Interceding for Others
We all need help for one thing or another. We can have problems with a business or with customer service, and we have to find someone who will go to bat for us and get things straightened out. Sometimes, we get in trouble. Yes, we did the wrong thing, but it is so nice to have someone step in and try to keep us from having the book thrown at us. This is especially true when it comes to having spiritual problems. We need someone to intercede for us.
The psalmist brought up a great example of this when He described how Moses interceded for God's people after they were very unfaithful to God. (Psalm 106:23) So God declared He would destroy His unfaithful people. But Moses, God's chosen one, stepped between the Lord and the people. He begged God to turn from His anger and not destroy them. God heard Moses' prayer and spared His people. We need to see the principles at work here.
The people of God had sinned badly. They deserved a severe punishment. God would have been just if He had destroyed them and started over with Moses. However, Moses was righteous before God. God always listened to his prayers because of his righteousness. Therefore, when Moses cried out to God, He listened and relented from His anger. The one with the better relationship with God stepped in and pled for the ones who were not in good relationship with God. The intercession was successful.
We can see the same thing happen today. When we stay right with God, we can step in between God and someone we know who needs to know God or who needs God to be merciful to them in some way. They may not be praying, and if they did, their prayers would not mean much to God because of the condition of their hearts. However God can hear us and decide to intervene in their life, so they come to Christ or things work out better for them. This ought to be something we are doing every day in our prayer times. Intercession should be a part of every Christian's life and ministry.
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Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 107-111.