http://holdingtotruth.com/2014/01/05/principles-prayers-of-intercession/
I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men–1 Tim. 2:2.
Are you a believer in Christ seeking a more effective prayer life? If so, then it’s important for you to learn God’s principles for prayer so that your prayers of intercession may receive His response.
These divine principles for effective prayers of intercession are revealed in God’s Word, They’re awaiting our discovery and application.
So in this post, we’ll consider five of these divine principles from Genesis 18 to see how Abraham practiced effective prayers of intercession so that we also can apply them in our prayer life.
Five basic principles for effective prayers of intercession
Intercession refers to an act of interceding, an interposing or pleading on behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble. In the Bible it refers to our prayer to God on behalf others.
In Genesis 18, we can see Abraham’s intercession to God on behalf of Lot, his nephew. This case reveals at least five basic principles for our effective prayers of intercession.
Effective prayers of intercession are:
1. Initiated by God’s revelation—Gen. 18:17-21
God was seeking an intercessor and He found one in Abraham. After receiving the meal prepared by Abraham, God made His heart known to him in Genesis 18:17-21 where God begins by saying, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?…”
Part of the footnote on this verse in the Holy Bible Recovery Version says,
“…God revealed His heart’s desire. The proper intercession is not initiated by man but by God’s revelation. Thus it expresses God’s desire and paves the way for the accomplishing of His will.”
Today, we can receive God’s revelation by reading His Word and proper ministry books that open up the Word. In Ephesians 3:3-4, Paul said,
“That by revelation the mystery was made know to me, as I have written previously in brief, by which in reading it, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ.”
2. For God’s people—Gen. 18:23
Both God and Abraham were concerned for Lot—one of God’s people who drifted into the world.
Although God had determined to judge that corrupted world, His heart was concerned for Lot, particularly as it relates to Lot’s relationship with Christ. Ruth, who would become a great grandmother of Jesus was a Moabitess, a descendant of Lot and God was concerned for Lot in order to protect Christ’s genealogy through her.
True prayers of intercession focus on God’s interest in His people. They are related to God’s gaining people in order to bring forth Christ in them and through them (Gal. 4:19). God needs us to intercede for His people, including the backslidden ones like Lot so that Christ can be brought forth in them and through them.
May our prayers be turned from our private interests to care for God’s interest in people according to the desire of His heart.
3. An intimate conversation with God according to God’s heart—Gen. 18:22-33
“…Abraham remained standing before Jehovah” (v. 22). There God and Abraham had an intimate conversation as between two friends (Isa. 41:8).
It’s amazing to see how God opened His heart to Abraham and how Abraham conversed with God—even challenging God—on a human level, in such an intimate way.
To learn this lesson, we first need to learn to fellowship with the Lord. Then we need to learn to linger in His presence—to have an intimate conversation with Him.
This hymn: “Pray to fellowship Jesus, in the spirit seek His face” really develops this point. I encourage you to pray over the lyrics to learn to have such an intimate conversation with the Lord.
4. According to God’s righteous way—Gen. 18:23-32
Abraham learned another lesson regarding intercession, that is, how to appeal to God according to His righteousness (Gen. 18:23-32). Whether God expresses His love and grace toward a person may fluctuate according to His feeling. But God’s righteousness is absolute.
Righteousness is the foundation of God’s throne (Psa. 89:14). So we need to learn how to challenge God according to His righteousness.
However, holding God to His righteousness is difficult to do without an adequate knowledge of God’s Word. For example, if God has given us His word of promise in the Scriptures, He would be unrighteous if He does not do according to His Word.
May we learn to intercede by praying, “Lord, You said in Your Word…now do as You have spoken and fulfill Your promise.”
You put your finger down upon the very lines, and say, “Do as thou hast said.” This is the best praying in all the world. O beloved, be filled with God’s Word. (p. 21)
5. God speaking in our speaking—Gen. 18:33
Finally, we can see that Abraham’s intercession ended not with Abraham, but with God. Genesis 18:33 says,
“And Jehovah went away as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham…”
This Word gives us two practical points to remember. First, genuine intercession is God’s speaking in our speaking. Second, our prayers of intercession should end when God has finished His speaking. So we need to learn to remain with the Lord until He has finished His speaking.
Often, we look at the time and say, “My prayer time is over.” But, has God really finished His speaking? We may actually walk away from Him leaving the Lord with no channel through which to finish His intercession. May we learn to let the Lord speak in our speaking and let Him finish His speaking.
Concluding thoughts…
As earnest believers in Christ, the Lord will surely lay many people on our heart. He may give us the burden to pray for our family, friends, relatives, colleagues, classmates and neighbors. They all need our prayer, whether it is for their salvation, growth in Christ, or restoration from a backslidden ore dormant condition.
But, it is not only they who need God and His salvation. Even more, God needs them for the accomplishment of His purpose for Christ and the church, His Body.
To this end may we be one with God to pray prayers of intercession that are:
1) Initiated by His revelation,
2) For His people,
3) In an intimate conversation with Him,
4) According to His righteous way and
5) With Him speaking in our speaking.
In this way God, can carry out His desire and accomplish His will on this earth.
If you’ve been helped by this post to see the divine principles for prayers of intercession, please share your appreciation in a comment.
References and Further Resources:
- This post was inspired by Message Seven of the Crystallization-Study of Genesis.
- The points of this post are also embodied in the footnotes of the Holy Bible Recovery Version and the companion study, Life-study of Genesis by Witness Lee, Message 51 on “A Glorious Intercession.” You can read it freely online at: ministrybooks.org.
- For a further presentation of these 5 principles of intercession, you may also want to read a related post at “A Normal Believer in Christ” blog.
- Here are three hymns that strengthen the points of this post:
- All the ministry publications listed above are copyrighted publications of Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. You can find them online at: lsm.org
- Photo credit: Clark Russell
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