on behalf of others. – Intercessory
prayer is a way for God to release His power, by simply praying and telling God
what He has already told us in His Word to pray.
·
Intercessory prayer causes us to internalize
God’s Word, unite people’s hearts and bring changes and blessings long term beyond
this age.
·
Pray Warriors is a term that I know you have heard that is given
to a special elite class of Christians who are called by God to the ministry of
intercession. - This is an erroneous
idea as the
Book is clear that ALL
Christians have been privileged to have the Holy Spirit in their hearts and ALL are
called to be intercessors. – To prove a point, when Peter was in prison the
ENTIRE church prayed for him, not just those who were Prayer Warriors.
·
I am SO not a Prayer
Warrior;
while I rarely pray in Church or Sunday school, I seem find myself continuously
in prayer. When I hear the sound of sirens on fire trucks or EMS vehicles, I begin to pray for
God’s favor on the lives of those that might be involved as well for as the safety
for their pets. When it storms, I pray for my home and my trees, my neighbor’s
homes and their trees. My prayers are SHORT
and to the point and then I resume what I was doing.
·
I will never forget it; as I was presiding over
a very large banquet dinner, I asked a well know evangelist and musician to “ask God to
bless our meal”. There was a silence, then he prayed, “God bless our meal,
Amen”. - Let your words be few. – It’s in the Book -
·
True intercessory
prayer
seeks to glorify God and seeks for His will to be done regardless of how it
affects us. - This may surprise you, but to NOT
intercede for others is a SIN against God.
1 Samuel 12:23 – It is a SIN
to NOT intercede for others
23 As for me, I will certainly not SIN AGAINST THE LORD
23 As for me, I will certainly not SIN AGAINST THE LORD
by
ending my PRAYERS for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. (NLT)
Ecclesiastes 5:2 – Let your words be few
2 Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So LET YOUR WORDS BE FEW. (NLT)
2 Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So LET YOUR WORDS BE FEW. (NLT)
Matthew 6:7 – Pray without a lot of words
7 When you pray, DON’T BABBLE ON AND ON as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. (NLT)
7 When you pray, DON’T BABBLE ON AND ON as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. (NLT)
Matthew 6:7 – Just get to the point
7 And when you pray, DO NOT HEAP UP
EMPTY PHRASES as the Gentiles do, for
they think that they will be heard for their many words.
(ESV)
Matthew 6:8 – God knows what you need before you
ask Him
8 Do not be like them, for YOUR FATHER KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU ASK HIM. (NIV2011)
8 Do not be like them, for YOUR FATHER KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU ASK HIM. (NIV2011)
Old Covenant
·
In the Old Testament, the High Priest was the mediator between God and
man and according to the Laws of Moses, offered Sin offerings and
INTERCEDED for the people of Israel as
did the prophets and as seen in the lives of Abraham, Moses, David, Samuel,
Hezekiah, Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
1 Samuel 7:5 – Before
Christ; the Priest prayed and interceded
5 Then SAMUEL said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and
5 Then SAMUEL said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and
I
will INTERCEDE with the LORD for
you.”
(NIV2011)
Hebrews 10:8 – Sin sacrifices
and offerings
8 First he said, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS, burnt offerings and SIN OFFERINGS you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. (NIV2011)
8 First he said, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS, burnt offerings and SIN OFFERINGS you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. (NIV2011)
New
Covenant
·
In the New Testament Jesus the Christ
became our High Priest, our Mediator and Intercessor because at the cross the veil was removed that
separated man from God. – We can now go directly to the Father without a Mediator like a high priest or a pastor.
·
In the early church, intercessory prayer for
other people's illnesses was important, as healing was a sign of "the power of
God" and is an example for us.
·
The Apostle Paul believed that intercession was one
of the most important aspects of his faith and prayer life; interceding for
others was a recurring theme throughout his work. Paul believed that intercession transforms the
person doing the praying and
creates a stronger bond between the believer and God.
2 Corinthians 3:13-16 – The scripture is veiled
until salvation
13 We are not like Moses, who put a VEIL over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.
14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same VEIL covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And THIS VEIL can be removed only by believing in Christ.
15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that VEIL, and they DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the VEIL is taken away.
13 We are not like Moses, who put a VEIL over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.
14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same VEIL covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And THIS VEIL can be removed only by believing in Christ.
15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that VEIL, and they DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the VEIL is taken away.
(NLT)
1 Timothy 2:5 – There is only one Mediator, Jesus
Christ
5 For there is ONLY one God and ONE MEDIATOR who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
5 For there is ONLY one God and ONE MEDIATOR who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
(NLT)
Hebrews 7:24-25 – Jesus our High Priest intercedes
for us
24 But because Jesus lives forever, his PRIESTHOOD lasts forever.
25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those
24 But because Jesus lives forever, his PRIESTHOOD lasts forever.
25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those
who come to God through Him. He lives forever to
INTERCEDE WITH
GOD on their behalf.
(NLT)
Romans 8:34 – Jesus intercedes
for us at the right hand of God
34 Who is to condemn? CHRIST JESUS is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is INTERCEDING FOR US. (ESV)
34 Who is to condemn? CHRIST JESUS is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is INTERCEDING FOR US. (ESV)
Romans 8:26-27 – The Holy
Spirit intercedes according HIS will
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself INTERCEDES for us with groanings too deep for words.
27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because THE SPIRIT INTERCEDES FOR THE SAINTS
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself INTERCEDES for us with groanings too deep for words.
27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because THE SPIRIT INTERCEDES FOR THE SAINTS
according
to the will of God. (ESV)
Philippians 4:6 - Pray about everything
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, PRAY ABOUT
EVERYTHING. Tell God what you need, and THANK HIM for all he has done (NLT)
Ephesians 6:18 – Pray all the time on every
occasion you get
18 Pray in the Spirit AT ALL TIMES and ON EVERY OCCASION. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (NLT)
18 Pray in the Spirit AT ALL TIMES and ON EVERY OCCASION. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (NLT)
1 Timothy 2:1-4 – Intercede; pray for all people &
the President
1 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.
2 Pray this way for kings and ALL WHO ARE IN AUTHORITY so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
3 This is good and pleases God our Savior,
4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. (NLT)
1 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.
2 Pray this way for kings and ALL WHO ARE IN AUTHORITY so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
3 This is good and pleases God our Savior,
4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. (NLT)
Interceding
in the Spirit
·
I don’t feel I should omit
scriptures
in my Word Studies because they might be controversial. - Some Believers have
received the gift of a Prayer Language while others operate in a
different gift. So praying in the Spirit
or in tongues is something the scripture addresses for those who have that gift
and I include it here. - NYOBS 52.18 - PRAYER
·
Your prayer language is communication between
you and God, and no one else.
·
Pray in the understanding tongue
about the things you understand, then pray in your prayer language about the
things you do not understand or do not know how to pray about. The Spirit will make intercession for you. – NYOBS 49.02 – LORD’S PRAYER
REVISITED
·
When in public, you may sometimes feel
like praying, praising or singing in the Spirit to God; if so, you
should ALSO pray, praise and sing in the understanding so that those
around you may also be edified. - It’s in the Book - NYOBS 08.02 - TONGUES
Romans 8:26 - The Spirit Himself
intercedes for us
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but THE SPIRIT HIMSELF INTERCEDES FOR US with groanings too deep for words.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but THE SPIRIT HIMSELF INTERCEDES FOR US with groanings too deep for words.
(ESV)
Ephesians 6:19 – Pray for the right words to
boldly speak
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
(ESV)
Ephesians 6:18 – Pray at all times in the Spirit
18 PRAYING AT ALL TIMES IN THE SPIRIT, (tongues) with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, (ESV)
18 PRAYING AT ALL TIMES IN THE SPIRIT, (tongues) with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, (ESV)
1 Corinthians 14:15– Pray and Sing in the Spirit
15 What am I to do? I will PRAY WITH MY SPIRIT (tongues), but
15 What am I to do? I will PRAY WITH MY SPIRIT (tongues), but
I will pray
with my mind also;
I will SING
PRAISE WITH MY SPIRIT (tongues), but I will sing with my mind also.
(ESV)
Jude 1:20 – Pray in the Spirit
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, (tongues) (ESV)
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, (tongues) (ESV)
John 14:13 - Ask for things that glorify Jesus
Christ
13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do,
13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do,
THAT THE FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED IN THE SON.
(ESV)
Psalm 19:14 - Let words
& meditation of my heart be acceptable
14 Let the WORDS OF MY MOUTH & the MEDITATION OF
MY HEART
be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer(ESV)
The Lord’s Intercession
·
The Lord’s Intercessory Prayer was given as a model to
mold our thinking while addressing ABBA Father in prayer. It is composed of a Confession, Seven petitions and a Doxology, you will also note it is short, but hits all
the points.
·
Confession acknowledges that God is
not of this Creation, but is the Sovereign Creator ruling over every area of
life in the entire cosmos with no limit with regard to time and space. NYOBS 49.02 - LORDS PRAYER
REVISITED
·
The 1st petition is that His name will not only be made Holy to us,
but we petition as well that His name will become Holy to others who are
not yet called by His name.
·
This 2nd
petition begins
with placing God’s interest first; seeking the Kingdom of God, then our physical
needs then moving to our spiritual needs of deliverance from evil.
·
The 3rd we ask that God’s Will be
done not just in the world, but in our own life.
·
The 4th is seeking our daily
needful ration of food for our existence.
·
The 5th is asking for Forgiveness
for our WRONGS as we forgive others who WRONG us.
·
The 6th is asking that we not be
tested through temptations.
·
The 7th is praying for the day
when our Lord will put an end to Evil and establish His Eternal Kingdom of
righteous.
·
The Doxology is praise for the
unmerited privilege of knowing God as our Father and that with confidence we
can know that He hears our petitions.
Matthew 6:9-13 – Model Intercessory Prayer
9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in
heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. (KJV)
GOD’S WILL - RABBIT TRAIL
·
Thy WILL be done on earth
as it is in Heaven – Third Petition of the
Lord’s Prayer.
·
Did you see it? – Jesus is petitioning
that the Will of God happen on earth; that means that God’s will is NOT
happening on earth or in Man. This takes
us to; if God is All Powerful, then why does His WILL not happen on earth and
in Man.
·
Bill Maher (TV Host) – said “RELIGION is just THE ULTIMATE HUSTLE. – Why
can’t God just defeat the Devil? – It’s the same reason a comic book character
can’t defeat his nemesis – Then there’s no story – If God gets rid of the
Devil, and he could because he’s all powerful, well then there’s no
fear; no reason to come to church.”
·
God is Omnipotent – He is ALL powerful; He
can do whatever He wants to do EXCEPT break His promise. - If “Free Will”
exist, it happens with the permission of God.
·
Bill Maher uses the word “Religion”,
because he HAS NOT embraced the Bible. - He does not have a clue to the integrity, qualities
and attributes of God. – God does not change; he gave us Free Will and we still have it. - NYOBS
37.29 - FREE WILL
·
Scripture says that God created
everything; so did God also create Evil?
·
In the beginning God created everything and IT
WAS GOOD.
·
The first time we see Evil appear is in the person
of an Angel named Lucifer also called Satan; the Devil. - In the first earth
age, scripture says that Evil was FOUND in him and that is when Satan became
the Father of Sin. NYOBS 02.10 - SATAN; WHY IS HE
- Satan
was created perfect and was beautiful to behold and was full of
wisdom. He was created GOOD, but using his “FREE WILL” he desired to be as God and
sit on His Throne.
- This “iniquity” or sin that was FOUND in him
was the direct result of God creating him with FREE WILL. - So in effect,
God allowed Sin to come into existence because of the gift of Free Will which
He gave to angels and men.
- God wanted His creations to fellowship
with Him because that chose to do so of their own Free Will, otherwise He could
have made robots that would just praise Him all day.
·
God as a truly omnipotent
and good being;
created Angels and Man with true freedom over themselves. Furthermore, He did so voluntarily because
"The Greatest Good” which can be done for man, is to allow him to be truly
free; for God loves His creations.
·
Free Will gives man the ability to
do the GREATEST
GOOD as well as the ability to do
the GREATEST
EVIL.
·
Free Will is the main factor for man's
accountability for his actions throughout his life. His actions will be counted on the Day
of Judgment; each man stands as his own person and is responsible for his own
decisions and choices in life. – It’s in the Book -
MAN’S WILL - RABBIT TRAIL
- When God created the
world, there was only “One Will”
in the whole universe.
- When Satan rebelled
there became “Two Wills”; Satan’s
and God’s.
- Satan sought to
detach man from God; in order to attach man to himself and receive his
will.
- Satan was successful
in detaching man from God, but man had his “own will” and would not attach himself to Satan. – NYOBS 12.02 - NOW AND
NOT YET – Jesus’ words in Red
- Now there are “Billions of Wills” in the world;
that’s why God sent His Son to re-attach us.
- The war began against
God; then against His greatest creation; “MAN”, who was created in God’s
own image. - There is an Invisible War going on - and it’s over us. – It’s in the
Book -
Ezekiel 28:12-15 – Satan
created perfect – Given Free Will
12 Thus says the Lord GOD;
You … full
of wisdom, and PERFECT in beauty. - Thou hast been in Eden the
garden of God
15 You were PERFECT in thy
ways from the day that you were
created, till iniquity
was FOUND
in thee. NIV
Ezekiel 28:15 – Evil was
detected; found in Satan
15 From the day of your creation you were sheer perfection... and then imperfection—EVIL was detected in you. (MSG)
15 From the day of your creation you were sheer perfection... and then imperfection—EVIL was detected in you. (MSG)
John 8:44 – Satan -
The Father of lies
44 He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth
in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and THE FATHER of it.
KJV
Romans 14:11-12 - Each will
give an account of himself to God
11 It is written: "`As surely as I live,'
says the Lord, `every
knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"
12 So then, each of us will give an account of
himself to God. NIV
2 Cor 5:10 – All Believers
will appear Judgment Seat of Christ
10 For we must all appear before the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, that each one may
receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good
or bad. NIV
Rev 20:11-13 –
Un-believers appear before Great White Throne
11 Then I saw a GREAT
WHITE THRONE and
him who was seated on it.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before
the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which
is the BOOK
OF LIFE. The dead were judged according to what they had done
as recorded in THE
BOOKS.
13 and each person was
judged according to what he had done.
The
Take Away
·
We are commanded to intercede in
prayer for others and the Book says
it’s a sin against God to NOT participate.
·
We no longer need a Priest
or Pastor
to intercede for us or for others; the vail of Moses has been lifted and we now
have direct access to God through the name that is above all names that of
Jesus the Christ.
·
He has given us the Holy
Spirit
to come along side of us and help us pray the will of God. We do not have to be
a Prayer Warrior; God already knows what we have to say, so just pray
succinctly; short and to the point so He can release His power into your life.
·
Satan accuses us of our
sins
day and night before the throne of God where our Savior Jesus Christ sits at
the right hand of the father INTERCEDING for us. YEA… WE WIN
– It’s in the Book -
Job 1:6 – Satan ACCUSES us before the throne of
God
6 One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and
6 One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and
THE ACCUSER, SATAN, came with them.
(NLT)
Revelation 12:10 – Satan ACCUSES us day and night
10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the ACCUSER of our brothers
10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the ACCUSER of our brothers
HAS BEEN
THROWN DOWN,
who
ACCUSES THEM DAY
AND NIGHT before our God.
(ESV)
Romans 8:34 – Jesus INTERCEDES
at the right hand of God
34 Who is to condemn? CHRIST JESUS is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is
34 Who is to condemn? CHRIST JESUS is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is
AT THE RIGHT
HAND OF GOD,
who indeed
is
INTERCEDING FOR
US.
(ESV)
1 John 2:1 – Jesus is our INTERCESSOR who pleads
our case
1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE who pleads our case before the Father. HE IS JESUS CHRIST, the one who is truly righteous.
1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE who pleads our case before the Father. HE IS JESUS CHRIST, the one who is truly righteous.
(NLT)
Job 16:19-20 – Jesus Witness Advocate INTERCESSOR
Friend
19 Even now MY WITNESS IS IN HEAVEN;
19 Even now MY WITNESS IS IN HEAVEN;
my ADVOCATE
is on high.
20 My INTERCESSOR is my FRIEND as my eyes pour out tears to God;
20 My INTERCESSOR is my FRIEND as my eyes pour out tears to God;
(NIV2011)
Hebrews 7:25 – He lives to make INTERCESSION and to
save
25 Consequently, he is able to SAVE to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always
25 Consequently, he is able to SAVE to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always
LIVES TO MAKE
INTERCESSION FOR THEM.
(ESV)
Amen
·
Growing up I thought that “Amen” was
like punctuation; like a period after a sentence; it ended the prayer and was a
signal to dig in and EAT.
·
Amen as found in
the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament means “So be it; truly" and is a
declaration of affirmation.
·
When we use the word Amen, it means; “So let it be”,
the trust and assurance that God can and will bring it to pass.
·
Jesus often used the word
Amen to
affirm his own utterances, meaning; "I tell you the truth" or to say it
another way; “So
it WILL be”.
In the
multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:14
I am grateful to those that went before me
providing concepts, ideas, historical
information, and scripture verses. Because of them I can stand on their
shoulders
and
see further that I otherwise ever could have.
A Commentary; Critical,
Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans
Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias
Apocrypha – Goodspeed
Baker Commentary on the
Bible – Elwell
Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White
Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer
Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row
Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s
Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake
English Standard Version
Bible – ESV
Expositor’s Bible
Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein
Forgotten Books of Eden; The – World
Gospels Interwoven; The – Karmit Zarley
Illustrated Bible
Dictionary; The – Tyndale
Interlinear Greek-English
New Testament – Baker
In Touch – Dr.
Charles Stanley
Invisible War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse
King James Version Bible –
KJV
Lost Books of the Bible; The - World
Lost Books of the Bible; The - Bell
Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan
Missing Books of the Bible; The – Halo Press
Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest
Nag Hammadi Library; The – James M. Robinson
Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan
New International
Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas -
Tenney
New International Version
Bible (2011) – NIV
Now that’s a Good Question – R.C. Sproul
NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted & made GENDER NEUTRAL. AVOID IT.
New Living Translation Bible - NLT
Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls – Hugh J. Schonfield
Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee
Vincent’s Word Studies of
the New Testament – Mac Donald
Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner
Wycliffe Bible Commentary;
The – Pfeiffer & Harrison
Wikipedia –
Zondervan Pictorial
Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney
