Intercessory prayer
Have you ever told a friend or loved one "I will pray for you" then wondered if what you said was going to make any change to their plight?
The prayers of parents strengthen their children against the desolation waves of sin and evil. Woe to this generation, who find their censers empty of the rich incense of prayer; whose parents have been too busy and unbelieving to pray. Perils inexpressible and consequences untold are their unhappy heritage. Fortunate are those, whose parents have left them a wealthy patrimony of prayer.
Have you also wondered why most of our personal prayers are not answered?
When we pray for others, their lives are influenced.
God enlarged Jabez's territory. God loves intercessory prayers. They are not selfish prayers. They are prayers of concern, help and love to see others prosper and overcome.
We should learn to pray more for others. The more we pray for others, the more we are blessed.
There are some things which God would not do for others unless you ask Him on their behalf.
The intercession of Christ on behalf of Peter's faith prevented Peter from falling. (Luke 22:32)
Jesus gave an example of intercessory prayer in a parable. Luke 11:5-10 " 11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
11:6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
11:7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
11:8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
11:10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."
I would like to give you two incidences which are almost similar. There are two mem who had an opportunity of speaking to God when He wanted to destroy rebellious people. What these men did will give you a picture of how important intercessory prayers are.
In Exodus 32:7-14 we read the following, " 32:7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted [themselves]:
32:8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
32:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it [is] a stiffnecked people:
32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
32:11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
32:12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit [it] for ever.
32:14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."
The truth is, had not Moses interceded for the children of Israelites, God was going to destroy them. God does not joke, He means what He says.
Moses did what we are expected to do as a people on behalf of others. There are some people who will ONLY be in heaven, because you prayed for them.
The king of the city of Sodom was Bera, and the king of the city of Gomorrah was Birsha. These kings were always united when fighting other nations and even at their death. The cities also united in sinning such that sin became part of their everyday living. God then decided to destroy the two cities and their inhabitants.
Here now we hear the Lord talking to Abraham before the destruction.
In Genesis 18:23-33 we read, "18:23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
18:24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that [are] therein?
18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
18:26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
18:27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which [am but] dust and ashes:
18:28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for [lack of] five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy [it].
18:29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do [it] for forty's sake.
18:30 And he said [unto him], Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do [it], if I find thirty there.
18:31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for twenty's sake.
18:32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for ten's sake.
18:33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place."
Did you notice that the Lord did not stop forgiving the cities UNTIL, ABRAHAM STOPPED ASKING?
Remember the city of Nineveh which was given only forty days to live. After Jonah preached they all repented. The Lord then said in Jonah 4:11. "4:11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and [also] much cattle?"
How many of us would be where we are today, had it not been for the prayers of others?
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Paul said "5:17 Pray without ceasing.
In Ezekiel 22:30 we read,"22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none."
In 1 Chronicles 4:10 we read " 4:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep [me] from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested."
In Mark 2:4,5 we read of friends who brought a sick man to Christ through the roof, "2:4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken [it] up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. "
What do you think was going to happen had Abraham asked the Lord to spare Sodom for the sake of ONE person?. May be some of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah where going to have a chance to repent. Abraham limited God to TEN people. They were less than ten people there, the Lord distroyed the cities. It was as if God was not going to forgive the cities for the sake of one person, LOT. God had to take the few people out and distroyed all who remained, BECAUSE ABRAHAM STOPPED ASKING.