Vicarious Intercession

Oswald Chambers tells us to “Beware of imagining that intercession means bringing our personal sympathies into the presence of God and demanding that He does what we ask.

Our approach to God is due entirely to the vicarious identification of our Lord with sin. We have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”

Spiritual stubbornness is the most effectual hindrance to intercession, because it is based on sympathy with that in ourselves and in others that we do not think needs atoning for.

We have the notion that there are certain right and virtuous things in us which do not need to be based on the Atonement, and just in the domain of ‘stodge’ that is produced by this idea we cannot intercede.

   We do not identify ourselves with God’s interest in others we get petulant with God; we are always ready with our own ideas and intercession becomes the glorification of our own natural sympathies.

   We have to realize that the identification of Jesus with sin means the radical alteration of all our sympathies.

   Vicarious intercession means that we deliberately substitute God’s interests in others for our natural sympathy with them.

   Am I stubborn or substituted? Petted or perfect in my relationship to God? Sulky or spiritual? Determined to have my own way or determined to be identified with Him.”

Heb. 10:19   “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus."

Taken from Devotions for MORNING and EVENING with OSWALD CHAMBERS   (pg. 258)

Eph. 2:12, 13, 18 “That at the time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ."

(v)18 "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."

[Father, we are recognizing our need to improve our relationship with You, is of utmost importance in our praying. May we come to realize that the alteration of our sympathies that we have for the ones we're praying for, is necessary in order to be what Your interests are.]

Tomorrow’s post: A Most Amazing Prayer Meeting: Prayer Note #100  Dutch Sheets

Today's quote:  Mary Southerland tells us, “Emotional integrity is an essential step to recognizing, understanding and dealing with depression. We must be real before we can be right, and until we are willing to risk being transparent, we can neither understand nor effectively deal with depression during the holidays or any other time of the year.” {As seen on www.crosswalk.com}

Our thought for today: Admit your wrong thoughts. Pray for help to change.

A popular post: DO WE KNOW WHAT GOD'S UP TO?

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#35 Pastors Have More Influence and Visibility

C. Peter Wagner tells us from his book, PRAYER SHIELD:

#4. "The fourth reason why pastors need intercession more than other Christians is that by the very nature of their ministry they have more influence on others.

If a pastor falls, more people are hurt and set back in their spiritual lives than if others fall.

The ripple effect is incredibly devastating. Strong Christians are crushed by the hypocrisy and betrayal they feel. Weak Christians take the pastor's behavior as a license for them to do likewise.

Not only does the fall of a pastor injure an untold number of people, but it also directly influences churches.

My interest in church growth always focuses strongly on the pastor because we have evidence that the pastor is the major institutional factor for determining the growth or nongrowth of a local church.

Satan hates churches that glorify God and extend God's Kingdom, and he does what he can to bring them down.

No wonder he focuses his sights on pastors.

But in the plan of God the gates of hell will not prevail against the advance of the Church (see Matt. 16:18).

Intercession for pastors is one important ingredient to release God's plan for the Church's fullest implementation.

#5. Pastors Have More Visibility. Because pastors are up front, they are constantly subject to gossip and criticism.

When church members have Sunday dinner, the pastor and the sermon of the morning are frequent topics of conversation.

People talk about the good and also the bad. 

The pastor is closely observed and it is no secret. 

Just knowing this places a difficult burden on pastors and they need supernatural help to 
handle that situation well.

Intercession opens the way for them to receive this help."

Today’s post -#35  Pastors Have More Influence and 
Visibility, in the series taken from C. Peter Wagner’s book, PRAYER SHIELD, How to intercede for pastors, Christian leaders and others on the spiritual frontlines. (pg. 73) By Regal Books

The next post 11/14- #36  Intercession Improves Ministry

Let’s pray:

   Father, we come to You with a brokenness that is sincere. We understand now that our pastors and leaders in our churches are in great need of our prayer support. Make us realize that they are depending upon us to ask Your Holy Spirit to enable them to withstand Satan's schemes to bring them down. It is evident that they cannot do their job without our support in prayer, and encouragements in ways You show us. We ask this in the precious Name of Christ, our Savior, Amen. 

Today’s Bible verse: 2 Kings 2:9c "I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." (and upon my pastor!)

Today’s quote: Brenda K. Hendricks – “Like our physical bodies, our souls crave spiritual food. We can choose healthy nourishment through devoting time to Bible study and prayer. Or we can choose to feast on junk. But be sure one way or the other our souls will be fed today.”

Some thoughts today: No temptation shall overtake you, that God will not make a way of escape. You are not under sin any longer. Remember, you’re the King’s kid! Walk in the Spirit, and do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Flee from what’s tempting you! The controlling Authority is the Holy Spirit. Ask for help!

- Life has a way of beating us up. Jesus sees everything, and knows our stories. God wants to touch humanity through humanity. When we get involved in a need, things get exciting! We can be part of His answer for someone. Something happens when we offer to be a part of the situation. Ask, ‘Who is it that I can help?"

Thursday's post: #36  Intercession Improves Ministry  C. Peter Wagner

Saturday's post:  A Happy Have-Not  Faye Field

Sunday's post:  The Price of Integrity  Nate Stevens

Tuesday's post;  #37  Secrets of Pastors' Prayer Lives  C. Peter Wagner

A popular post:   Vicarious Intercession  Oswald Chambers: "Our approach to God is due entirely to the vicarious identification of our Lord with sin. We have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” 

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#75 Recruiting I-2 Intercessors

C. Peter Wagner tells us, "I like the formula Cindy Jacobs recommends for recruiting 1-2 intercessors.

She uses Luke 11:9 where it tells us to ask and it will be given, seek and we will find, knock and it will be opened to us.

Asking, according to the Jacobs Formula, is praying for the Lord to touch the potential personal prayer partners and prepare them.

Seeking is to sit down and make a list of all whose who from general observation or past experience seem as though they might be praying for you or willing to pray for you.

Knocking is then getting in contact with those on the list by letter or by telephone.

Cindy says that when she first heard about personal prayer partners she and her family were going through hard times.

Her husband was having unusual problems on the job, the children were under severe harassment, and it seemed they were only moving from crisis to crisis.

One day she said, 'Enough is enough! I have had it with this attack!'

So she prayed that the Lord would send personal intercessors.

Then she made a list and contacted them, stressing that the prayer requests were to be considered confidential.

The letter she wrote, she says, 'explained that we would be sharing intimate details that were to be revealed to no one other than our prayer partners.'

What were the results? The response was tremendously encouraging.

Within a week all the immediate problems cleared up.

Cindy says, 'the prayer partners for Generals of Intercession are all top notch intercessors, and we are greatly touched by their labor of love on our behalf. Since they have been praying for us our ministry has exploded in growth.' "

#75 Recruiting 1-2 Intercessors,

in the series taken from C. Peter 

Wagner’s book, PRAYER SHIELD, 

How to intercede for pastors, Christian

leaders and others on the spiritual

frontlines. (pgs. 145 -146) by Regal Books

Pray for your pastor: “Pray that God will give your pastor a clear, biblical vision of what your church can and should be for His glory, and that he will communicate that vision clearly and confidently to the church.” Prov. 29:18; John 15:16; 17:17. 2 Tim. 3:5; Mal. 3:11   www.LifeAction.org

Let’s pray:

   Father, may we be some of the ones to faithfully pray for our pastors and church leaders.

   Help us let it be known that we're praying for them, and that they can count on us to support them in whatever way they'd like us to.

   If we're asked to be a 1-2 intercessor, may we be careful to keep the confidence of those who share needs with us.

   Our willingness to pray, may be what the Lord will direct our leaders to confide in us, and may we be careful to pray, and to ask You to guide our praying for them.

   I pray this in the Precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Today’s Bible verse: John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

Today’s quotes: Elaine W. Miller - "If our goal is obedience to all God's called us to do, we will not know a boring day."

- Joel Barnaby – Strong men drive the woman to church, opens the doors, carries his own Bible, sits near the front, is first to worship the Lord, has already set aside the tithe and offering bringing it to give unto God and sets the example as the godly leader to the woman, the children and teenagers in the house.

Some thoughts today: Have you asked God what He would like you to do, see, or hear? He's waiting. He longs to commune with you, so stop, and spend some time alone with Him. You'll both appreciate it!

- God is not in a hurry.

- Be persistent! Listen for His Voice to speak to you through whatever means you can receive from Him; His Word, song, testimony, or preaching.

17th- Thursday’s post:  #76  Asking God  C. Peter Wagner

19th- Saturday's post:  Man Rules  Author unknown  (How a man thinks)

20th- Sunday's post:  The Risk of Obeying God  Dr. Charles Stanley

22nd- Tuesday's post:  #77  Seeking & Knocking  C. Peter Wagner

A popular post: Vicarious Intercession  Oswald Chambers tells us to “Beware of imagining that intercession means bringing our personal sympathies into the presence of God and demanding that He does what we ask."

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#45 Praying "One For Another"

   Samuel Chadwick: The praying people of the Bible are intercessors. Abraham pleaded for Sodom and Gomorrah. Moses made intercession for apostate Israel. Samuel prayed all night for Saul and continually for the nation.

   David entreated God for his people. Daniel prayed for the deliverance of the Lord's people from Babylon. Christ prayed for His disciples, and made special intercession for Peter. 
(Google image, Pray for one another )

#22 Angels and Your Prayers

   Dr. Wesley L. Duewel-  Whether the angels assist in answering your prayers as a special assignment from God or simply in the normal course of their duty, you are not required to ask for their help.

   In fact, you should never pray to angels. Pray to God, realizing that He may choose to assign angels to help meet the needs for which you pray. Under certain circumstances you may legitimately request the assistance of angels in meeting needs: (Google image, Angels on assignment)

Forgive Us, Father: Prayer Note #99

   Dutch Sheets’ prayer: “Father, why is the thing we need the most, the thing we do the least? Why are most of us so busy we don’t have time?

You must have many frustrated days when Your eyes roam to and fro throughout the earth in search of someone whose heart is completely Yours.
  

You must weep often when You seek for a man or woman to stand in the gap to fill the breech and find no one.

Your heart must ache at times for us, Your people, to rise up and be what You’ve called us to be. 

We humble ourselves before your throne and ask You to forgive us for our lack of prayer. And forgive us as leaders, Lord, who have not told Your people the truth.

Forgive us as a church – the Body of Christ – for allowing evil to rule in this land when You have more than more than enough power in our wombs to change it. 

Forgive us, Lord. Cleanse us now and break the curses we have allowed to rule over us. Forgive us and cleanse us from the sin of apathy, complacency, ignorance and unbelief.

Wash us with the water of Your Word. Break off of us this lethargic prayerlessness, which we justify a thousand different ways. 

It really boils down to disobedience, unbelief and sin. 

Let there be an anointing that comes from Your throne to hungry people who are tired of status quo, of mediocrity, of death and destruction…We are tired of lack and disease. We are tired of sin. We are hungry for something – the God of the Bible!” 

Today’s Prayer Note #99 - Forgive Us, Father taken from Dutch Sheets’ book, Intercessory Prayer (211, 212) 

The next Prayer Note on 12/20- A Most Amazing Prayer Meeting

[Father, we are in need of being reminded of our individual responsibility in getting The Gospel out to others. Please show us what we can do...]

Today’s quote:                          The Cycle of Nations:

From bondage to spiritual faith
From spiritual faith to great courage
From courage to liberty
From liberty to abundance
From abundance to complacency
From complacency to apathy
From apathy to dependency
From dependence back again into bondage

Alexander Tyler - 1750

Our thought for today:  Don't allow others to control your attitudes. 

Tomorrow’s post:  Vicarious Intercession  Oswald Chambers

A Popular post:   BECOMING MORE FRUITFUL

   

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#79 Men Who Served the Lord with Tears

   Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: Paul testified to the Ephesian elders, as he looked back over his several years of ministry among them, and now bade them farewell.

   "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord . . . with tears" (Acts 20:18-19). (Google image, No more tears, this is a great post).