THE MINISTRY OF EVANGELICAL INTERSESSION

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Published: Monday, 20 December 2021 11:06

Notice these precious words, which the Holy Spirit inspired the prophet Isaiah to pen over seven centuries before the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, “And He bore the sin of many, and MADE INTERCESSION for the TRANSGRESSORS”. The ministry of evangelistic intercession is sometimes called ‘The triangle of prayer’; for evangelistic intercession always involves the person who is praying; the Person to whom he is praying; and the person for whom he is praying. The faithful evangelistic intercessor identifies with the unconverted sinner to such a degree, that he is willing to get personally involved in fervent and faithful prayer for their conversion. One of the most precious privileges we have, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, is to take part in God’s great work of making sinners His holy habitation, through the means of evangelistic intercessory prayer. Therefore, while hoards of contemporary churches are constantly seeking more carnal techniques and tactics to reach people, God is seeking for resolute and impassioned ‘prayer warriors’ who will stand in the gap, to intercede for the lost souls of people within their sphere of influence. At the same time, we would all have to admit, one of the most challenging battles in our walk with the Lord is to remain passionate and persistent in this vital area of evangelistic intercession for the unconverted people, which God has placed within our particular circle of impact. Charles Spurgeon has well said, “We are best equipped to testify tomen and women, when we have been wrestling with God on behalf of those men and women.”

Isaiah 53:12b reveals that the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ was a vital part of his entire life and work. For the Great and Final Prophet was not only interceding for the mocking mob, when He prayed, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”. The intercessory work of our Great High Priest refers to all that was involved in His sinless life; His substitutionary wrath-bearing death; His triumphant resurrection and His ascension to the right hand of the Father, where He ever lives to make intercession for the saints! Our Lord and Savior stood between Holy God and sinners, by enduring and exhausting the full equivalent of an eternity of the just wrath of God in the place of and on behalf of every sinner who will repent and believe the Gospel. Moreover, Jesus was interceding for us when He lived a perfectly righteous life, which we could have never lived. He was interceding for us in John 17, only hours before He would go to the Cross, not only as the Great High Priest, but also as the Lamb of God! Even at this very moment, He is at the right
hand of the Majesty on High interceding for the love gift that the Father has given to Him.

Precious brothers and sisters, our Great High Priest has fulfilled His finished work in sacrifice and He continues to fulfill His work of intercession even now! Oh, but we have an essential responsibility to be a faithful intercessor, as one of God’s ordained means to gather in the bride of Christ. Our prayers for any
sinner, who is still breathing God’s air, are in perfect concert with God’s earnest desires that they would come to a saving knowledge of the Gospel. (1 Timothy 2:4) Therefore, if our lives are being moved along by the Spirit of God we should be in concert with God’s earnest desires for the salvation of sinners. Are you experiencing, at least to some degree, the travail of the Lord Jesus for lost souls? Is this anguish of heart for the lost compelling you to be involved in passionate and persistent intercessory prayer? How long
has it been since you wept for one lost soul? 

The psalmist declared, “He who continually goes forth WEEPING, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” The weeping intercessor shall eventually become the rejoicing winner of souls. For the Lord who wailed over Jerusalem will not be indifferent to an intercessor with has an anguish of heart over lost sinners. God will turn that weeping into rejoicing, when He employs that intercession as one of His sovereign means in the redemption of that soul! Passionate and persistent prayer is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. Our Savior welcomes intercession on behalf of any sinner, because that prayer is consistent with His nature as a Savior; His sincere desire for the sinner’s salvation; and His sovereign purpose to put the gloryof
His amazing grace, marvelous mercy and astounding love on eternal display.