The Power Of Intercession

09-08-2017 Wednesday prayers

Scriptural Reading: Matt. 15:21-28

Theme: The Power of Intercession

Friends in Christ, last week we preached a message titled-youth: you are called to be the light of the world. I said that the only way our light can shine is by developing a real relationship with the Lord. Light reveals so many things, light show the way, light banishes the presence of darkness, light penetrates-these are the qualities of the light. These qualities can be ours if we truly follow the lord patiently, perseveringly and committed to him. There is no way this can happen if we do not develop a habit for prayers.

Today the kind of prayer we are talking about is the prayer of intercession. Scripture says in Matt. 18:20 “for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Christians are not gathered in the name of any other god but in the name of the Lord God almighty therefore whatever they ask in his name he will grant it to them. That is the kind of privilege God the father has given Christians.

Again in Jeremiah 33:2-3 says “thus says the Lord who made the earth and gave it form and firmness, whose name is Lord; call to me, and I will answer you; I will tell to you things great beyond reach of your knowledge.” This is what the prayer of intercession does-it reveals to you certain things about the person you are interceding for-and in this case it can be your children, your husband, or your business partner.

We also know that the prophet Amos has said do two walk together unless they have agreed? Two can only achieve a course if they agree that is why the Lord has promised in Matt. 18:19, it says-“amen I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly father.”

Friends the prayer of intercession is so powerful that it touches your children or husband or wife or business partner or priest or sister anywhere he or she is. The person must not be so close to you physically before you pray for them. All you need is faith believing that what you have prayed for on behalf of that person is done and established.

Friends I want you to know that the prayer of intercession is a powerful spiritual weapon that cancels the plans and mission of the devil against God’s children and establishes our Lord’s plan for the huge work we are called to do. The prayer of intercession is a strong weapon God’s children have over the tactics and antics of the devil. When the church says pray for your priest, the religious and children, spouse, the church is not mistaken. The church knows so well that when we pray for ourselves, and say prayers for others, God’s power and presence are with those people.

We can see in the gospel passage of today, how the woman interceded for her daughter who suffered from a demonic possession. We notice that Jesus didn’t respond at first-this was deliberate friends. This is exactly what we also experience when we intercede for others. It might appear that the Lord is not going to respond to us. One truth I want to spell out is that, God is always ready to listen to us so long as we have humility, a genuine interest and faith in God over the person we are interceding for. Let us note three points here;

1. Christ was not rejecting the woman nor refusing to meet the need of a desperate person. He never turned from a person who genuinely sought him.
2. Christ was not harsh or mean to the woman. His harshness is never manifested except against sin.
3. At first the woman saw Jesus only as the Son of David, a great miracle worker. She saw him only in terms of earthly power, as a great man who was to liberate people from their ills and problems whether national or personal. She needed to grow in her concept of Christ.

The prayer of intercession is a prayer made for various reasons ranging from deliverance, peace of mind both in the family and nation, someone in labour, at the point of death, sick, old, in authority, crisis, it could be a prayer for mercy, to restoration and so and so forth.

The woman in question made a prayer of intercession.

1. She cried for mercy. Friends no matter the need, Jesus can never turn from a desperate cry for his mercy.
2. She cried not for the Son of David to hear her.
3. She cried not for herself but for another person, her daughter. The woman had a desperate need-her daughter was under the power of Satan.

Let us something strange but what we can learn from; she had an inadequate concept of Jesus, yet she got Jesus’ attention. The question is How? She possessed two qualities which we all can learn from and from which Jesus can never turn.

1. She truly loved another person, her own daughter. She loved so deeply that she considered her daughter’s problem her own: “Have mercy on me,” she cried. Her love was so strong for her daughter.
2. She approached the right person, Jesus himself, and cried out for mercy. Despite her inadequate understanding of Him, she did the right thing: she approached the true Lord and cried for his Mercy.

The question for us is-how much love do we have for our children, wife, husband, friends that are living under the influence of Satan, living in sin and shame of the devil? Do we honestly love as the woman did? Do we honestly cry out to the true lord as revealed in scripture or to our own idea of God? Do we truly cry that the Lord may heal, deliver and protect as well as save those who have been bound by the enemy? If we did honestly, the Lord will deliver and restore them to their rightful position and authority. Let us be encouraged by this passage;

Matt. 21:22 says-if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

John 14:13-14 says-and I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Isaiah 55:6 says-seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Amos 5:4 says-this is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: “seek me and live”

2. Another quality we can learn from the woman is that she was persistent. She loved so much that Jesus’ silence was not a problem to her; her goal was despite the silence of Jesus, despite the objection of the disciples, despite her been undeserving, she kept after Jesus.

We can learn something from her

1. Pray with great expectation.
2. Persevere in your prayers-a prayer that will take no for an answer, that will take silence for an answer. She knew that Jesus was her only hope and so she followed the Lord and not be discouraged by anything, not by silence, not by discouraging objection not even by apparent rebuff.

Jer. 29:13- you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Psalm 105:4-Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Deut. 4:29-but if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

1. Another lesson we can learn is faith. The woman had a great faith. She believed that Jesus could meet her need, and she would not let Him go until he met her need. Her belief was so strong that she would not quit-despite being met with silence, irritation, opposition, apparent rebuff, and the attitude that she was undeserving.

Her faith was not enough, what caused Jesus to answer her prayer was her personal humility (surrender) and worship of him as Lord. Christ answers the prayer and exercises his power in behalf of those who surrender themselves to him and worship him as Lord.

Matt. 21:22 says if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

John 6:29-Jesus answered, the work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.

What is great faith? The steps taken by this woman can teach us what great faith is all about.

1. It is a desperate cry of need.
2. It is a persistence that will not quit
3. It is a spirit that worships Jesus as Lord.
4. It is a spirit of humility and surrender to the Lord
5. It is a fiath that receives its request.

Her faith brought great healing to her daughter. I speak from this sanctuary today, whatever is disturbing your children in their studies, marriage, life the lord shall melt it away and give you great victory in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Prayers:

1. Begin now to worship the lord and thank him for the life of your children and those dear to you.
2. Begin to cry to the Lord for that person you want the Lord to change his or her life for the better.
3. Cry to the Lord asking the lord to deliver such a person from the power of satan operating freely in his or her life.
4. Cry to the Lord to deliver such a person from the poison of sin and that the Lord may grant the person abundant joy.
5. Cry to the Lord asking the Lord to make smooth the path of the person, asking the Lord to favour the person and restore the person to his or her original position of authority as a child of God.

Begin to cover the person with the blood of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.