God has ordained us from all creation to have a special relationship to God the Son. We are created spiritually to fellowship with the Son (1 Cor. 1:9) and to be the bride of the Son (Isa. 62:5; John 3:29; Eph. 5:25-26; Rev. 21:9).
We are also created, saved, and called to intercede and thus to prevail until God's answer appears. Since prevailing intercession is Christ's great priority today, it must become ours as His representatives here.
He has given us the Holy Spirit to enable us to see people and needs from His perspective. He has ordained that the Holy Spirit enable us in our prayer weakness (Rom. 8:26).
He has authorized us to use the authority of His name in prayer (John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24).
He has made us to be priests to God, which certainly includes the intercessory role of all priests (Rev. 1:6), however, but royal priests (v. 9), appointed to serve our King.
In the light of other Scriptures, this responsibility obviously includes our being given a kingly role in our intercession. We become interceding royalty.
We, like Jesus, rule and extend Christ's rule by our prevailing intercession. We are to share Christ's sovereignty by our prevailing prayer. [R. V. G. Tasker, gen. ed., The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Vol. 17: The First Epistle General of Peter, by Alan M. Stibbs (London: Tyndale, 1959) 87-88.] He delegates royal authority to us.
"God has voluntarily made himself dependent also upon our prayer.... In prayer the church has received power to rule the world. Through our prayers God acts and speaks. While God is ever free and acts in sovereign freedom, yet He seems to have bound himself, at least to a large degree, to our intercession." [O. Hallesby, Prayer (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1936), 229, 231: see also Donald G. Bloesch, The struggle of Prayer (San Francisco: Harper, 1980), 87-88.]
Hallesby calls Prayer "the conduit through which the power of heaven is brought to earth." He adds that our believing prayer "is unquestionably the means by which God, in the quickest way," will be able to give to our world His saving power through Christ.
Calvin also taught that prayer was a means by which the power of Satan can be overthrown and the kingdom of God advanced. (Hallesby, Prayer, 117, 231; Bloesch, Struggle of Prayer, 57.]
Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana
(Google Image and my emphasis added)
#14 God Has Ordained Us to Intercede
with Christ
by Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 26, 27) Zondervan
Today’s quote: "Prayer is not a means of coercing God to do what we want. It is a process of recognizing His power and plan for our lives. In prayer we yield our lives and circumstances to the Lord and trust Him to act in His time and in His way." David McCasland (ODB 2/1/16)
Father, we see that our praying is not to get
our way in a matter, but to see Your will done.
Remind us that through our prayers You act and speak.
May we understand more clearly that we are being
given a kingly role in our intercession.
Hallesby calls prayer 'the conduit through which the power of heaven is brought to earth.'
Help us to become more effective in our praying, so You can accomplish what needs to be done.
I ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen.
 | Lift the Cross of Jesus! Great article! By Hope Finchbaugh |
Some thoughts today: Work is good. Adam began his life in the garden of Eden with plenty of work to keep him busy. Our working should bring us satisfaction, as God's creating did Him. (Gen. 1:31).
6th-Saturday’s post by Max Lucado
7th- Sunday evening's post by Frances Gregory Pauch
9th- Tuesday's post by Wesley L. Duewel-
11th- Thursday's post by Wesley L. Duewel-
Change the Way You Look at You
Born into a working-class family in the 18th century, Carey made his living as a shoemaker.
While crafting shoes, Carey read theology and journals of explorers. God used His Word and the stories..."
Great thoughts and much food for thought. Debbie
ReplyDelete