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“Jesus often left His disciples and found a quiet place to be alone and pray to His Father in heaven.”
Stella
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Word
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Romans 8:26
Last Wednesday, I arrived at work quite early and felt quite depressed and heavy of heart. I asked the Lord why this was and didn’t receive an immediate answer. But as the day went on, I started to recall a few things I had learnt about Intercession. One of these things was that the Lord lays on our heart that which others are going through, sometimes referred to as a burden, and Scripture tells us to carry one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2). Intercession is when we intervene on behalf of another; it is the action of praying for another.
As I prayed for those the Lord laid on my heart, and prayed that He would lift them up if they were downcast. I also prayed for the Baby Library that was having an important event that afternoon using our lounge and hall which I had been concerned about. Remarkably, as I prayed through these situations and for these people I felt a lifting of that heaviness off me. No longer feeling downcast or depressed I came to the place of praising, worshipping and thanking the Lord for all His goodness and blessings, for His people and all people.
I’ve read about people whom the Lord has blessed and called to a ministry of healing in the Church that, for example, some of them actually feel a sudden pain in an area of their body when they are about to pray for someone. They take this as the Lord guiding them to pray for healing in that very same area, with remarkable results. Here in our text we are told, the Holy Spirit within every believer helps us all in our weakness. Let’s face it we often don’t have a clue how to pray. But we can be assured that although we are weak in this area and don’t know what we should pray for as we ought; that the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us even with groanings that cannot be uttered. That groan, that sigh, that ache deep in the heart, are all heard by God. We will be amazed when we get to glory how God has heard all those groanings and has acted upon them and answered them in His own Sovereign way.
Paul writes to the immature Galatian believers that he is in travail until Christ is formed in them (Gal. 4:19). Travail is not something any soon-to-be mother would choose to go through, but does so because of the remarkable results that follow, the birth of a new baby. Likewise in Prayer and Intercession we are called to bring to birth many new things in this new age, the new age of the Kingdom of heaven here on earth. The next time we feel burdened, heavy in heart, let’s be watching and praying as to what this is all about.
I remember reading a book (“Battle for Israel” by Lance Lambert) on praying for the nation of Israel. I came to a passage that referred to Mr. Samuel Howells of the Bible College of Wales, the College I was at for 5 years. He was very heavily burdened for 3 days and enquired of the Lord as to what this was regarding. The Lord spoke these words to him: “The enemy is trying to precipitate the End.” He realised that Israel was under great threat from the enemies surrounding it and called the whole College to prayer and fasting. After many days they received the assurance that their prayers had been answered and the result was a great victory for the nation of Israel.
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Romans 8:26
… so let’s go with the flow of the Spirit and pray for others in Jesus Name, Amen!
Quote of the week
“No one can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.”
C. H. Spurgeon
Verse of the week
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert, and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Ephesians 6:18-20
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, teach us to pray like Your Son prayed, and, by Your Spirit within us, help us to intercede for others even with groans that words cannot express, that Your Name be glorified the more in Your Church, and in this nation, in Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen.