Bible passage:
Abraham's intercession for Sodom: Genesis 18: parts of 22-33
Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?... Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak..... Suppose twenty are found there.” Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” ... and Abraham returned to his place.
Moses's intercession for Israel after the golden calf incident: Exodus 32:11, 12b, 31, 32
But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
Samuel's intercession for Israel before subduing the Philistines at Mizpah: 1 Samuel 7: 5, 9b Then Samuel said, "Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the LORD for you." He cried out to the LORD on Israel's behalf, and the LORD answered him.
During Samuel's farewell speech: 1 Samuel 12:23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.
Jeremiah's intercession for Israel: parts of Jeremiah 14: 7 - 15:9
Have you rejected Judah completely? Do you despise Zion? Why have you afflicted us so that we cannot be healed? We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there is only terror. We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord, and the guilt of our ancestors; we have indeed sinned against you. For the sake of your name do not despise us;
do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us and do not break it.
Ezra's intercession for Israel after knowing about intermarriage: Ezra 9:6, 10:1
I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God.
Paul, and the New Testament priesthood:
I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers (Ephesians 1:16). I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy (Philippians 1:3-4). We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you (Colossians 1:3). We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3a). I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day (2 Timothy 1:3). I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers (Philemon 1:4).
Before the Levitical priesthood, we find the intercessions of Abraham and Moses. After the Levitical priesthood was instituted, we read about the intercession of priests like Samuel, Jeremiah, and Ezra. In Jeremiah 15:1 we read God saying, 'Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people'. This shows how constantly Moses and Samuel would have interceded such that even God takes their name as an example. In the New Testament, we read about Paul from his position of new covenant priesthood continually interceding for the churches. If James 5 says that Elijah was an ordinary man, so are the names mentioned above. We are ordinary people too. Shall we through God's grace become exemplary intercessors?
Prayer points:
Pray that God would give you a heart like that of Abraham and Moses to plead and pray continuously for mercy and not judgment or wrath.
Pray that God would help you grow to be like Samuel who felt it was sinful if he didn't intercede for those whom he served.
Pray that like Jeremiah and Ezra, you set yourself apart from the sinfulness, yet be willing to identify with the brokenness of people or sinful systems that you are placed with (saying our sins, we have sinned), and pray to God for forgiveness.
Pray that like Paul you will spend time in prayer, always remembering those around you, those whom you minister to whether they are near or far away.
If you can, try memorizing Jeremiah 14: 20, 21
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