Intercessory Prayer - Going to God on Others' Behalf

 Have you ever had to protect someone? I don’t mean pulling a little one away from danger, I mean risking your safety to protect them. You might dream of it as a career, but I doubt any of you have so far. (If you have, we’d love to hear your testimony!)

Ps. 106:23 describes Ex. 32 as Moses standing in the breach to protect Israel after they sinned so much. Today, Jesus stands there for us. If you have trusted Him by calling on Him to save you from your sin, then He shows His finished work on the cross as the sign you are saved from sin.(1 Tim. 2:5,Rom. 8:34,Heb. 7:25, etc.) He always makes intercession for us, so we can be secure in our salvation. Moses’ action (asking God to blot him out of the Book of Life rather than destroy Israel) was a shadow of what Jesus would do, because Moses risked separation from God forever. God heard his prayer and didn’t destroy Israel or Moses. In the same way, Jesus died to take the punishment we deserved for our sin, but after God poured out His wrath on Jesus in our place, Jesus rose from the dead the third day.

Moses was a type of Christ in Ex. 32. This means something he did is like something Jesus later would do. Read Old Testament passages and see what other types of Christ you find. (Gen. 22 have a few, for instance.) Or Google “Types of Christ KJV” for a few good sites like blueletterbible.org and what they say.

God calls us to stand like that for others. Because we are secure in our salvation, we don’t have to risk everything like Moses. But, we need to see others’ needs and then seek God to help them. We all fail sometimes. But, we should ask God for help not just for physical needs, but spiritual. In fact, I’m adding a 2nd page - use it as a prayer list. Tell us if we should change it or add an unspoken request or something. I know of a few I’ll list as unspoken.

God’s command to “stand in the breach” in prayer means to always be ready to pray, like 1 Thess. 5:17 says “pray without ceasing.” It’s a struggle because we have many distractions; in fact, I’m going to list myself first so I pray better. You might list yourself so God can help you pray effectively by focusing better and getting stuff out of your life that pulls you away from God. Because we need people in the breach praying.

God doesn’t have to listen, but He promises to if our hearts are fixed on Him, and not sin, etc.. He might want to show us something – Abraham prayed for Sodom till he got down to asking if God would spare Sodom if 10 righteous people were in it; only to realize God would have, but there weren’t. So, don’t just ask God for stuff; talk with Him. He might lead you to pray for something specific or call you to act on your faith. Sometimes He’s waiting for us to do more, like Moses. He saw the terrible sins Israel had committed. Though he felt hurt, too, he knew the sin was against God. He had compassion for them.

Pray over this list often; use it if you have a prayer journal or to help you start. Pray for specifics and how God leads as you talk with Him. Be real, if you need help ask God, He’ll help you pray better. Ask Him for empathy to think about what others might be facing.  A few needs may look generic but are very real to those involved; don’t just say “give ‘x’ peace,” talk with God about what it means (and might mean for them), so you can pour your heart out in prayer. Some needs (like Christian friends) all need. If I add it, it may be more vital. You know a few situations from older letters, and some of you know kids I’ll mention.

Standing in the breach doesn’t mean risking your soul. Once you trust Him to save you, then you are saved. But it does mean seeing the great needs many have. Especially the unsaved.