Gospel Ramah Church Pastor Olivier Tshala 14 July 2019
Every human being knows that we are fallible, limited and can't do all that we want to do by our own means.
- We also know that we will not live forever and cannot predetermine destiny.
- Job 36:19
- In the face of life, we are inadequate.
- It is during difficult times that our default setting sets in, we pray.
- Who you pray to will determine the outcome of what you are praying for.
As Christians we pray to God who is GREATER than all.
- We pray to the One who IS; meaning that God is real and alive.
- We believe that the One we are praying to has the ability and capacity to successfully intervene on our behalf.
Prayer is communication with God:
Inward focus prayer
- One aspect of prayer is inward - things that directly affects you.
- Prayers made focusing on your personal needs and wants.
Outward focus prayer
- Intercession - praying for something that doesn't directly affects you.
The algorithm to implementing an action:
I. Defining what you are going to be doing.
- You cannot implement an action without knowing what it is.
- You cannot pray without knowing what prayer is and it's impact.
ii. Assessment of the requirements of what you are going to be doing.
- Assessing the demand that the process will have on you.
- God has made the requirements for praying easy as He is available anytime and anywhere for you to speak to Him.
iii. Assessing what you will benefit when you do what you planning to do.
- What will I gain from this process?
- What is your motivation for carrying out the action?
- As long as the benefits are not clear to you, you won't move to action.
- Intercession doesn't give you a personal benefit as you are mediating between God and Man.
- This makes it difficult for people to fully commit to praying for others.
Genesis 18:14,16, 22-23
Abraham continued to follow God and stayed committed to serving Him even after what he was praying for had been resolved. He was finally going to be a father.
- Many people get lost between the answer to a prayer and its physical manifestation.
- Abraham received, followed and stayed with the Lord. He was not content by the personal breakthrough he had just received. He decided to stay by God as he was concerned about what God was concerned about.
- Abraham did not remain at just being concerned, he also interceded for Sodom and Gomorah.
Genesis 18:17
Relationship and proximity obliges disclosure.
- Many of us will not know what God is about to do because we do not have a close relationship with Him.
- What God discloses to you is based on the kind of relationship you share with Him.
- Remain connected to God even after He has answered your prayers.
Intercession by definition cannot be superficial or done from a distance.
- It requires you to be genuinely concerned about what is going on around you.
- Intercession does not focus on blaming people but standing on their behalf to pray for their salvation.
- Abraham did not only plead for Lot and his family's survival, he also pleaded for Sodom and Gomorah inhabitants whom he knew were sinful.
Lot was also as an intercessors as he pleaded for the dignity and lives of his visitors. He was even willing to sacrifice his daughters.
- Intercession is something that super exceeds normal intellect.
- Romans 8:34 - even after completing His mission on earth, Jesus is still interceeding for us.
- Intercessors are motivated by love.
Can you pray for someone with genuine concern or invest yourself into someone else's issues.
- Abraham was concerned about Sodom and Gomorah such that he pleaded with God for their salvation even though they had a very bad reputation that had made God, Himself to come down to address the issues.
Genesis 19:19; 29
Lot thought he had found favor in God's eyes as he wasn't aware that his deliverance was because God remembered Abraham.
- People are saved from catastrophe through intercession.
Be the kind of person that God will remember and save people because of the prayers you have made.
Daniel 9
Daniel had a great job in Babylon.
- He still prayed for Israel to be restored.
- You need to move beyond praying for just your own needs but other people's issues.
Intercession requires divine inspiration.
- You need to recommit to serving God and not using God.
- If we pray more for ourselves there is no need for God to tell you what He is doing beyond your life concerns. God knows you only focus on yourself.
You need to pray for others with empathy. - You can only intercede through compassion and love. - Intercession's reward is the success of those whom you were praying for. - Without love, intercession makes no sense.
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