Key verse: Daniel 9:16: “In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn your furious anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. All the neighbouring nations mock Jerusalem and your people because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors,” (NLT).
Intercessory prayer is praying to God on behalf of another or others. The word “intercessor” has roots in Greek, and the Greek meaning is “to come between.” Abraham stood in the gap to intercede for God’s mercy on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:23-33). Intercessors have a standing before God. The Bible said, Abraham stood yet before the Lord (Genesis 18:22b). Abraham had acceptance of God and enjoyed the influence of God. It was a prayer of confession and plea for God’s mercy, acknowledging Israel’s sin and appealing to God’s righteousness and covenant faithfulness. Daniel recognised that Israel’s captivity was a consequence of their unfaithfulness and pleaded with God to turn away His wrath from Jerusalem and restore the city.
Intercessors restrain God’s Hand of judgment against the people and release God’s Hand of mercy. Destinies of men lie in the hands of intercessors.
Intercession is to intercede on behalf of another person. Intercede means to intervene on behalf of another. It is to pray on behalf of another person.
The first time the word “prayer” is used in the Bible was in Genesis 20:17. It is used in the context of Abraham not praying for himself, but for someone else. The context in which he is praying is that he is praying for a man who almost stole his wife from him (Genesis 20:2). God had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of his attempt on Sarah. We were not told how long Sarah was in the custody of Abimelech, but for the period that she was there, Abimelech’s wife and servants’ wives were not having children. The whole family has been cursed with barrenness. Abraham interceded for a man who almost took away his wife if not for God’s intervention.
Sometimes in intercessory prayer, God will direct you to pray for people you do not like. Abraham prayed for Abimelech and the curse inAbimelech’shousehold was reversed (Genesis 20:17). Interestingly, it was after Abraham prayed for Abimelech that God also opened the womb of Sarah to conceive. The word “pray” in verse 17 is translated to mean to mediate, to intercede or to make arbitration.
Intercessors stand in between the people and their problems. Abraham stood between Abimelech and death. God said to Abimelech in Genesis 20:3: “Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.” God gives His stamp of approval to intercessor’s pleadings and requests. In 1Kings 17:1, Elijah prayed and said as: “Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years.” In 1Kings 17:7, the Bible recorded that God granted the request of His servant, Elijah. And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
Intercessory prayer activates the promises of God. Daniel prayed for God to fulfill His promise by releasing Israel from captivity after 70 years. God sent an angel to give answers to Daniel’s prayers and the angel was hindered, but Daniel continued to pray for three weeks straight. The authority to change destinies are in the hands of intercessors. They are a vital part of spiritual communities, providing a deep connection to the divine through prayers.
• Today’s nugget: Intercessors can change the world
Prayer: Lord help me to stand in the gap for others. Prayer lines: 08033299824.E-mail: [email protected]. Rev. Abel UkachiAmadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria
