INTERCEDE! New Year Challenge Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Glyn Roberts
Intercede! MBC s Night of Prayer Friday, January 11 Lord, Teach Us to Pray! God s Top Intercessors Moses & Samuel Elijah and Me Why Intercede? What Should I Pray For? Who Should I Pray For? Supernatural Prayer
MBC s Night of Prayer Friday, January 11, 8 pm Our Lord Jesus sets the example Luke 6:12 Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. An Old Testament example 1 Samuel 15:11 Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night. A famous New Testament gathering Acts 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12:12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 3
Lord, Teach Us to Pray! Luke 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray. Our Lord s example led to His disciples request. We call His response, The Lord s Prayer. Our Father in Heaven Your Name, Your Kingdom, Your Will Our daily bread, our sins, our temptations 4
God s Top Intercessors! Moses and Samuel Jeremiah 15:1 Then the LORD said to me: Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. An endorsement of two long-dead intercessors! Psalms 99:6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the LORD and he answered them. Two among the supernatural birth narratives (with Isaac, Samson, John the Baptist, and our Lord!) Numbers 14:19-20 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now. The LORD replied, I have forgiven them, as you asked. 1 Samuel 12:23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. 5
Moses s Prayers of Weakness Only King David has more prayers recorded! Exodus 4:13 Please send someone else! Exodus 5:22-23 Moses returned to the LORD and said, O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all. Exodus 6:12 Moses said to the LORD, If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips? Exodus 17: 4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me. Numbers 11:10-15 Moses was troubled. He asked the LORD, Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? " 6
Moses s Prayers of Intercession About twenty are recorded. At Sinai: Exodus 32:11-14 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. O LORD, he said, why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever. Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. 7
Moses s Prayers of Intercession At Kadesh, when Israel grumbled at the spies report Numbers 14:11-20 The LORD said to Moses, I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they. Moses said to the LORD, Then the Egyptians will hear about it! If you put these people to death all at one time, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, The LORD was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath; so he slaughtered them in the desert. Now may the Lord s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation. In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now. The LORD replied, I have forgiven them, as you 8 asked.
Samuel s Four Recorded Prayers 1 Samuel 7:9 He cried out to the LORD on Israel s behalf, and the LORD answered him. 1 Samuel 8:6 But when they said, Give us a king to lead us, this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 1 Samuel 12:18 Then Samuel called upon the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. 1 Samuel 15:11 Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night. We can only speculate on what made him a top intercessor. Prayers for the nation, obviously (12:23, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you ). Likely also for Saul, and for David. His prayers get less coverage than his mother s. Like Jeremiah, we would never have known of his intercessor standing, except for Jeremiah 15:1, Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me. 9
Samuel s Great Awakening Role 1 Samuel 7:2-13 All the people of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD. 3 And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. 5 Then Samuel said, Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the LORD for you. 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah. 7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines. 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel s behalf, and the LORD answered him. 1 Samuel 7:13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel s lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines. 10
Elijah and Me James 5:16-18 The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. The OT doesn t record that first 42-month prayer. It records many miracles he prayed for, and his flight and despondence after Jezebel s threat. Under God, Elijah led another Great Awakening in the showdown with Baal s prophets on Mount Carmel. The point is clear. Ordinary sinners like me can be counted righteous, believe God, and change history! 11
Do Not Pray For This People! Jeremiah 7:16 So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you. Jeremiah 11:14 Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress. Jeremiah 14:11 Then the LORD said to me, Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry. This is the context for the endorsement of Moses and Samuel. It was too late to pray for Israel, although Jeremiah continued to pray. 12
Discussion Questions 1. What s the point of praying? 2. Is it too late for America? For my neighbors? Why was it too late for Israel in Jeremiah s time? 3. Europe has turned its back on God. What s the problem? Not enough prayer? Too few missionaries? Poor strategies? Not enough money? 4. There are signs of spiritual awakenings in many parts of the developing world. How can I help? 5. So what? 13
Why Intercede? It s a Command, not an Option! Luke 11:2 He said to them, When you pray, say: Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray continually. 14
Why Intercede? Heaven & Hell are Real and Eternal! Romans 8:18 Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Matthew 16:26, Mark 8:36, Luke 9:25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Luke 16:23-24 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. I am in agony in this fire. Matthew 25:41 Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 15
What Should I Pray For? God s Name, Kingdom and Will! Matthew 6:9-10 (GNT) May your holy name be honored; May your Kingdom come; May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. God s reputation matters; Moses mentioned recognition by Egypt and Canaan in his prayers. His kingdom comes as His rule is more recognized, and in eternity. His will is that all be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) and live lives of obedience and love. 16
What Should I Pray For? Workers for the Harvest! Matthew 9:37-38 & Luke 10:2 The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. Acts 13:2 The Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Acts 20:4 Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. Galatians 1:23 The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. 17
What Should I Pray For? The Salvation of the Lost! John 5:34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. Romans 10:1 My heart s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 1 Corinthians 9:22 I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. Jeremiah 18:20 Remember that I stood before you and spoke in their behalf to turn your wrath away from them. Ezekiel 22:30 I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. 18
What Should I Pray For? Growth & Discipling of Believers! Colossians 1:9-12 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 19
What Should I Pray For? Spiritual Awakenings! Jonah3:5,10 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. Acts 3:5-8 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city. 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. 20
Who Should I Pray For? Us, Them, Everyone, Rulers! James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. 1 John 5:16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. Romans 10:1 My heart s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 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. 21
Who Should I Pray For? Enemies, Our Leaders, Missionaries! Matthew 5:44 Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Luke 6:28 Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Colossians 4:3 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. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. Ephesians 6:19-20 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. 22
Supernatural Payer Romans 8:26 The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Philippians 1:4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. Colossians 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. 23
Suggested Prayer List 1. Your name, kingdom & will; our bread, sins, & temptations 2. The persecuted and their persecutors 3. Our leaders & their families, spiritual & physical protection 4. Rulers and influencers worldwide 5. The lost, of every age, sex, health, wealth, education, sin 6. Suffering people, refugees, sick, bereaved 7. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, animists, seculars 8. Spiritual awakenings and disciple-making movements 9. Present and new missionaries and their families 10. Europe, America, Asia, Africa and the Islands 11. MBC, local churches and church plants, 24