Church: An Interceding Community - The
Power of Intercession
Genesis 18:19-33
Vs.
32 Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just
once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake
of ten I will not destroy it.”
Some of us hear the word “intercession,” and it sounds
vaguely familiar. We've heard it in church services, as a part of
the liturgy section titled “The Great Intercession,” and we've
probably heard an Achen preach about it at some point in our time
of listening to sermons. But what does this word really mean, and
why is it such a powerful concept and instrumental concept for us
as Christians to understand? The aforementioned passage in Genesis
shows us what this concept means and how powerful it actually is.
Genesis 18: 19-33 is the story of Abraham and his
pleading with the Lord to spare Sodom from the impending wrath that
God was going to pour down on Sodom. This wrath was to come because
Sodom was full of terrible people. The people of that city were
committing sins of an unspeakable nature, and living completely
corrupt lives, so much so that God felt that it must be destroyed.
Abraham however felt the responsibility to plead with the Lord on
behalf of the righteous people that may have been living in the
midst of all the sin of Sodom. Abraham felt that God should not
destroy the city if there were people that were following God. And
so Abraham pleaded with the Lord, and negotiated with the Lord, and
finally at the end, the Lord told Abraham that if Abraham could
find ten righteous people in Sodom, the Lord would spare the city.
What does this story have to do with this abstract
concept of intercession? Well, intercession for us as Christians is
when we go to God in prayer and pray for other people in need. We
can pray for people that are sick and need healing, people that are
in dire situations and tribulations and need the determination to
pull through, we can pray for those that are hungry and need food
to eat, and more. Obviously, God knows the needs of all his
children, but there is a special power when we as a body of
believers submit requests to the Lord on behalf of other people. It
is amazing to see how God moves when we pray for requests with the
right intentions.
That power is displayed in this negotiation between
Abraham and God. Abraham is interceding on behalf of the people of
Sodom, pleading and communicating with God to not destroy the city
if Abraham can find some righteous people. Abraham actually held of
God’s destruction of a city just because he spoke to God from his
heart and his desire for the people
of Sodom not to die. While God eventually destroyed Sodom because
there were no righteous people in the city, and God obviously knew
this would be the case, this story still shows that God truly
honors the requests of his people when they intercede on behalf of others.
PRAYER
God,
grant us genuine kindness and love for others in our hearts that we
may intercede on behalf of them, as people have interceded for us
in the past. Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
What
would it look like if we took it upon ourselves as believers to
really intercede on behalf of those struggling throughout the
world, in our own churches, in our own families, and more? The
world could be a radically different and better place. It all starts
with us taking that step to communicate with God on behalf of
others. Try it, and watch the way God can change the world.
Alexander
Thomas,
Long Island MTC, NY
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar
Thoma Church
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