'On behalf of a man he pleads with God...' Job 16:21 NIV
The Bible says: 'So Joshua fought the Amalekites...and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired...Aaron and Hur held his hands up...So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army...' (Exodus 17:10-13 NIV)
This story illustrates the power of intercessory prayer. Far from the crowd, but seen by the eye of God, are men and women who 'hold up the hands' of ministries in prayer. We have several in our church you probably don't even know about. Most of them like it that way. But intercessory prayer isn't just for a few? God is looking for more of you to take up the mantle of praying for others. The importance of Men and Women praying for a pastor and his family in enormous. Look at Charles Finney, who had an intercessor called Abel Clary who travelled with him wherever he went. Finney wrote, 'Mr. Clary continued as long as I did, and he did not leave until after I had left. He never appeared in public, but he gave himself wholly to prayer.' Finney may have impacted nations, but he didn't do it alone. I can say the same thing, there are those holding up our ministry in prayer, and without them, I couldn't do it. Job writes, 'My intercessor is my friend...on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.' (Job 16:20-21 NIV) The ministry of intercessory prayer is: (1) A ministry of identification in which you stand with others. (2) A ministry of which calls you away from the pleasures and comforts of life. (3) A ministry of authority, for your prayers move the hand of God on behalf of others. Today the God Who said, 'I sought for a man among them, who would...stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land...' (Ezekiel 22:30 NKJV), is looking for intercessors. You can be one of them! You are loved...
This story illustrates the power of intercessory prayer. Far from the crowd, but seen by the eye of God, are men and women who 'hold up the hands' of ministries in prayer. We have several in our church you probably don't even know about. Most of them like it that way. But intercessory prayer isn't just for a few? God is looking for more of you to take up the mantle of praying for others. The importance of Men and Women praying for a pastor and his family in enormous. Look at Charles Finney, who had an intercessor called Abel Clary who travelled with him wherever he went. Finney wrote, 'Mr. Clary continued as long as I did, and he did not leave until after I had left. He never appeared in public, but he gave himself wholly to prayer.' Finney may have impacted nations, but he didn't do it alone. I can say the same thing, there are those holding up our ministry in prayer, and without them, I couldn't do it. Job writes, 'My intercessor is my friend...on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.' (Job 16:20-21 NIV) The ministry of intercessory prayer is: (1) A ministry of identification in which you stand with others. (2) A ministry of which calls you away from the pleasures and comforts of life. (3) A ministry of authority, for your prayers move the hand of God on behalf of others. Today the God Who said, 'I sought for a man among them, who would...stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land...' (Ezekiel 22:30 NKJV), is looking for intercessors. You can be one of them! You are loved...
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