06/06/2019
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One of the most
accurate meanings for the word intercession is persistence. This is especially true of intercessory prayer. Although,
in many situations we can do nothing but pray; in every situation and crisis,
prayer is the most effective way to get through the situation, by reaching out
to God, so He may work on our behalf. Persistent prayer represents the
unwillingness to let this matter pass without being continually brought before
God in believing prayer. It means to continue in believing prayer to God about
this thing until it is answered.
All Scripture confirms this truth. Selecting a few Scriptures such as 1 Timothy 2:1-2 where the Apostle Paul writes, “First of all, then, I urge that petitions (specific requests), prayers, intercessions (prayers for others) and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in [positions of] high authority, so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” increases faith to continue in believing prayer. Then to the church at Ephesus, the Apostle said in Ephesians 6:18, “With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.” The Apostle continues to speak on the importance of persistent prayer by saying in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Most people do not pray and many of those who do, just rush in to God, say a few words and quickly leave the place of prayer. That is not Biblical intercessory prayer.
Most of our needs are great and always with us; most of the time with no relief. And still we refuse to pray about our needs or we pray occasionally if at all. Concerning one of his desires the Apostle Paul said in First Thessalonians 3:10 that he prayed, “We continue to pray night and day most earnestly that we may see you face to face, and may complete whatever may be imperfect and lacking in your faith.” This is praying continually in the present for the ever present need. During times like this the Prophet Isaiah said God looks at this kind of situation like this, “He saw that there was no man, and was amazed that there was no one to intercede [on behalf of truth and right]; therefore His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His own righteousness sustained Him.” {Isaiah 59:16}. Second Chronicles 7:14 says “If My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.”
In God’s Word we come across the word “travail” which means the following in the Merriam Webster Dictionary:
All Scripture confirms this truth. Selecting a few Scriptures such as 1 Timothy 2:1-2 where the Apostle Paul writes, “First of all, then, I urge that petitions (specific requests), prayers, intercessions (prayers for others) and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in [positions of] high authority, so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” increases faith to continue in believing prayer. Then to the church at Ephesus, the Apostle said in Ephesians 6:18, “With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.” The Apostle continues to speak on the importance of persistent prayer by saying in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Most people do not pray and many of those who do, just rush in to God, say a few words and quickly leave the place of prayer. That is not Biblical intercessory prayer.
Most of our needs are great and always with us; most of the time with no relief. And still we refuse to pray about our needs or we pray occasionally if at all. Concerning one of his desires the Apostle Paul said in First Thessalonians 3:10 that he prayed, “We continue to pray night and day most earnestly that we may see you face to face, and may complete whatever may be imperfect and lacking in your faith.” This is praying continually in the present for the ever present need. During times like this the Prophet Isaiah said God looks at this kind of situation like this, “He saw that there was no man, and was amazed that there was no one to intercede [on behalf of truth and right]; therefore His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His own righteousness sustained Him.” {Isaiah 59:16}. Second Chronicles 7:14 says “If My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.”
In God’s Word we come across the word “travail” which means the following in the Merriam Webster Dictionary:
a: work especially of a painful
or laborious nature: toil
b: a physical or mental exertion
or piece of work: task, effort
c: agony, torment
Beyond its
physical meaning, travail can also have psychological implications, as in ‘the
travail of the soul’. Isaiah 53:11 uses the word travail {anguish}, in
reference to the agony of soul the Messiah would suffer when He bore the sins
of the world. Jesus’ travail is evident in the Garden of Gethsemane, just
before His arrest: “And being in agony [deeply
distressed and anguished; almost to the point of death], He prayed more
intently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down on the ground.” {Luke 22:44} It will come to everyone.
Jesus, the Prince of Peace, said “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world. [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]” (John 16:33) In Jeremiah 29:11 the Prophet wrote, “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Romans 11:33 says God’s ways are beyond our understanding. This Great God said His thoughts toward us were peaceful {Jeremiah 29:11}. He also tells us that He, at all times, has proven that people’s love and unfailing devotion was to be to Him alone {Psalm 62:12}. He tried His people, the nation of Israel as recorded in Deuteronomy 8:2, “And you shall remember [always] all the ways which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart (mind), whether you would keep His commandments or not.” There are times when our personal actions bring sorrows and troubles. There are other times when God puts us to a time of testing to know our true feelings and heart toward Him. In true intercessory prayer there will be travail for the purpose of proving. But even though God tests us He floods us, before the struggle with the promises given in His Word. In Isaiah 43:2 He promises, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.” Another precious promise is in James 1:12, “Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” And yet again, the promise of God is found in 1 Peter 4:12-13, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you [that is, to test the quality of your faith], as though something strange or unusual were happening to you. But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, keep on rejoicing, so that when His glory [filled with His radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may rejoice with great joy.”
There are times when our personal actions bring sorrows and troubles. There are other times when God, our Heavenly Father, has a purpose in His ways with us. He deals with us through experiences in which we do not understand His purpose and ways. In true intercessory prayer there will be travail, but we know Who is in full control. Put your need and crisis in God’s Powerful Hands. Don’t let go. Though it seems you are losing grip, persevere. The answer to your prayer and your perseverance may appear to have not been long and strong enough, just be patient and wait. Hold on to 1 Peter 1:6-7, where the Lord said, “In this you rejoice greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in [your] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” There is a victorious and eternal end to all tribulations, trials and sorrows.
Jesus, the Prince of Peace, said “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world. [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]” (John 16:33) In Jeremiah 29:11 the Prophet wrote, “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Romans 11:33 says God’s ways are beyond our understanding. This Great God said His thoughts toward us were peaceful {Jeremiah 29:11}. He also tells us that He, at all times, has proven that people’s love and unfailing devotion was to be to Him alone {Psalm 62:12}. He tried His people, the nation of Israel as recorded in Deuteronomy 8:2, “And you shall remember [always] all the ways which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart (mind), whether you would keep His commandments or not.” There are times when our personal actions bring sorrows and troubles. There are other times when God puts us to a time of testing to know our true feelings and heart toward Him. In true intercessory prayer there will be travail for the purpose of proving. But even though God tests us He floods us, before the struggle with the promises given in His Word. In Isaiah 43:2 He promises, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.” Another precious promise is in James 1:12, “Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” And yet again, the promise of God is found in 1 Peter 4:12-13, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you [that is, to test the quality of your faith], as though something strange or unusual were happening to you. But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, keep on rejoicing, so that when His glory [filled with His radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may rejoice with great joy.”
There are times when our personal actions bring sorrows and troubles. There are other times when God, our Heavenly Father, has a purpose in His ways with us. He deals with us through experiences in which we do not understand His purpose and ways. In true intercessory prayer there will be travail, but we know Who is in full control. Put your need and crisis in God’s Powerful Hands. Don’t let go. Though it seems you are losing grip, persevere. The answer to your prayer and your perseverance may appear to have not been long and strong enough, just be patient and wait. Hold on to 1 Peter 1:6-7, where the Lord said, “In this you rejoice greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in [your] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” There is a victorious and eternal end to all tribulations, trials and sorrows.
Always
remember that no matter what you are going through Jesus wants us to rely on
our fellow believers when we need prayer. In James
5:16 we read, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for
another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.”
We need other believers who pray at all
times and are persistent in prayer {1 Thessalonians 5:17} for the needs of others. Thank God for
the many believers from around the world who consider it joy to pray for
others!
Forever in Christ Jesus service,
Scriptures
for further study about prayer
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