Intercessory Prayer

And you may be seated. Thank you, Pastor Brad, for the kind words. Uh he did say decade a couple of times. It's been about 25 years working with Bishop Willilifford and then uh since co doing most of this. So appreciate each and every one of you. Appreciate your faithfulness, kind words we get throughout the year. Um but I know you like to hear you want to hear the word of you know this this is a unique church and this is a unique class. I have to say that I've taught stuff and preached stuff here and then taken it somewhere else and got in the middle of the sermon and said, "This just doesn't fit here."

But this is a church that knows the word of God and is founded on it. I'm thankful for that. I didn't do that. That was long before I got here. Amen. And I'm just thankful that we could be a part of continuing that. I'm not going away. Just stepping back a little bit. I'm going to read four short verses. 1 Timothy 2, Ezekiel 22, Isaiah 53, and Hebrews 7. So they will be on the screen should be so you can follow along. 1 Timothy 2:1, I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

Ezekiel 22 and verse 30. And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it, but I found none. In Isaiah 53:12, prophecy concerning the Messiah, concerning Jesus, therefore I I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgress transgressors, and he bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

And then from Hebrews 7:2, wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing that he ever liveth to make intercession for them. The series of lessons we've been doing, we've looked at several attributes that define a Christian. We saw that we must live with integrity, that we must live honestly, to walk honestly. We saw that we must be disciples of Jesus Christ and talked about uh brother Carden talked about that and how what that meant to be a disciple.

Then we that we must be faithful to God and faithful to the things of God that we must be obedient to the word of God and that we should persevere in all of these things. And so today's lesson gives us another imperative for Christians. And this is in some ways it's less a character trait as it is an obligation. As a people of God, we have an obligation to reach our world, to reach the loss. And while that topic is too big for one lesson, so we're not going to really go into all of that today, we want to home in on the one thing that must accompany everything that we do.

While we must go, we have to teach, make disciples, baptize, all those things that Jesus commanded us, without prayer, our efforts are in vain. about seeking God. Praying for the lost is a very special kind of prayer and intercessory prayer. And it's that aspect of being a Christian that we're going to focus on uh today. We know that prayer is simply talking to God. It's it's not a monologue, although sometimes it does feel that way. Uh depending on where we're at and what we're praying about, but it is a two-way communication between God and us.

We want to hear his voice as we pray. It's more than words. It's it's a relationship of getting into God's presence and we understand that he is our heavenly father. And so we look past our limitations in prayer and and we bring our requests and our needs and things to him and look to him in faith that Lord you can take care of this or you can answer what I cannot do. And so prayer is powerful and it's powerful not because of the person praying but who we're praying to.

He's a God that has all power and because of that that is what makes it powerful. It brings God and his resources into our situation. It can be divided into several different ways. And Paul mentioned four of those in the first verse that we read. He said, "I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men." That first word supplication implies a need. And so it is asking God. It is a supplication. Lord, I need you to work out this or I need you to answer this or to provide that to our needs or sometimes for the needs of others.

Hebrews 4:15 tells us we have a high not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. That's that supplication. Lord, I need you. I need you to work this out. And so, we ask and we bring our needs before him. Prayer, I think, generally refers when and we kind of cover all this in prayer, but it's just talking with God.

That communion with him. Paul said, pray without ceasing. I think many of us go through the day and you're praying. Now, it's it may not be constant, but everything we do, Lord, help me with this. Lord, take care of that. Lord, you know, just glad you're walking beside me. I find that happening throughout the day. just that communion with God that goes on in our minds. And then intercession is specifically a prayer on behalf of others. Samuel told Israel in 1st Samuel 12, he said, "Moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you."

So that's the importance of intercession. It is praying for others. And then finally, giving of thanks is just what it appears to give thanks. in all things. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, in everything give thanks. That's the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. And so we do that and that maybe even falls under that prayer as as we're walking through the day with that communion with him. Thank you, Lord. Thanks for the sunshine today, Lord. Thanks for keeping me safe on the way to work. Thank it just goes on.

It becomes part of us and part of our lives. And in this lesson, I want to look at this ministry of intercessory prayer as well as looking at some of the biblical intercessions and examples who changed the course of history and then see how we can apply that to our lives today. There is a need for intercessors in the church. There is a need. Intercessory prayer. It is that specific act of prayer. Yes, it includes petition. Lord, I need you to touch this person or Lord, can you reach that one?

But accompanying with that, there is a burden and a desire to see souls saved. And while all prayer for others could technically be classified as intercessory prayer or is in intervening for someone else, if you will, it is usually associated with this deep concern and a heavy burden. Sometimes an emergency situation or a crisis is a God, we have to have you work this out. It's an act of prayer that is it is out of the ordinary in some ways. The word intercede has a very interesting etmology when we look at it from both Hebrew and Greek.

It it comes from a root word in both cases that means to to come quickly or to fall upon. In fact, sometimes it's translated that not so much talking about prayer but talking about war and the enemy fell upon us means they quickly came and attacked. And so in intercession, it's it implies not only to fall upon or to come quickly on behalf of something, but it also implies hitting the mark or the intended target. That target being God. I'm coming to God for this situation.

I'm coming before you, Jesus. I have to have an answer. It It's not a half-hearted, in other words, pleading for the loss. It's it's storming the gates of hell. It's bombarding heaven with our position, with our petition. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by forth. Now he wasn't saying to be violent. I think what he was saying is you have to sometimes just get something in your heart that says God I need an answer. One man had said it this way.

Intercessor is one who makes contact with God as par opposed to some who just kind of have a conversation. And if we will see our loved ones saved we must be willing to go on the offensive. take it by force. It's effective because it's unselfish prayer. It's not focused on what I need. It's not focused on, you know, my list. Here, God, here's the things I need today. I wrote them all out and Lord, I need you to do this and this and this. It's it's more than that because it is looking for someone else and reaching out to those.

In our church services, often we make prayer requests and we pray for those. in small prayer groups and sometimes even here we put it on the board and there's a list and and and we find ourselves and and I realize because of time constraints and we look at it and say okay and we're going to pray for these people as we did this morning and that is good we should do that we are not but intercessory prayer is much more than that because it is focusing on that situation it's a ministry in which we become servants to serve others through prayer it's something we all ought to find time for in our lives.

Now, you might ask, well, why does God require that? Why does he choose it? He's omnipotent. He's all knowing. He knows where everyone is. Why doesn't he just take care of those things? And there are times when God do that. But he involves he chooses to involve himself in the ministry of intercession for various reasons. We are his body. We are instruments of his righteousness. And he receives glory when we intercede in prayer. And those prayers get answered and and that word spreads. I've been praying for that person and and God's working on him.

It builds faith and and it it works in our lives. It's an ideal way for us to be laborers together with God. Sometimes we look around and we say, "Well, what can I do? I can't sing like they do. I can't do this like he does. I can't do that like she does." And and we feel I where do I fit in? You can pray. And as much as other things seem like they're so public and so looked at without this, none of the rest of it matters.

No, it's it's not done in the public eye. But the results are public. That's why Jesus said in Matthew 66, when you pray, enter into your closet, shut the door, pray to your father which is in secret, and he will reward thee openly. He will answer those prayer. There must be a motivating force to propel us to intercessory prayer. And the Bible provides some of that. Paul said it this way. I am a debtor. I am a debtor. We need to understand Bible class that we are debtors to our world.

God has given us so much. He has done so much in our lives. And there is an obligation upon us to pray and intercede for others that they could find this pearl of great price that they could find this treasure that is hidden in the field. They could find this thing that we have got. And also when we understand if we could ever grasp what it would mean to be eternally lost, it should cause us to think about others. Do I want to see them go into eternity not knowing the Savior?

But here's the thing. Even that sense of duty and obligation is not enough. It also must be a labor of love. You must be partners with Jesus. He said, "I'm not willing that any should perish. I don't want anyone to perish, but that all should come to repentance." And it is with that attitude and that burden of prayer that we reach this level of interession that spirit of burden and intercession. We can probably see it coming in different levels. The first is knowing about a need when we hear that need.

It it does reach up here and okay this is on my list. I need to pray for this person today. It starts there but it doesn't end there. The second level is it needs to touch our emotions. It needs to get in our hearts and and we need to emphasize emphasize and say, "Lord, touch this individual." But the third level is more than that, but it is touching our wills and propelling us to go ahead and intercede. Not just say, "Yeah, I I feel bad about that situation, but I need to go to God about this situation."

And when we get to that point, we can begin to intercede for others. There are several examples in the Bible about intercession there. You're going to see some amazing things from the word of God here. Abraham was an intercessor. We understand that he pleaded with God for Sodom. The men came to him. Abraham told him show they they came to to Abraham, promised him again the things that God had said that he was going to be a g great nation and all those kind of things.

In a year, you're going to have a child. and and they have a meal together and they get up to leave and they said, "Should we leave Abraham and not tell him what I'm going to do?" Oh, by the way, Abraham, I'm going to destroy Sodom. I'm going to get rid of it. What? And Abraham boldly asked God not to destroy it. Are you going to destroy God those that are righteous in there with the wicked? Are you just going to go and destroy that city even though there might be some good people living there?

There's no doubt he was thinking of his nephew Lot and others. But and so he asked God, "Lord, if you can find 50 people, will you will you save it?" God says, "Yeah, I'll save it for 50." Well, if you do it for 50, will you do it for 45? Yes, Abraham, for 45. Well, how about 30? Maybe I'm being a little presumptuous here, but but how about 20? Yes, I'll save it. Well, 10. Sure. I don't know why Abraham quit. The Bible said Lot was a righteous man.

Bible tells us that in the New Testament, Abraham stopped at 10. Here's my question. Why? Because I am convinced that had he gone down, Lord, if there's one, will you save it? God would have said yes because you asked, Abraham. Here's what we learn for that. That's the power of intercession. And what it tells us is don't stop praying. Don't quit. No matter how minute we think the chances are that someone's going to be saved or how it's ever going to happen, keep on praying. Don't give up.

Only eternity will reveal the lives that were won because an intercessor decided not to stop praying. But I'm afraid it will also reveal those that quit before the answer came. Keep praying. Moses gives us an example of the power of intercession. Think about it. He's up on the mountain. He's been up there 40 days. He's got been in the presence of the Lord and the power of God is on the mountain and it's smoking and there's sounds like l thunder and lightning and sounds of trumpets and everything.

And the people are scared and they're backing away. Moses, you go up and deal with that. We don't know anything. We We don't want to mess with it. And and so he's up there in the presence of God and and we know that as that's happening, they're building a golden calf so they can worship it. Make it We don't know what happened to Moses. He's up there. We don't know if he's coming back. Make us a god. As Aaron does. So, Exodus 32, the Lord says unto him, Moses, I've seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff necked people, stubborn people.

They're going to do what they want to do. Now, therefore, listen to these words. Let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, that I may consume them, and I will make of thee a great nation. God's anger was so strong against those people. He said, 'You know what? I will just wipe them out, Moses, and I'll just raise up a new people under you. But here's the thing. Only Moses stood in the way of their destruction. He could have destroyed Israel without talking to Moses.

But he had set a precedent from himself that first he's going to warn. In Noah's day, he warned That's God's way. There is always a warning that will come. But then someone has to step up and say, "Wait a minute, God." God God had been communing one on-one with Moses for 40 days. And it was only right that Moses knew what he was going to do. And so God's request, I I find those three words so fascinating. Let me alone, Moses. Leave me alone. Calaldian scriptures translate it this way.

Leave off thy prayer before me. Don't go praying. I'm going to go destroy them. Moses didn't even know what was going on. Hadn't yet opened up his mouth. But God forsaw the intercession that would soon bombard his throne. He knew if Moses finds out about it, he's going to go in prayer. So powerful is intercession that even Almighty God represents himself. I'm incapable of doing anything in the way of judgment unless you're not praying for mercy. Think about that. And so he looks at Moses, just just leave me alone because Moses, I know if you pray, I'm not going to destroy him.

And Moses said, "Oh no, God, I'm going to prayer." Oh, for a godly man or woman of God that was willing to stand before a righteous God, a God of judgment, and pray for the salvation of sinners. And we know Moses' intercession spared Israel from judgment that would have changed the course of history. I find it interesting though Moses may have desired to linger longer there, God had said this to him in in verse 7, "Go thee down, Moses, for thy people which thou brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted himself."

my people that I brought out. And then he said, "So leave me alone. They're your people. You deal with it." I think it's significant that God disowns his people before Moses. They're thou thy people which you brought out. A tone of indignation throughout that. You know, these offending people, they they're not God's people. They're your people. You've cast God off. So they're your people. Thy people have corrupted themselves. And then I find it really interesting in in Deuteronomy chapter 9, Moses is retelling the story and he's talking about it and I went up to the mountain of God and I did all these things and God was ready to destroy you.

And he says this in Deuteronomy 9:26. I therefore prayed unto the Lord. Now he had just been told thy people who you brought out. Now listen what he says, what Moses says. Oh Lord God, destroy not thy people and thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed through thy thy greatness and thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember thy servants Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin, lest the land which thou brought us out of say, because the Lord was not able into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he brought them out to slay the land, yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou brought out by a thy mighty hand, and by thy outstretched arm.

Wow, he really poured it on, didn't he? I mean, God said twice, they're your people that you brought out. Look what Moses said. Thy people, thine inheritance, you redeemed your greatness, your hand, thy servants, you brought us out. They thy people, thine inheritance, you brought out mighty power, the your outstretched arm. He just puts it right back on God. What a lesson in intercession. I don't think that was being disrespectful. Moses was interceding. I think to bring it to where we live, it would be like us praying before God and said, 'Lord, don't look at their stubbornness and the stupid thing they did yesterday, and don't look at the sin they're living in, and don't look at all those things, you know, whether it's a a spouse or a child or a parent or a neighbor or a co-orker.

God, they're people you came to die for. You have redeemed them by your blood. Bring them out with your mighty hand and your outstretched arm. They're your people. You created them. You're the work of your hand. God, save them. If we'd put some boldness in our prayers, I think as Moses did, I think we'd see results. Seek God. I'm talking about the power of intercession. Samuel chided the people of Israel for asking for a king. First off, I think some of it was that he was upset because he was kind of their leader and told them what here's what God wants you to do and here's what we should be doing.

He was judging them and and kind of over them and they said, "Okay, that's good, but we want a king." So, he was a little bit envious, a little jealous, I guess, if you will. But he also understood God. He went to God said, you know, the these people, they want a king. And God said, "Go ahead, give him one, Samuel. Just that's what they want. I'm okay with it." And Samuel's like, "Well, I'm not." Well, they're my people, not yours, Samuel. So, he he asked God, you know, he he first he brings them.

And it's interesting when you read that passage because they're standing there for and and he's upset. You want a king, God, thunder out of heaven and show him who you are. Bring down rain. And it all happens. And yet, you don't want to serve God. You want to serve a king. He went ahead and did what God said, but then something else takes over. Okay, I'm upset. I don't really like what's going on. God told me I had to go ahead and do it anyway. But in Samuel 12:23, move over.

As for me, God forbid that I sin against you in ceasing to pray for you. God forbid. No, I'm not happy about what you're doing. I'm not happy about the choice you made. But God forbid that I sin against you. If we fail to pray for the loss, that sin, the word sin, we understand it means to miss the mark. If we fail to intercede, we will have missed the mark. It will be a sin. Not against us, not that I'm sinning, but a sin against them and against what God wants us to do.

I said earlier that that word intercede means to hit the mark, to come forcibly on to the target or to the the thing to to come there quickly. But he's saying, if I don't pray for you, I'm missing the mark. I'm not interceding. Perhaps no verse of scripture is more familiar, more used or more powerful when we talk about intercession than Ezekiel 22:30 that we read. God writes through Ezekiel. He said, "I sought for a man among them that I that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it, but found none."

What are you talking about there? God was preparing to pour out judgment upon Israel. He was getting ready to destroy, carry them into captivity. Jerusalem be raised. All these things were going to happen. And through Ezekiel, he said, "I'm ready to destroy them, but before I do, I'm going down and I'm looking for a gap. I'm looking for a way in." Now, figure this out. God's got all power, right? But he's looking for a way in. I want to destroy them. And so I look to see, you know, the hedge, the thing that's that's p and I'm looking around if I can just find an opening that I can get in.

And so I look for a man that would stand there and say, "No, God, don't destroy him." Aren't those words powerful? I think it's powerful first off that why did he even bother looking for somebody? He had already determined they're a bunch of sinners and I'm going to destroy them. They they've rejected me. They don't want me. They don't want me in their life. They don't want me this fence of protection. It's already torn down. They're they're doing things they shouldn't be doing. And God could have said, "I'm I'm just going to go and take care of it."

But he said, "No, I'm looking for somebody that will say, "Hold on, God. Hold on, God." What a sobering yet powerful concept. God would allow the prayers of an intercessor to stop him from pouring out judgment. And we look at people and we say, "Lord, I I I don't know if they can be saved and I don't know if they will. And I really don't." If you don't pray, they will face judgment. if you don't stand in the gap because there were was no intercessor. He said in verse 31, "Therefore, because I couldn't find someone willing to say, no, God, no, hold off.

I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. Oh, for the want of an intercessor, church, that ought to put a responsibility on us this morning. I know judgment is coming. We know that. The word of God tells us very plainly that it's going to happen. He's going to judge this world. But as long as there's a praying church, as long as there's somebody willing to say, "Wait a minute, God." No, souls can still be saved. The greatest example of intercession, of course, is Jesus Christ.

While on earth, he prayed for his disciples. Prayed in many different occasions. We don't hear all those prayers, but he talked about them and and he prays in John chapter 17 specifically for his disciples. And he prays that they were with him, but also that others would become disciples. And Lord, uh he was praying for those. He said, "Neither I pray for these alone, but also for them which believe on me through their word." And and Luke records Jesus praying a specific prayer for Peter. He said, "The Lord said,"Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you of wheat.

But I've prayed for you that your faith fail not, and when you are converted, strengthen thy brethren." We know that Jesus said that before his crucifixion. And we know that that during that time that Peter denied Jesus Christ, but the prayers of Jesus were answered. When Peter stands in Pentecost full of the Holy Ghost, the power of intercession, Isaiah had prophesied this this Messiah, this one. And he notes that even as he was bearing the sins of the transgressors, he was also interceding for them. Said in that verse, because he hath poured out his soul unto death.

He was giving his life. And notice here he he's talking about pouring out his soul. That is the the life force, if you will. What is in us, what makes us human, makes us unique from everything else. It is what we are and he is pouring that out. He was numbered with the transgressions because he bare the and he bear the sin of many. So he was understanding as the sin was poured upon him and he was pouring out his soul and he was praying to God.

But while all this was going on, it said he made intercession for the transgressors. while he's numbered with them, while he is considered one of them, while he's bearing their sins, yet at the same time he's saying, "God, save them." Praying, "God, save them. Lord, accept this blood that is shed for their sins." And so the writer of Hebrews remind us in the verse that we read, "Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing that he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

That's the promise we have in Jesus Christ. He's able to save them to the uttermost. He's able to save them completely. He's able to save them to the very last one. Even if they will come to God by him be why? Because he is up there making intercession. I gave my blood for you. I gave my blood for you. I gave my blood. I shed it for you. I shed it for you, Father. I shed it for him and for her and for them. Notice he ties that salvation directly with intercession.

He's able to save them to the uttermost seeing that or because he's making intercession for them. He's standing in the gap. He's there for the face of God. There's nothing greater we can do to see souls saved than to intercede for them. In our day, the question rings loud and clear. Is there not a cause? The cost of lost soul needing redemption is greater than ever. Look at the number of people in this world. The question is if we don't intercede for the lost church, who's going to?

It's relevant. The scriptures mandate it. The times demand it. The need demands it. We have a responsibility because like Jesus, our mission is to seek and to save that which is lost. And that decision to involve ourselves in the ministry of intercession. It's a personal choice and I'm pushing us toward that today. It's a personal choice of commitment. You've got to be willing to give of yourself. Spoke earlier about a burden that must accompany our prayer. I want to address that issue. There's really two sides to the burden.

And and we often pray, "Lord, give me a burden for the loss." Don't raise your hand, but have you ever prayed that? Lord, I I want a burden. Here's what I know. Really, what we're asking for when we say that is, "Lord, let me feel it so strong that it forces me to my knees." Now, a burden will do that. I submit to you that's not what a burden is. In fact, I don't I don't think there's any scriptural support for a burden for the loss.

At least not in that sense. I don't think he ever said, you know, when you feel it big enough, then go pray. when it's strong enough. You know what a burden is? It's a load. That's why they call them beast of burdens. When they load them up, load up a donkey or load up a horse or load up an ox with things to carry. It's something you carry. Do you have a burden? Yeah, you've got one. Go ye therefore into all the world and teach all nations.

He set it on you. He gave you a burden. Well, I don't feel it. Well, it's there. This burden must be carried whether you feel it emotionally or not. Jesus looked at his disciples. Say not ye there yet four months and and then comes the harvest. That's what you think? Behold, lift up your eyes. Look to the fields that are white to harvest harvest. You don't have to ask for a burden because he's already given us one, church. He's given us a responsibility. Now that knowing that that burden will when we begin to seek God produce the emotions that we seek.

I think we have it backwards. We wait for emotions as proof of a burden when we should take up the burden and then those emotions will follow. So when you put burden and intercession together, as we take up the burden of reaching the lost and we understand it is a spiritual endeavor, we begin to do that then it becomes part of our spirit and we want to pray and to seek God. We also understand this world will never be saved without the attendant power of the Holy Ghost in our life.

Paul said if our gospel be hid, who's it hid to? Not to us. It's hid to them that are without. The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. And so as we intercede for the lost, we enter into this spiritual warfare with Satan. God, open their eyes. God, help them see. And he doesn't want to relinquish those that he has captured. But we have weapons at our disposal. We have the word of God. Jesus used that. We have the name of Jesus.

We have complete his blood. We have mighty weapons in intercession and prayer. And we understand you can't fight spiritual things with natural weapons. And so we need the help of the spirit. But I'm thankful for the Holy Ghost that will come upon us. You know, that's when we enter that realm of intercession. Paul wrote in 8 Romans 8:26, "Likewise, the spirit helps our infirmities. It helps our weaknesses. We not know not what we should pray for as we ought. We don't know how to do it.

In other words, but the spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Praying in the spirit allows us to do battle in the spiritual realm. I'm talking about this is how we enter into interession. It's important we grasp I think the meaning of the words here. We often use that last phrase to say the spirit's praying for me. It makes intercession for us. the spirit. He He's up there working for me, for us as I pray. No, what it means is he's standing in your place.

He's doing your job, if you will. Because I don't know how to do it and I don't know how to pray. Can I be honest? I've seen times even recently where something happened and I was praying for an individual or or a situation and I literally said, "God, I don't even know how to pray about this. I can't ask you to bless it. I can't say Lord just just yeah just bless and pour out blessing. I can't do that. All I can do is say Lord here it is.

And so the spirit begins to work and the spirit begins to pray and the spirit by praying in that spirit reaches out and prays for the need in ways that we do not understand and do not know. heard a message by brother Billy Cole talking about intercession. He was talking about the mechanics, if you will, of intercessory prayer. He said, "Begin that prayer, letting your spirit feel the urgency of the need." Yes, we need to do that. Lord, I know this is a I don't understand how it's going to work out, but he said as you do that, allow yourself begin to pray in the spirit, in the Holy Ghost.

Amen. Speaking in tongues, moaning, groanings, whatever Paul said cannot be uttered. And as you reach for that lost soul, I don't know what it will take for that individual to turn to God. And so I don't know the way to pray for them. Lord, what are you going to do to get I'm going to put it in your hands. Here's the thing. We know it's not learned through a lesson. I can't tell you how to do it today, but I can tell you here's how you develop it.

Work on it. In intercessory prayer, we overlook our own personal needs. We look at something others. We pray to God who has all power, the only answer. And through prayer and fasting, walls can be torn down. Things can be happy. Lives can be changed. These last days, we need to spiritually excel and to conquer, but we do it on our knees through intercessory prayer. And God is still looking as you stand this morning. God is still looking for somebody and say, "I've got this place covered.

I I I'm I'm filling this gap. Somebody else. I'll take over here. I'm going to pray. I'm going to seek God. Stand in the gap and become an intercession." And when we do, we'll see results and we'll see God working in lives like we've never seen before. Let's ask for his help, Lord, in your name. We see it in your word. We know it, God. Sometimes the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Help us, God, to get a glimpse of what you can do and a glimpse of what you will do if we're just willing to do our part.

If we're just willing, Lord, to put our lives and our prayers into the service of the kingdom and to say, "Lord, not not just a list, Lord, these people need saved, but to seek you, God, until we get an answer." We pray it in Jesus name. In Jesus name. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Hallelujah. Let's take a few moments break.