Gospel Ramah Church Bishop Tshalo Katshunga
19 May 2019
Intercession:
When people get in the habit of praying to a resourceful God on behalf of their fellow Man.
- It is when prayer goes beyond your own needs and wants.
Good preaching:
- Informs the mind
- Affects the hearts
- Transforms behaviour
Church life is prayer.
What should I do when I am surrounded with so many needy people whom I cannot always practically help?
I. Intercession is the first anchor
When life doesn't make sense, pray. - The devil has made us talk to people about issues we cannot solve and not turn to God. - The most powerful things in life are free and cannot be purchased, for example, oxygen,
love, intercession.
- The devil knows when people begin praying for each other, lives will change.
True wisdom begins when you first seek God's guidance on an issue before you approach people.
- Prayer works all the time.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
Benefits of intercession:
Self
Your first priority is to pray for everyone including your enemies.
- The reason why your enemies are a nuisance is because you are not praying for them.
- When you make intercession to God, miracles tend to happen.
- When you pray for others, you benefit from it.
God is pleased when you pray for others.
Intercession leads to the salvation of the people you are praying for. 1 Samuel 12:22-23 It is sinful not to pray for others.
In the same way the Lord is committed to always be with His people; we should be committed to always pray for their welfare as well as to be a positive influence.
- There are many people in your life who are in need of your prayers.
Jeremiah 29:7
God instructed Israel to pray for Babylon.
- You need to pray for the prosperity and well-being of the nation you are living in. You can
never prosper if you do not pray for it.
- Prayer life is critical.
- USA is doing well economically and this has resulted in +-3% unemployment. This means
both citizens and foreigners have jobs.
Jesus is a great example of an intercessor:
- In His last week on earth, Jesus spent it praying for His disciples and the Church.
- Luke 22:31-32
- You become a mature Christian when you pray for others.
1 Timothy 2:8
In a functional home, the father is the covering of a family including through prayer.
- It is not the main responsibility of women to cover their family in prayer, it is the duty of
men.
Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:22-25
You are assured that Jesus is always praying for you.
II. Intercession is a private ministry of love that deals with life's realities which are beyond human ability to solve.
- You can never be a true intercessor if you pray to impress those around you.
- At the heart of intercession there should be love and compassion.
- You can never pray for someone effectively if you do not love them.
2 Kings 6:26-29
There are certain issues that only God can address.
Don't be that person who lives off other people's sweat.
- Learn to bring your own part to the table.
Work:
- With diligence.
- Using your gifts and talents.
- With the view to improve society.
- So that you will not take advantage of others.
- To be a blessing to the weak and poor. This is the highest level of work.
III. Intercession is powerful because it involves heaven in earthly matters so as to change for the better the fate of many people in my environment.
- At the heart of intercession is an intimate relationship with God.
- When God is your friend you have boldness to approach Him regarding different issues.
Luke 11:5-6
Intercession - mediating between God and Man.
- We pray because God has all the resources needed for the people you are praying for.
John 2:3
6 pillars of effective intercession: - The object - who is the object of intercession? - Basis of effective intercession - what is driving you to pray? - The Spirit - what is the spirit of intercession? - Who are the beneficiaries of intercession? - The subjects - What are the issues that true intercession covers? - The supreme end - what happens when we pray?