Intercessory Prayer

The power of intercessory prayer is too often neglected.

This past Sabbath we had guest speaker Boyd Hooper. The Lord blessed him with a message that should be shared with others. This is why I asked him for his permission to share it. He granted his permission but he was quick to site his study of the works of others that had inspired his work.

SERMON

How Prayer Works (REVISED)

Text: Luke 22:31, 32 (Closing hymn: 505-I Need the Prayers)

PRAYER

I once heard Ty Gibson tell the story of getting his first iPhone. When he first got it, he thought it was just an ordinary cell phone, one that only made phone calls. But then he happened to walk by a group of young men, who were standing in a circle looking at an iPhone just like his. And to his amazement, he saw one of them make that iPhone do some incredible things. Pulling out his own iPhone, he said, “Can you make mine do that?” The young man did, and a whole new world opened up for Ty.

Now, all he has to do is speak into his iPhone, and it tells him the nearest location of his favorite restaurant. When he’s out jogging, if thoughts and ideas come to his mind, all he has to do is speak them into his iPhone, and it converts his words into text. That day, Ty learned that an iPhone is much more than a telephone. It’s a powerful computing device, with almost unlimited capabilities.

In a sense, we could compare prayer to an iPhone. Prayer is a powerful spiritual device with almost unlimited capabilities. But like Ty with his new iPhone, most of us have no idea of the enormous power in our possession, just waiting to be unleashed.

We need to have our eyes opened to see how prayer works. Have you ever considered that prayer can give you direct access to the throne of the universe? It’s capable of setting into motion powerful forces behind the scenes, that actually do things.

Today we are going to discover how prayer works. And I believe, if we could only get our minds around these concepts, they have the potential to powerfully transform our prayer lives.

Luke 22:31, 32

I’d like you to notice several things about this passage. First, there’s a controversy going on over Peter. And three persons are involved in this controversy.

The first one is Satan. In vs. 31 we see him asking for Peter. This shows us that Satan is actively involved in human affairs. He pursues people, and tries to oppress and destroy them.

But when Satan asks for Peter, who is he asking? Obviously, it’s God. After all, He’s the ruler of the universe, and ultimately, it’s up to Him to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ concerning Peter. So God the Father is the second person in this controversy.

The third person is Jesus Himself. Do you know what He’s actually telling Peter here? He’s saying, “Peter, I’m privy to something that’s not obvious to you. Behind the scenes, you are the object of Satan’s attack. Satan is out to get you, Peter, and destroy you.”

Notice how vs. 32 begins. BUT. That word is a qualifier. “Satan has asked for you, Peter, BUT … I’ve prayed for you.”

Notice carefully what Jesus says next. “WHEN you have returned to me …” In other words, Jesus is CERTAIN that His prayer is going to be effective in protecting Peter from Satan’s attack. He’s going to survive it.

This behind-the-scenes controversy explains not only Peter’s fall, when he denied Jesus, but it also reveals the EFFECTIVENESS of Jesus’ prayers. Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “I’ve prayed for you and I HOPE you’ll come back.” No, He’s sure of it. So, the first lesson we can take from this passage is, we can have CONFIDENCE in prayer.

What I’d like for you to notice next, is that prayer is taking place in the context of the Great Controversy. In other words, there’s a battle going on, and Peter is in the crosshairs of Satan’s attack. But Jesus is also in the battle, and He’s intervening for Peter.

Think about this: Peter is under attack, and Jesus responds to that attack with prayer. This means that PRAYER IS AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE. (REPEAT)  Jesus is wielding a spiritual weapon against the onslaught of Satan.

But let’s look even further behind the scenes. Satan asks God for Peter so that he can destroy him. But on what basis does he claim Peter?

Obviously, it’s because Peter is a sinner. He has failed, and he’s going to fail again. This shows that Satan uses our sins against us. He uses them as leverage with God. And, he also uses them against us, to torment us with guilt because of our failures.

We tend to respond to that by looking for things in our lives to earn God’s favor. But that doesn’t do any good. The real solution is that Jesus is my Saviour, and He has prayed for me. That’s the ultimate leverage with God. When Satan throws your sins in your face to discourage you, say to him, “You have a point there, Satan. But Jesus is my Savior. I depend on His righteousness, not mine.”

Jesus, through prayer, stops the process that would destroy Peter. God already knows about Peter’s failures. And yet, Satan, when he asks for Peter, says, “He’s mine, by legal right in the Great Controversy. His sins align him with my kingdom, not Yours. You think he’s Yours? He’s NOT. Look at his pride, his arrogance, his stupidity. He’s on my side, and I claim him. GIVE HIM TO ME!”

How does Jesus respond to that tirade? With PRAYER. This should motivate us to pray for people. Because, remember, Jesus is setting the example for us. If Jesus considers prayer a powerful spiritual weapon that saves people’s souls, then we need to pray for others as well.

The book of Job gives us a much bigger picture of this controversy. We’ve been looking at Jesus and Peter in a smaller scale. But the book of Job opens things up, and shows that this controversy involves the entire world.

Job 1:6, 7

Here we see God calling a meeting in the heavenly realm. We understand the Sons of God to be the representatives of the worlds. But Satan shows up at the meeting, and God challenges His right to be there. “Where are you coming from, Satan?” In other words, what world do you represent?

Notice Satan’s response in vs. 7. “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” What Satan means is, “I’m the rightful owner of the earth. It’s my domain. I have a legal right to be here, because I’m its representative.”

You know what that means, don’t you? It means that Satan is claiming ownership, not only of the planet, but of every one of us.  

Notice how God responds in vs. 8.

Vs. 8

God is saying, “Satan, you don’t own everyone on earth. Look at Job. He’s blameless and upright, a man who fears Me and shuns evil.”

At this point, there’s something you need to understand. God doesn’t consider Job blameless (perfect) because of something in Job. The context makes it clear that God considers him blameless because he’s a man of prayer. Notice what it says a little earlier.

Vs. 1-2, 4-5

This is a little window into Job’s way of life. He continually interceded for his children, and I suspect for many others as well. Job prayed continually about everything, but especially is he mentioned as interceding for others. When you live that kind of life, God considers you blameless.   

But back to the story. Satan has claimed the earth as his, and God has countered by pointing to Job. Notice what Satan says next.

Vs. 9, 10

Do you know what Satan is implying here? “Job isn’t serving you for nothing, God. He’s doing it for what he can get out of You. You’ve bought his loyalty!”

Because of these accusations, the test came to Job, and he lost everything. He was beaten down, and yet he said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Job exercised total dependence upon God, no matter what the devil brought against him, and he proved Satan to be a liar.

This same controversy has been going on throughout history over human beings. God may consider you blameless, but still the accusations come.

(Pause) At this point, I think it would be good to pause for a moment, and summarize what we’ve just learned.

Prayer takes place in the context of the Great Controversy, the war between good and evil.

Satan lays claim to people’s lives, and Jesus intervenes in their behalf. And He asks us to join Him, and add our prayers to His.

But why is it necessary for US to pray, when Jesus is already praying for people? We are going to find that our prayers are an effective means of blocking the influence of Satan, and opening access for God to work in people’s lives. Look again at the first part of vs. 10.

Job 1:10a

Here we see a “hedge” around Job and his household. Notice that Satan himself says he sees a hedge, and it’s not made of foliage. What is it? Psalm 34:7 says, “The Angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” So this hedge is angelic protection.

Let’s look at another example. Turn to 2 Kings chapt 6.

The king of Syria once decided to make war against Israel. But every time he tried to ambush the king of Israel, the prophet Elisha warned him of it, and he always escaped. Finally, the king of Syria learned what was going on, and decided to go after Elisha. He found him at the town of Dothan, where Elisha was staying with his servant. And he surrounded the city with his army. Let’s pick up the story in vs. 15.

2 Kings 6:15-17

Those horses and chariots of fire were a company of mighty angels. Those angels were invisible to everyone, possibly even Elisha, but he knew they were there. He asked God to open his servant’s eyes, so he could see them, and God honored his request.

But here’s the point. Those angels had been there all along, even before Elisha’s servant saw them. There’s an invisible realm all around us, and the fact that they’re invisible only means that we can’t see them.

They are real, and they are there. Every single one of us has a powerful guardian angel that protects us from Satan and his hosts.

Now, at this point, there’s another dynamic in the Great Controversy that we need to understand. Although God created everything, and ultimately it all belongs to Him, the fact is, right now we are in enemy territory. The devil has laid claim to this earth, AND the whole human race.

He’s able to do that because our free choices have given him leverage over us. We’ve given him a foothold, and he’s going about wreaking havoc in our lives.

With Job, Satan said, “He’s mine, but I can’t get to him. There’s a hedge, a wall.” We’ve seen that this hedge is the protective custody of holy angels, who prevent Satan from having access to us. But when we, by our own free will, by our choices, make a breach or hole in that wall of angelic protection, that hole gives Satan and his angels access to our lives. And that’s also true for our homes, our cities, and our nation.

That’s what’s going on behind the scenes in the Great Controversy. Good angels surround us and exhibit their influence. But we can make a breach, a hole in that wall, through sin, immorality, or even carelessness and indifference. And the Lord – because of the rules of the Great Controversy, because of our free will – won’t force Himself on anybody. He reluctantly steps back, and our hedge of protection is breached. And when a hole appears in our wall of protection, unholy angels flood in on that person, on that family, city, or nation.

Many scriptures use this concept of a “wall.” Let’s look at another one.

Isaiah 30:12, 13

Here God gives a picture of a city, with inhabitants and a wall of protection. And He says, “You, as a city, are engaging in oppression and perversity. You’re making a breach, a hole, in the wall that I would love to keep around you. But I have to honor your free choice in these matters.” Your choices give Satan leverage to say, “I want that city! I want that person!” Just like with Peter.

Satan lays claim to us, but on what basis? Based upon the fact that that our sins are a voting booth, of sorts, in the Great Controversy.

Of course, when I’m unfaithful to the Lord, and I make a hole in my wall of protection, God doesn’t just walk away from me. He tries to woo me back. Not because He’s controlling, or wants things His own way. He does it because my moral choices are determining whether He or the devil has greater access to my life.

The book of Revelation gives us another picture of this. You remember the four angels holding back the four winds, so the earth isn’t destroyed. Those four angels represent the myriads of holy angels surrounding this world, protecting it from Satan and his hosts. But still, there are breaches in the wall. God is still in control, but because of our free moral choices, we’ve made many holes in God’s wall of protection. And they’re getting ready to break!

Because of that, it’s more imperative than ever for us to join Jesus in prayer. God is pleading with us, “Engage with Me in this controversy with Satan. You, by your prayers, can actually make a difference.”

1 John 5:16a

Don’t get sidetracked by the phrase “a sin that doesn’t lead to death.” That’s simply any sin we are willing to confess and forsake. Notice what God is saying here. “If anyone sees his brother sinning, let him ask…” In other words, PRAY.

Whenever you see someone who has fallen under the power of sin, pray for them!” Why? Because, first of all, sin is creating a breach in their wall of protection. And, by your prayers, YOU can make a difference.

But there’s more. God goes on to say, “If you will ask me to intervene in their life, I will go to work to save them.” Folks, we need to be praying for people. Probably they aren’t praying for themselves, and they may not even have the understanding, or the freedom, to pray for themselves.

But this brings up an important question: WHY does God answer our prayers for these people? Doesn’t that violate their free will? No, it doesn’t. God always does all the good He can, in every circumstance, SHORT of violating our free wills. But our prayers are part of the Great Controversy, and they do make a difference. Let me illustrate why this is true.

Imagine that you’ve never met me before - you don’t know me. One evening you come home, walk into your living room, and there I am, sitting on your couch, eating a sandwich made from the food in your refrigerator. I’m a stranger. What in the world am I doing on your premises, in your living room, eating your food? You own that house and that food. It’s your domain, and you feel violated.

But then your spouse walks into the room, and says, “This is a friend I met at church this past Sabbath. I’ve invited him over for supper.”

What has just happened here? All of a sudden, it’s okay for me to be there. Why? Because you have shared control over your domain. The people who share a domain have equal authority over the premises, over their territory. It’s okay for me to be there, because your spouse invited me.

Now, let’s apply this principle to the Great Controversy. I can’t use my authority to trump or violate your free will. But through my prayers, I can invite God to have access to your life. That’s access He otherwise wouldn’t have, because of your free will. This is how it works.

You see, I’m a human being living in Satan’s territory. But I have chosen Jesus as my Savior, and now I belong to Him. And so, my prayers now have weight against Satan’s charges. I can invite God in to work in Satan’s territory. These are the rules of engagement in this warfare. Our prayers allow God to do things that, because of the rules, He would not do otherwise.

You may have experienced this in your own life. Has there ever been a time when you weren’t following Jesus, but things suddenly began to happen? You had experiences that were leading you toward Jesus. Probably, it was because someone was praying for you.

Now, of course, we do have free choice in the matter. We can say ‘No’ to these opportunities. But, because of our prayers, God is able to send those influences, to open doors of opportunity to accept Him.

(Pause) 1 John 5:19 says, “The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” Sway means influence. When Satan exerts sway over people, he’s influencing their thinking, and their lives. That’s why, when we pray we should ask God to block Satan’s access to people, especially those who are hurting and vulnerable. Hurting people need a “free zone,” where Satan can’t put any nonsense into their minds.

Be specific like that when you pray for people. Ask God to arrange for them to meet other people who will exert a positive influence on them, and create an interest in God.

But let’s never forget one thing. We are not persuading God by our prayers, we are giving Him permission. God is a gentleman, and He honors our free will. That’s why He says to Laodicea, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.” The implication here is that the door is locked from the inside, and God won’t kick the door down. That’s the biblical picture of free will.

But He’s also eager to help those who may not be asking for help. And that’s where we come in. He’s saying to us, “Would someone please ask Me, so I can intervene for this person?” They aren’t asking Me into their life, and I’m looking for someone, another human being, to invite Me in.

Turn with me to Daniel chapter 10. (wait for people to get there)

In this chapter, Daniel has been fasting and praying for 21 days, three full weeks. Why? Because a small group of Jews have returned to the ruins of Jerusalem, to rebuild the city and the temple. But Satan has stirred up trouble, and the work has been stopped. Daniel has gotten word of this, and that’s why he’s fasting and praying. He’s asking the Lord to intervene, and get the work started again. But he has prayed now for three weeks, and nothing has happened. Why?

At the end of the three weeks, Gabriel suddenly appears to Daniel, and I’d like for you to notice what he says.

Daniel 10:11, 12

The moment Daniel began to pray, God heard his prayer and sent Gabriel. So why did it take him three weeks to get there?

Vs. 13

The prince of the kingdom of Persia is Satan. And when Gabriel was sent to answer Daniel’s prayer, Satan opposed him. That’s why it took so long. The battle between Gabriel and Satan was a draw, until Michael (that’s Jesus) showed up. This is a little behind-the-scenes glimpse into the Great Controversy.

This story also helps us understand why our prayers for other people are not always answered right away. There’s a war going on, and sometimes the battle lasts for a while. That’s why we must persevere in our prayers. We must never give up, never quit praying for people.

Now, you may be thinking, “But I don’t know what to pray for. I don’t know what people need.” That’s okay. God knows your heart. Just pray!

Romans 8:26

You may feel inadequate in your prayers. All of us have times when we’re tired, our minds are blank, and we may not even feel like praying. But this verse assures us that God does more than honor the words of our lips. He looks into our hearts and minds. He knows what we’re thinking, the things we desire, and He honors these as well. Just pray for people, even if you don’t have the right words.

Have you ever experienced an answer to a prayer you never actually prayed, but you thought about it? You would have asked for it if you had thought to, but you didn’t. Sometimes God even answers our unspoken prayers. That’s the Holy Spirit at work.

James 5:16

Who’s the righteous man in this verse, whose prayer avails much?

For years I assumed it was talking about us, but now I’m not so sure.

Jesus is the real righteous man, and that’s why, when we pray, we should pray in Jesus’ name. When we do THAT, our prayers will have power to give God access to people’s lives.

Then He can go to work blocking Satan, arranging providential encounters, drawing people, wooing them by the Spirit. He can do all this because we prayed for them in Jesus’ name.

(Pause) The disciples once asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” So Jesus gave them the Lord’s Prayer as a model. And one of the first things He said in this prayer was, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

This tells us that God’s will is NOT being done on this earth. There are things taking place in the lives of human beings, in homes, cities, and nations, that aren’t God’s will. Wars, natural disasters, diseases, people committing suicide because they have no hope. God is asking us to join Him in prayer for the people of this world. He’s saying to us, “Pray with Me, that God’s will be done on this earth, as it is in heaven.”  

Ezekiel 22:29

What happens when people do bad things, do you remember? They create a breach, a hole, in the wall of God’s protection around them. That’s what’s happening in this verse. Notice what God says in vs. 30.

Vs. 30

When God said He was looking for someone to stand in the gap, it means that He was looking for an intercessor, someone to pray for the people.

But He says, “… I found no one.” There was no one who cared enough to pray! Those are some of the saddest words in the Bible. Because no one prayed for Israel, Satan played havoc in their lives.

I don’t want to be one of those people who don’t care enough to pray – do you? I want to follow Job’s example, and pray continually for everyone. Folks, we need to be praying, for one another, for our families, our friends, our work associates, our city, our country, the whole world.

I’ve shown you today why prayer is important, and how powerful our prayers can be in the lives of people. Would you like to join me in making a commitment to the Lord, to engage in regular intercessory prayer for others? If that’s your desire, I invite you stand with me now, as I pray.

Heavenly Father,

We are so dull, so slow to comprehend. We haven’t been praying for others as we should. Father, give us wisdom, give us discernment to see the warfare going on all around us for people’s souls. Help us to be faithful in praying for others.

And when we get to heaven, and stand together before Your throne, may we see many who are there because we prayed for them.

I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.