40 Days of Spiritual RebootSample

Today we begin a new theme that we will focus on for the next five days. Let us renew our life of intercession for others. This means an intentional prayer life that organises one to cover every key relationship, putting the needs and concerns of others before God as if it were you’re own.

Here is the bottom line of intercession. In a community of intercessors… if you’re praying for everyone else… than over a period of time, everyone is praying for you. Although this is not the motivation, it is a warming hope that we could be a community that isn’t self - centered in our prayer lives.

Intercession or Interceding means praying for someone else. Standing in the gap. Representing someone else before God. It is a priestly duty granted and gifted to ever disciple of Christ by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus gives us a full treatment of this theology in John 14-17. And while I would love to get into the teaching here on prayer, my purpose is to invigorate the habit. So let's stay focused on the practical implementation. You can always write to me in person or follow my sermons on the app to know more.

Intercession is riveted through the Bible. Just google ‘scriptures on prayer’ or ‘pray for one another’. You will see all of them pop up. From Genesis to the end we find Jesus praying for others, the Holy Spirit assisting our praying, the apostle Paul praying for the believers, Jesus praying for us in John 17 and still praying for us now as we speak, believers praying for the leaders of the church, believers praying for each other. It is not new concept, but lets be honest. It might be something new for us. Again let me reiterate, we are talking about intentional, organised, coverage of peoples concerns as a duty to the body of Christ. Most prayers are personal or on behalf of someone whose interest lines up with ours. Even our own prayers for ourselves often reflect what we want, rather than asking God to fulfill his will in our lives. So being brutally honest about this, we move forward with a desire to grow our prayer life beyond daily needs. In the next theme I hope to take it to another level and work through Spiritual warfare where we actually pray against the work of Satan and his allies and strengthen the defence of the church and the gospel.

Let's begin with the simple command in the scriptures.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 - First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men.

Paul is speaking to the church through his mentoring of a younger pastor Timothy. The Church is called on to participate in a fountain of prayer going up to God on behalf of the saints. We are urged to pray for each other.

Colossians 1:9-13 - For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

The main thrust of praying for each other is the goal of spiritual growth. Owing to the truth that this is most under attack and its delay can hinder the churches effectiveness…we must all the more be in prayer for each others spiritual depth, grounded and strength.

OPEN YOUR BIBLE

Pauls most beautiful prayer for this cause is seen in Ephesians 1 where he says…

…17and asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. 18 I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. He displayed this power in the working of His mighty strength,…

COME CLEAN

Let's resolve today to become prayerful people on others behalf. If we have already been doing it, let's ask Jesus to come into partnership with him to pray along with him for the things that are on God’s heart, for his church, for the world, for people we know. If there has been a measure of self preservation in our prayer life where all we have ever prayed for is our own needs, let's repent of that and ask God to make us partners in prayer.

Lets request God to stir his Spirit within us to remind us to pray, burden us to pray and lead us into prayer.

Lastly, let's resolve to pray immediately as the Spirit prompts us. When He brings a name, a need, a nature or a notion to our attention, let's learn to give mental attention to it and pray immediately. Remember, if it wasn’t ‘practical’ or ‘do-able’, then God wouldn't command it. He is not a God of disorder or confusion.