I was reading Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest" today and the verse was,
"And the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends." Job 42:10
I often get inward focused and I start freaking about the future and future plans and prospects. So then I end up spending hours focusing on my situation and I start trying to figure stuff out... which in itself is not a bad thing because a man's heart does plan his ways but it is the Lord who directs his steps. And there is an element of working oneself into a rut by over-pondering the future. And in a sense satan can capture us that way. We can get bound in worry, fear and anxiety but God calls us out of that and into His marvelous peace. And with Job, God restored his losses (as the NKJV puts it) when he prayed for his friends. He was released from captivity... he was free! Oh the power of intercessory prayer!
Chambers says, "The real business of your life as a saved soul is intercessory prayer." And this made me realise how much I have begun to neglect intercessory prayer in my daily walk. I was deeply challenged today to get to the place where I pray for other people constantly, and not just praying for them but interceding for them that they might see Jesus. Standing in the gap for other people is something I think that God values a lot because Jesus Himself sits at the right hand of the Father and is constantly interceding for us. How much more then should we be spurred on to intercede for one another?
And in interceding for others, the aspects of selfishness in my own heart seem to flee rather quickly because I am no longer focused on my own needs but instead I am thinking of other people's needs and asking God to show Himself strong in other people's lives.
We all have a sphere of influence and I don't know about you but mine seems to grow each week. There's people I work with who don't know Jesus, there's the woman at the post office who doesn't know Jesus, the lady a few doors down from the flats who doesn't know Jesus and that's just people I see on a day to day basis. What about the people I went to school or college with?
Once we see the value in intercessory prayer we will never shy away from spending time daily lifting people up to the Lord because He truly is the only One who can save, comfort, redeem, restore, provide, heal and under take.
And I love how God totally just loves hearing our voices. He loves us so much and just wants to spend time with us. Why? Because of His grace. He is gracious and loving - it's His character and He cannot deny Himself. So when we intercede for other people we are still communing with God. In essence we are saying, "God I care about these people and I want to see them as You do." And God totally ministers to our hearts in those times. He pulls us out of our captivity and restores whatever the bondage took away. And then He puts a new song in our hearts!
So dear friends let's all purpose in our hearts to take the time to intercede for other people. Let's pray with passion and compassion... because the love of Christ compels us. Not just our love for Him but because He first loved us!
Lord teach me to pray for specific needs that people may have. Open my eyes to the things unseen. Please give me insight into people's situations so I can pray for them and see you work in their lives. Thank you Lord for intimate concern for us and how You desire to work in our lives. You are sovereign Lord and Your will and plans are perfect.
"And the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends." Job 42:10
I often get inward focused and I start freaking about the future and future plans and prospects. So then I end up spending hours focusing on my situation and I start trying to figure stuff out... which in itself is not a bad thing because a man's heart does plan his ways but it is the Lord who directs his steps. And there is an element of working oneself into a rut by over-pondering the future. And in a sense satan can capture us that way. We can get bound in worry, fear and anxiety but God calls us out of that and into His marvelous peace. And with Job, God restored his losses (as the NKJV puts it) when he prayed for his friends. He was released from captivity... he was free! Oh the power of intercessory prayer!
Chambers says, "The real business of your life as a saved soul is intercessory prayer." And this made me realise how much I have begun to neglect intercessory prayer in my daily walk. I was deeply challenged today to get to the place where I pray for other people constantly, and not just praying for them but interceding for them that they might see Jesus. Standing in the gap for other people is something I think that God values a lot because Jesus Himself sits at the right hand of the Father and is constantly interceding for us. How much more then should we be spurred on to intercede for one another?
And in interceding for others, the aspects of selfishness in my own heart seem to flee rather quickly because I am no longer focused on my own needs but instead I am thinking of other people's needs and asking God to show Himself strong in other people's lives.
We all have a sphere of influence and I don't know about you but mine seems to grow each week. There's people I work with who don't know Jesus, there's the woman at the post office who doesn't know Jesus, the lady a few doors down from the flats who doesn't know Jesus and that's just people I see on a day to day basis. What about the people I went to school or college with?
Once we see the value in intercessory prayer we will never shy away from spending time daily lifting people up to the Lord because He truly is the only One who can save, comfort, redeem, restore, provide, heal and under take.
And I love how God totally just loves hearing our voices. He loves us so much and just wants to spend time with us. Why? Because of His grace. He is gracious and loving - it's His character and He cannot deny Himself. So when we intercede for other people we are still communing with God. In essence we are saying, "God I care about these people and I want to see them as You do." And God totally ministers to our hearts in those times. He pulls us out of our captivity and restores whatever the bondage took away. And then He puts a new song in our hearts!
So dear friends let's all purpose in our hearts to take the time to intercede for other people. Let's pray with passion and compassion... because the love of Christ compels us. Not just our love for Him but because He first loved us!
Lord teach me to pray for specific needs that people may have. Open my eyes to the things unseen. Please give me insight into people's situations so I can pray for them and see you work in their lives. Thank you Lord for intimate concern for us and how You desire to work in our lives. You are sovereign Lord and Your will and plans are perfect.
