|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
| |
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
After having dwelt upon the topic of ‘Work or Worship in the previous fortnight,
I would now like to change tracks & focus upon an entirely new subject,
the one that deals with the ‘talents’
(Matt 25: 14-26) from the Word of God.
No, dear friends, my allusion is not to those talents (preaching, singing,
or prophesying), which bring us into limelight, important as those talents are;
rather, my allusion is to that ‘talent,’ which may not bring us under the
public glare but which is precious in the sight of God. Yes, I am referring
to the talent of being a silent intercessory prayer warrior. Our Lord laments
in Ezekiel 22:30 that not one was found in Jerusalem to intercede on behalf
of that doomed city. Let it not be said of Christians that amongst us,
the good Lord found not one intercessory prayer warrior to intercede
with Him on behalf of the fallen community around us with its dire needs.
You only have to look at the passionate words of prophet Samuel recorded in
I Samuel 12:23
(‘As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you’)
to understand the importance of intercessory prayer ministry. For him, to refrain from
this ministry meant sinning against the Lord. Nothing more, nothing less.
|
| |
Yes, where a physical deed is the need of the hour, we ought to put our commitment to the Lord to practical
application even if it means some drain of our resources & not merely pray or indulge in vain lip service
(James 2:15-16), but when prayer alone can help, let us not put this option in the back-burner.
The early church, for instance, never thought that ‘intercessory prayer’ was an obsolete sword put on
display in a museum to be admired at from a distance & no more. Rather, we see it putting it to effectual use.
In
Acts 12:1-11, we see the early church in the midst of a serious ‘leadership crisis’. Apostle James had been
eliminated by wicked King Herod (fulfillment of the prophecy in
Mark 10:38-40) & having found tacit
support to his nefarious act from the Jewish religious hierarchy, we see him imprisoning apostle
Peter with a view to eliminate him also after the Passover festival, as it was not a Jewish custom
to execute anyone during the currency of the said festival. Reason for all this? Both the Jewish
religious leaders & King Herod could hardly stomach the surging popularity of the apostles.
Never did the phrase ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend’ ring truer than in this triangular
relationship involving the Church on one side & King Herod with the Jewish leaders on the other…
culminating in the arrest of Peter.
The fledgling church could ill-afford to lose yet another inspirational leader at that stage, for it needed all of
the wise guidance & direction, which only anointed leaders like Peter could provide.
But, what could it do to free one of its beloved leader’s from the wicked grasp of a powerful King?
A babe that it was at that stage, it obviously did not have the political or the military
wherewithal to take King Herod head-on & secure the release of Peter. Thrust into a desperate corner,
it chose the only way out, the one of ‘INTERCESSORY PRAYER’.
Acts 12:5 says ‘Earnest prayer was going up to God for the release of Peter’.
Anything & everything of the earthly realm can fail us in our hour of need, but can our God fail us?
NO WAY (Deuteronomy 32:36)! He did not fail the early Church too, for that matter,
for in Acts 12:6-11 is recorded one of the most thrilling accounts of ‘escapes’
involving nothing less than an angelic intervention!
Dear friends, there are valuable lessons on ‘intercessory prayer’,
which our good Lord would have us to learn from this Biblical account.
Firstly, about the qualification to be a good prayer warrior
1. Concern for other’s welfare: Intercessory prayer ministry of the Grace period,
a parallel of High-priestly one of Mosaic law era is centered around the needs of others.
For that reason alone, it can be said affirmatively that Intercessory prayer stands at a
higher pedestal in relation to a personal prayer (which is wrong in itself, but its focus is inward).
Unlike in the Mosaic law era, to enter the ministry of Intercessory prayer in this new dispensation of Grace,
one need not don the sacred garments of a High priest as outlined in
Exodus 39:1-30.
Rather, one should have his/her heart weighed down by the concern for others & their problems.
Because the early Church’s heart, as it were, throbbed for Peter’s welfare, it automatically met
the next requisite of an effectual prayer warrior.
2. Passionate: It is said in a prayer, the good Lord never notices the eloquence
or the logical flow of it, but rather at its spirit
(Romans 8:26-27).
The Church prayed earnestly & passionately for Peter's release from chains.
Reflecting on the above two essential pre-requisites of an effective prayer warrior, should we not introspect at this time?
If Peter was in chains, then many of our family members/friends/relatives may be in a different
kind of chains, a far more dangerous one …the one of sin. Have we with concern overflowing in our hearts,
prayed earnestly for their salvation?
This Biblical account of early Church’s prayer for Peter’s release followed by his dramatic
deliverance from the jaws of impending death also points at the essentials of an effective prayer,
which may be enlisted as under:
1. Specific: The goal behind the prayer was well defined (Peter’s release).
It was not of general nature. An intercessory prayer should never be akin to ‘a shot in the dark’.
A prayer such as ‘O Lord, save this world from the grasp of sin’ would not yield any discernible results.
Rather a more specific one, such as ‘Lord, lead all the residents of the lane of my colony or all the
residents of my apartments into thy saving Grace’ would be a more effective one, enabling us also
to take some practical action & monitor the results thereof (e.g.… inviting our neighbors for a
small Christmas party during the yuletide season & distributing some gospel tracts to them).
Also as far as possible, let’s pray for one another’s need by name.
2. Perseverant: The Divine answer to nearly week-long prayers of the
Church did not come about, till it was only a few hours before Peter’s trial & execution (verse 6),
but the early Church kept at it faithfully waiting for God’s answer. Do we display,
the same commitment in our prayers for others?
It is said of that great orphanage director of the yesteryears
George Muller, that he prayed specifically & perseveringly for the salvation
of three of his unsaved friends. The result? One of them came to know the
Lord after seven years, the other after twelve years, & the third one? Well,
he came to know the Lord two years after George Muller’s death. Well… that’s
the efficacy of Intercessory prayer for you!
Lack of a good voice may deprive one the chance of participating in the Church choir,
similarly lack of oratorical skills may not take us anywhere near the pulpit,
but a caring heart for others laced with a perseverant spirit will make one that
person the good Lord was looking out for in
Ezekiel 22:30.
Can there be a greater blessing than that? Should not we aspire to hear the
comforting words of our Master on His Second Coming, which is nearer than ever
‘Well done, my faithful prayer warrior’ ?
Yours in His service,
(Suresh Manoharan)
|
|
|
|
|
