The Power of Prayer XII

Point 6: Intercessory Prayer

Christ is the mediator of the new covenant (Hebrews 9:15) and is seeking someone to intercede for others – those willing to stand in the gap. In Genesis 18:22, God asked Abraham to intercede. How do we know this? In the Masoretic Text, it actually says that the Lord stood before Abraham. Tradition suggested that a King could not stand before servants, but rather the other way around, so the verse was often translated that Abraham stood before the Lord. Although this issue created controversy for the right reasons, it prevented us from seeing the heart of our God which was to have a man stand before others and petition for mercy despite their sin. The same was true for Jonah. God wanted Jonah to want to go to Nineveh and teach those lost men and women the truth that they could be saved. He wanted Jonah to be self-less and intercede for those who did not deserve it. In the same way, you who are no longer in bondage, but a child of the living God, must have the heart of mercy and perseverance. "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'" Romans 8:15.

You have been given the power of the Holy Spirit and with it comes responsibility. We are to be imitators of the mediator.

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

In Greek, Christ referred to the Father as “the sending me Father” that He might intercede on behalf of those who were doomed to perish.

Moses, Elijah, Samuel, and Nehemiah all interceded on behalf of Israel and God heard them.
One of the greatest examples of intercession took place when Moses stood before God on behalf of Israel. In Exodus 32:10, God says “leave me alone, so I may destroy them for their wickedness.” But Moses did not give up. Here is God saying, leave me alone. His mind was made up. Because he had a relationship with Moses, he allowed him to state the case on behalf of the people. It goes on to say in Exodus 32:14, "then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." It doesn’t end there. "So Moses went back to the Lord and said, Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin – but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written” Exodus 32:31. What a model of intercession. He was willing to lose his eternal inheritance on behalf of his people. He was willing to die for them and this was in the midst of their transgressions. David addressed this again later in Psalm 106:23, "so he said he would destroy them – had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep His wrath from destroying them."

They deserved to die. We deserved to die. As Moses interceded for them, so too has Christ interceded for us.