(Fourth part)
Memory verse (Ezek22: 30): " So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one ".
In the journey of prayer we start from outside going inside God’s presence. The tabernacle of Moses is a good illustration for this. The journey began outside where the offerings were killed, then they proceeded into the outer courts where the priest washed up, they proceeded into the holy place where there were the lamp stand, the showbread and an altar and finally in the Holy Holies where God’s mercy seat was and where only the high priest entered once a year to offer the blood for atoning of the sins of the nation.
We start the prayer journey in the flesh then into the Spirit. As we go from the flesh into the spirit, God’s presence begins to soak us with his love. As we move away from the flesh and go deeper and deeper in the Spirit, we stop seeing our selves and begin to see other people. We cease to see our needs and begin to see other people’s needs, we begin to be burdened by other people’s burdens, and troubled by other’s troubles, we begin to weep with those who weep. We begin to carry burdens of peoples, cities, families and nations to God in prayer. The intercessor bridges the gap between man and God. In intercession we close the separation between Man and God. In intercession we connect men with God. Abraham stood before God for Lot and his life was saved. Moses stood before God for Israel and pleaded with God for Israel and God had mercy on them. Intercession averts God’s judgment, intercession brings God’s purpose to pass for the people and nations, intercession brings God’s intervention, intercession brings revival upon nations, and intercession destroys Satan’s hold over nations and cities.
God wants to bring you to a dimension of prayer that is so fruitful and fulfilling, i.e. when you start to pray for others needs. You begin to get great joy as you see God move in other people’s lives and circumstances through prayers. Until you begin to live for other people you will never know the joy of life. God’s purpose for the church, i.e. for you and me is to receive life and give it out to others (Jn7: 37-38), but the world’s philosophy of life is give and take. It’s time you get out of your way and begin to intercede for others.
Tomorrow’s subject: “ The dimension of Thanksgiving ”
