Breaking down and destroying strongholds.
Biblical examples cont’d:
3. To supplicate with earnestness (Cont’d). Example 3:
The Third Example we shall notice is Abraham:
Gen 20:17,18 ―So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.
Abraham also Interceded for Sodom: Gen 18:22-33 ―And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
The Fourth Example: We shall look at is that of the Apostle Paul: Romans 10:1―My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved was his compassionate confession.
And the list goes on with many of the patriarchs and prophets interceding for others throughout the scriptures.
The last and greatest example: We will mention is that of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Prophecy in Isaiah 53 says that Christ “Made Intercession for the Transgressors.”
This Prophecy was partially fulfilled when on the cross he prayed:
“Father, Forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34
And is continuing to be fulfilled:
Heb 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Being members of God’s “holy Priesthood” 1 Peter 2:5, makes us responsible for others because priests represent earth to heaven. Our primary task is to bring before our Great High Priest who “Ever Liveth to Make Intercession the names of those bound by the evil one. As Aaron did when he took the censor and ran among the dying in the camp to halt the plague of death caused by Israel’s sin. See- Numbers 16.
If you are not rising early every day before the pressures of the day hit, to die to self in prayer, pleading God’s promises for the deliverance of souls bound by Satan, then you are surrendering ground to the enemy and forsaking your priestly duty before God. Intercession is not optional, for the strong few out there somewhere—it’s the line drawn through the middle of the battle field showing who is in the Christian Warfare and who is just pretending to serve God. 3T 322.3
“Christ sought for men wherever He could find them—in the public streets, in private houses, in the synagogues, by the seaside. He toiled all day, preaching to the multitude and healing the sick that were brought to Him; and frequently, after He had dismissed the people that they might return to their homes to rest and sleep, He spent the entire night in prayer, to come forth and renew His labors in the morning. O brother and sister, you do not know anything in reality of self-denial and self-sacrifice for Christ and for the truth’ s sake. You must depend more fully upon God and less upon your own abilities. You need to hide in God. 3T 322.3
My prayer is that you will allow these powerful Biblical reasons to inspire you to pray more earnestly for the Lost as never before! The end is very near! We have not a moment to loose.