Wednesday, 18 September 2024
INTERCESSION IS FOR OTHERS
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).
Intercession involves standing in the gap between two parties or more. It's about pleading a case on behalf of someone else, often without their awareness of their predicament or their need for help. For instance, when you intercede for someone who isn't born again, they may not be conscious of their spiritual state or their need for salvation.
In such cases, you're presenting reasons to God on their behalf. You're bringing their ignorance and lack of understanding about their spiritual standing before the Lord. Consider how God described the Ninevites to Jonah—they didn't know right from wrong. But God sent Jonah to them to preach and get them to repent from their wickedness.
Remarkably, the Ninevites, from the king to the common people, took Jonah's message to heart and repented sincerely, fasting and wearing sackcloth as a sign of mourning and penitence. Their collective repentance moved God. In Jonah 4:11 (NIV), after sparing Nineveh, God explained His compassion to Jonah: "And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?"
Similarly, when we pray for sinners, we're telling God that they don't understand their situation and their need for salvation. We acknowledge that they deserve God’s judgment due to sin, but we plead our case on Jesus' sacrifice for them. We're not persuading God to save them because salvation is already available through Jesus. Instead, we're asking that the Lord will arrange circumstances that will lead them to accept this salvation.
This type of intercession extends beyond the lost to those who, even though are already Christians, may still be ignorant or struggling with their faith. It's about selflessly praying for others; advocating for them in prayer before God, whether they are aware of their need or not.
PRAYER: Dear Father, I pray for those in my world who are yet to receive salvation, that their eyes and hearts be open to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that you’ll orchestrate circumstances, situations, materials, and people that’ll cause the radiant light of your glorious Gospel to shine brightly in their hearts, dispelling darkness, and ushering them into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
1 Timothy 2:1-4; Romans 8:26-27 NIV; Colossians 4:3 NIV
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Galatians 3:15-25 & Songs of Solomon 6-8
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Timothy 4:1-8 & Jeremiah 36