Weekly message: Intercession and prayer realization
by
Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian
Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry &
Counseling.
Date:
8/11/2023
Scriptures
reading:
Praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit (Eph.6:18)
Having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus
(Heb.10:19)
At
that day ye shall ask in My name (John14:26)
Ø Prayer is perfect
and complete oneness with God, we are here to be living monuments of God’s grace instead of proving God answers prayer
The cross stands for one thing only for us a complete and entire and absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is nothing in which this identification realized more than in prayer. “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.” Then why ask? The idea of prayer is not in order to get answers from God; prayer is perfect and complete oneness with God. If we pray because we want answers, we will get huffed, (or mad) with God. The answers come every time, but not always in the way we expect, and our spiritual huff shows a refusal to identify ourselves with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove God answers prayer; we are here to be living monuments of God’s grace. “I say not that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loveth you.” Have you reached such an intimacy with God that the Lord Jesus Christ’s life of prayer is the only explanation of your life of prayer? Have our Lord’s vicarious life become your vital life? At that day you will be so identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction. When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to fix the blame on someone else. That is always a snare of Satan. You will find there is a reason which is a deep instruction to you, not to anyone else.
Ø Three elements when we go on in
intercession
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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 stodgy that is
produced by these ideas we cannot
intercede. We do not identify ourselves with God’s interests in other,
we get petulant or childishly sulky and bad tempered 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 (or change) of all our sympathies. Vicarious
intercession means that we deliberately substitute God’s interests in others for
our natural sympathy with them.
As we go on in intercession we
may find that our obedience to God is going to cost other people more than we
thought. The danger then is to begin to intercede in sympathy with those whom
God was gradually lifting to a totally different sphere in answer to our
prayers. Whenever
we step back from identification with God’s interest in others into sympathy
with them, the vital connection with God has gone, we have put our
sympathy, our consideration for them in the way, and this is a deliberate
rebuke to God. It is impossible to intercede vitally unless we
are perfectly sure of God, and the greatest
dissipator (or squanderer) of our relationship to God is personal sympathy and personal
prejudice.
Identification is the key to intercession, and
whenever we stop being identified with God, it
is by sympathy, not by sin. It is not likely that sin will interfere with our
relationship to God, but sympathy will, sympathy with ourselves or with others
which makes us say – “I will not allow that thing to happen.” Instantly we are
out of vital connection with God.
For
example, Apostle Peter’s personal sympathy prevented Jesus Christ to fulfill
God’s purpose. When
Jesus foretold that He will be arrested and will be crucified on the cross, the
prophecy about Christ must be fulfilled. Peter’s sympathy prevented Jesus, “No, may this not happen to you”. Jesus
rebuked him, “Get behind me Satan.”
When Judas betrayed Jesus, with soldiers and some officials from the chief
priests and Pharisees, they carried torches, lanterns and weapons to arrest
Jesus. Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s
servant, cutting off his right ear (the servant’s name was Malchus.). Jesus
commanded Peter, “Put your sword away!
Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John18:10-11)
Martha’s personal sympathy prevented the glory of God to be revealed.
When Jesus told, “take away the stone”. Martha,
the sister of the dead man, said, “By
this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days…” Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”(John11:39-40).
Jesus said a prayer, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always
hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they
may believe that you sent me.” (John11:
41-42).Then, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” the dead man came
out.
Intercession
leaves you neither time nor inclination to pray for your own “sad sweet self.” The
thought of yourself is not kept out, because it is not there to keep out; you
are completely and entirely identified with God’s interests in other lives. 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?
Bibliography,
Barker, Kenneth L. NIV Study Bible.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1985.
Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His highest. N.Y.
Dodd, Mead & Company, 1935.
King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland,
OH: The world publishing company
Lee, Witness. The New Testament
(R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie
study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
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