The Privilege of Intercessory Prayer

James 5:16New King James Version (NKJV)
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Today I was blessed with an opportunity to offer prayer for a friend.

When I realized how very honored I felt that she would ask me to pray for her situation I felt a need to look more into the history of intercessory prayer in the lives of Christians.

I found a wonderful article on intercessory prayer at http://www.allaboutprayer.org/intercessory-prayer.htm. I say wonderful because it was, first of all scripturally based, second clear and easy to read and third, brief.

This article describes intercessory prayer as:
Intercessory Prayer - What is it?Intercessory prayer is prayer for others. An intercessor is one who takes the place of another or pleads another's case. One study Bible defines intercession as "holy, believing, persevering prayer whereby someone pleads with God on behalf of another or others who desperately need God's “Intervention."

Hebrews 9:7 New International Version (©1984)But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

Intercessory prayer was once the primary function of the priesthood. God, Himself, established the power of bringing the needs of others before Him and set aside an entire tribe to fill this function.

But we all have the privilege and responsibility of interceding on behalf of others and are encouraged to do so many times in scripture.

We have wonderful examples of intercessory prayer. Abraham prayed fervently for the people of Sodom and God heard his plea. (Genesis 18:20-33)In the book of Exodus, especially Exodus 32:11-13 and Exodus 32:31-32 we see Moses interceding on behalf of the children of Israel.

But what about us ordinary folks? Can we be as effective in our petitions to God?

1 John 5:14 New King James Version (NKJV)14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

And with this confidence comes an obligation to others.

1 Timothy 2:1-5 New King James Version (NKJV)1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

I thank God for every opportunity to be in His will. I praise God that He graciously adopted me into His Royal Family and encourages me to come to Him in prayer.

Hebrews 4:14-16 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus the Great High Priest 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

One of the Three Thousand Souls

Gratitude of One of the Three Thousand Souls

Acts 2:41-42 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Every group has it's core group and it's inner core.
But what about those who work and live on the fringes?
Is their work valuable to the group.
Do they value themselves.

Matthew 28:16-20 New International Version (NIV)
The Great Commission
 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

There is much in scripture to encourage those in the three thousand. The Great Commission itself is impossible without the work and support of those in the outer circle. How difficult, even in this age of mass media, for a few to accomplish the great work Our Father has set for us to do.

1 Corinthians 12:4-14 New King James Version (NKJV)
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

So here, then, is the validation for those in the three thousands. Here is the encouragement to prayerfully seek that which is ours to do and to do it in the fulness of joy in the Lord!

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

God has given each of us a work to do in the kingdom but sometimes we get so scattered, trying to do all and be all, that we cannot effectively accomplish that which God has appointed us to do. Sometimes we get so immobilized by looking at what others are doing that we can't focus on the job at hand.

Unity and Diversity in One Body
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.

We diminish the effectiveness of the body when we abandon the work that is uniquely ours. There is no diversity if everyone is the same. Try to picture a body which is just one part, any one part, even the all important brain. How very limited that organism would be.

15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?

I am so in awe at the symmetry and order of our Creator!

18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.

And He pleased with an unsurpassed majesty!!!

24b But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Acts 6:7 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
 7 The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

It is my joy to be a member of the Body of Christ. I pray He uses me in the fullest in the building of His Kingdom.

Acts 2:41-42 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Thank You, Lord from one of the three thousand.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!