Power of Intercession

Power of Intercession

Key Scripture:  “He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25

Power Point:

My grandchildren and Kim are here for their annual summer visit.  As I was praying about our time together a few months ago the Lord told me that this summer was to be “Days of Grace”.  As it turns out, the entire summer has been an opportunity to grow in grace, extend grace and learn what it really means. Imagine my surprise when I found an article I had saved called “Days of Grace”.  Somehow I missed the author but I’d like to quote from it:

“When Job "prayed for" his friends (Job 42:10), God fully restored him. We are to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Ps. 122:6), and "pray for" each other so that we may be healed (James 5:16). Paul wrote that God "desires all men to be saved" (1 Tim. 2:4). Therefore, he urged "that entreaties and prayers…be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority" (vv. 1-2).

The nature of our calling is to pray for people in difficulty, in sin, in sickness, and in need of God.”

That’s the nature of grace and mercy and it should give us a clue as to what God does for us. In fact, n Isaiah 59, it says that God couldn’t find anyone to intercede for us so He came Himself. That’s a good thing to remember. Jesus was the perfect result of God’s intercession for earth. What a great example He was. He spent His nights in prayer for every person in His life. His last words were His prayers for those that He was leaving behind.

Perhaps the hardest thing we have to do is take a step back from what we see going on in someone’s life and pray for them, in faith. In the Old Testament intercession means that we reach out to God for them, meet with Him on their behalf, and ask for His favor on their life. In Hebrews 7:25 it says that because Jesus is our priest forever, He still lives to make intercession for us. The meaning is much the same. It means that He meets with the Father on our behalf Just take a moment and think about that crazy thing you did yesterday and then think about the Savior of the world on His knees right now for you.

He lives to pray for us. He lives to help us. He lives to show us the “real thing.” He lives to show us what real love joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness and self-control and what it can mean in our lives.

It’s our job to do the same for everyone else. We get to partner with Him in bringing God into their lives as we pray for them and call on God to show them grace and mercy. We get to pray for their healing, for their peace, for their blessing, and of course for their forgiveness. That’s what it really means to forgive others as we are forgiven.

Is it time to re-set your mind on what God wants to do in our lives and their lives? Is it time to bring heaven’s heart to earth for that person who gets on your last nerve?  How would that change your thinking today? What if all your negative energy were now transformed into intercession for that someone? What if you busied yourself  “calling forth those things which do not exist as though they did?”

Just a thought.

Power Thought:

When I’m busy praying for someone, I don’t have time to complain about them- even to God.  I’m too busy finding out what He sees for them and calling it out.