Tag Archives: intecession

During this Hour God is Looking for Someone to Stand in the Gap

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images-23            Death tolls are rising, unemployment lines are getting longer while people are becoming more hopeless as the days go by. In the midst of this sweeping virus across the world, an out of the blue, earthquake shakes Idaho Tuesday afternoon adding to our fear-soaked society. There’s a need for God’s people to stand in the gap for the land.

My oldest daughter Joy was away at college when she was unable to sleep one night due to a burden she was carrying for her sister. Joy sensed an urgency and pressed into prayer not even knowing the details. The next day I called and shared with her that Aimee had been in a serious car wreck but miraculously was not hurt. God had used Joy to stand in the gap for her sister in her time of need. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us.” The Christian who chooses to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading will be used in God’s divine purpose and plan in the earth.

In Ezekiel 22:30 we see God’s heart in intercession. “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” God is still looking for willing believers to stand in the gap. He is still touching different hearts with a burden to pray for different situations and people. Have you responded to His nudge to stand in the gap or like this scripture states, has God found you unwilling?

What really does it mean to stand in the gap, anyway? Well, let me explain by asking you a question. Have you ever seen a hedge lining some ones property border where the neighborhood kids have made a trail right through it leaving a big gap? This pathway through the hedge makes way for anything to go in or out. Many times that is how it looks in the spiritual realm. When there is a gap, God calls his prayer warriors to stand and plug the hole, keeping out the activity and injustice of the enemy. That is the call of an intercessor in the body of Christ.

We find a fascinating example of intercession in this story of Abraham pleading and standing in the gap for the righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah. The story begins in Genesis 18:18-33 with a visitation from the Lord to Abraham’s house. It says that Abraham stood before the Lord. It’s a picture of an intercessor going before the Lord with prayers for mercy because the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were tipping them towards God’s judgment. Abraham saw the possibility that believers would be destroyed in this judgment and pleaded on their behalf. He started with the question, “What if there are fifty righteous? Will you destroy it?” God said He would not. Abraham then asked, “What if there are forty-five?” He kept asking until he got all the way down to ten. Unfortunately, there wasn’t even ten. Yet, this story illustrates the incredible principle of standing in the gap for others.

In this passage we get a good look at the mercy and love of the Father through Abraham’s pleadings for the righteous in those cities. One man’s plea for others pulled on God’s heart for mercy. He has designed you and I to be gap-fillers and wants us to come boldly before Him on behalf of others. Our society is in desperate need for willing individuals to pray and cry out to God on behalf of our land for mercy and deliverance.

 

It shouldn’t be Just for one Day! We should begin Thanks-Living.

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1a - thankfulI heard a story about a little boy who was handed an orange by a man trying to be kind. The boy’s mother asked, “What do you say to the nice man?” The little boy thought and handed the orange back and said, “Peel it.”

As rude as this boy in the story seems to be, what’s more shocking is that this attitude is prevalent throughout our society. Everywhere we turn we can see it filtering through this great nation of ours. We have raised a generation of self-absorbed people that are blinded to everything other than their desires and needs. We have forgotten the simple act of gratitude.

We have made a make-believe, self absorbed, mystical world that around our own us! We have established ourselves as king in our own little kingdoms! We have made our society nothing more than a “Me, Myself and I” culture that has started us down a slippery slope of ungratefulness. The scripture says in 1 Tim. 3:1-2 that in the last days

Why do we celebrate one day every year to be thankful and return to self-centered living the day after

men will be lovers of themselves and unthankful, as well as, with other selfish attributes. These actions have nurtured and raised a generation of unthankful people. We celebrate one day every year to be thankful and return to self-centered living the day after.

This reminds me of the story of the ten lepers that stood afar as Jesus entered a certain village. They lifted their voices so that Jesus could hear them and cried out, “have mercy on us!” Jesus responds telling them to go and show themselves to the priest, who had the final decision in pronouncing them clean or defiled.

As the lepers went in obedience to His words, the very disease that had kept them estranged from society incredibly dries up and instantly they are healed. Now if this was the end of the story it would be a great lesson on obedience and God’s mercy, but it goes even deeper. The story continues with the scene of only one of the ten returning to give

It’s truly time to stop the madness of self-centeredness and develop a lifestyle of thankfulness

thanks for the miracle from God. The author points out that this healed man was not a Jew but a Samaritan. He wasn’t educated in the traditions and things of God. Yet he knew enough to be eternally grateful for the life changing miracle he was given. Many times those who profess to be Christians are out-done by unbeliever who is touched by God’s mercy.

Where were the other nine? This demoralizing disease had unfairly handicapped them all. They had all been separated from society and their families and dreams. Yet, when they were radically healed and set free by a merciful loving God that heard and responded to their cries. All but one of them chose not to even take the time to come and say, “Thank You”.

It’s time we develop a lifestyle of gratitude towards God and become obedient to the scripture, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thes 5:18). We can become a person of gratitude by being thankful in three simple areas. First, by being thankful for everything He has done. Secondly, being thankful for everything He is doing in our lives and thirdly, walking in faith by being thankful for everything He is going to do in our lives.

When we become grateful in these areas it will develop a heart of gratitude in us which will flow out to and through others.

It’s truly time to stop the madness of self-centeredness and develop a lifestyle of thankfulness, not just a day of thanksgiving! God wants Thanks-living!