Prayers of Intercession continued...
We also learn how to pray for ourselves, and intercede for others from the words that Jesus prayed to the Father. Jesus never prayed that we be taken out of the world, but that the Father would keep us from the evil one while we are in the world.
Jesus prayed for our protection, Jesus prayed that we be kept safe from the evil one. Jesus prayed that the Father would keep watch over us, and act as a defense and a shield against the enemy on our behalf.
Because of the self-empowerment movement which has captivated the church for the better part of a decade, one of the most difficult realizations for some believers to come to is that in and of themselves they are powerless against the enemy.
We stand not in our own strength, we stand not in our own abilities, we stand not in our own understanding; we stand in the power of the Christ, we stand not because of ourselves, but because of the One who resides in us.
One of the surest ways for a believer to stumble and fall is to start believing they can stand in their own strength. We are dependent upon God for protection, we are dependent upon God for keeping us from the evil one, and just as sheep are dependent on their shepherd for keeping the wolves at bay, we, the sheep of His pasture, are dependent on our Shepherd to keep us from the enemy.
God is our defense, He is our shield, He is our shelter, He is our fortification and strong tower, and we come before Him with prayers of intercession for ourselves, as well as our fellow brothers in Christ, that He might keep us under the shadow of His wing.
Often times we realize the true measure of our impotence when it’s already too late. It is only after we’ve suffered a defeat, or a setback that we come to realize we weren’t really as strong as we thought ourselves to be.
Until the day of battle is at hand, every soldier fancies himself a hero, a warrior, one who will distinguish himself through valor and bravery. When battle finally arrives, some of those who thought themselves strong, unyielding, and courageous, realize what it is to be in the heat of battle, and their strength seeps out of them like water from a broken pitcher.
Our strength does not come from flesh, it does not come from ourselves, it comes from God, through the Holy Spirit, and only by being clothed in righteousness and having put on the whole armor of God will we be able to stand against the enemy, and not run from battle.
‘Lord keep us, Lord protect us, Lord shield us, for we are in constant danger, and the enemy we face takes no prisoners.’
It is not easy today, just as it has not been easy throughout the history of the church, to live an authentic Christian life. Living such a life requires discipline, it requires self-renunciation, it requires watchfulness, it requires obedience, and it requires much prayer.
John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
Not only did Jesus pray to the Father for our protection, He also prayed for our sanctification. To be sanctified is to be set apart, consecrated, purified, and holy. We are sanctified not of ourselves, but by the truth of God’s word.
When we stand before God on that great and terrible day of the Lord, He will not inquire as to what denomination we belonged to, His only concern will be whether or not we are sanctified, consecrated and purified.
The word of God is clear on the need for sanctification, the need to be set apart, to be different than those of the world in word and deed and action and creed. In the world but not of it; among them but not like them; the difference and distinction must be evident even upon the most cursory of inspections.
Jesus prayed that the Father sanctify us by His word, and we must likewise pray for the selfsame sanctification to take place in our hearts and lives. Not once in a while, not only on Sundays, but sanctified in perpetuity, wherever we might find ourselves, and whatever circumstance we might find ourselves in.
If we are to be the salt and the light, we must realize that these things cannot be hidden. You can taste the salt when it’s present in a dish, just as you can see light when it shines in the darkness. There is no such thing as undercover Christianity, and clandestine believers are no believers at all.
Yes, I’ve heard the theories that in order to attract the world we must become like the world, and act like the world, but if we’re merely attempting to attract the world to more of itself, is it worth the trouble?
Is it just for the increased revenue that churches are attempting to bring people through their doors, or is it that they might find the Christ, and salvation and redemption and forgiveness?
If it’s to find salvation, redemption and forgiveness of sin, then we must live according to the precepts of Christ, and not mimic the lifestyle of the world in order to attract those of the world.
We live sanctified lives, knowing that God will do a good work in those who come in search of answers, transforming them and sanctifying them by the power of His word.
When you see someone on the edge of a precipice, you don’t step up next to them, teetering back and forth in order to prove to them how dangerous what they are doing is, you grab them and pull them back, preventing their destruction.
We do not become like the world in order to attract the world, we become more like Jesus, so those in the storm might see the lighthouse and seek shelter.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Lord, Teach Us To Pray! Part 37
Prayers of Intercession continued...
James the apostle of Christ, also tells us that whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. By the same token, whoever therefore wants to be a friend of God makes himself an enemy of the world. We must love one and hate the other, and because there is a clear delineation between the two, one will be your friend, and the other will be your enemy.
The question is: who do you want to be a friend to? Do you desire to be a friend more to the world than you do to God, or do you desire to be a friend to God more than you do to the world? By the very nature of your existence you will be at enmity with either God or the world. One or the other will have preeminence in your life, you will devote more of your time either to God, or to the world, and by the choices we make on a daily basis, we gravitate toward one of the two.
I know it’s popular to slap a ‘coexist’ sticker on our back bumper, take the world by the hand, and dance the dance of friendship around a bonfire, but the word of God is still the word of God, and if it tells us that cohabitation is impossible, and that equally dividing the heart between God and the world cannot be done, then we must believe the word.
To some it may seem that I’m harping on this particular topic, but if I am, it is for good reason. A divided Christian is an ineffective Christian. When a believer allows the world to worm its way into their heart, and their loyalties become divided, they have been effectively neutralized by the enemy.
We are in the world, but not of the world. These words are far more profound than they seem at first glance. We live in the world, but our affinities, our kinships, our desires, our aspirations, and our empathies are not of the world. We do not see sin as the world sees sin. We do not see sin as something enjoyable and innocuous, we see it as God sees it, we see it for what it is, and we realize it is destructive, and detrimental to our spiritual man.
If we are friends with the world, then we are at enmity with God. If we see sin as an acceptable practice in the life of a believer, we are spurning holiness, and trampling on the blood of the Son of God.
Yes, it is that cut and dry, it is that black and white and I could continue with the clichés, but yes, our Christian walk, our lives in Christ, are that simple. We are either for God, or against Him. We are either God’s friend or the world’s. We either strive and hunger after truth and righteousness, or we are lukewarm, compromising, Pharisees who know nothing of His love, grace and mercy.
We want the benefits of son ship without the requisite commitment. We want the blessings of God, without the worship of Him. Neither the blessings of God, nor the benefits of son ship can be had independent of being committed to Him and worshiping Him as Lord and King of all.
We, who belong to the Body of Christ, have received the words of Christ, the selfsame words the Father gave Him, and as such have been transformed by them. There is a difference between hearing the word, and receiving the word. Not only have we heard the word of God, we have received it, allowing it to take root in our hearts, and begin the work of regeneration in us.
We no longer walk in darkness, or the lust of the flesh, or the ways of the world, because the word of God has transformed us, renewed our minds and hearts, that we may be vessels of glory unto Him.
What does this have to do with prayer?
Everything! Christ intercedes on behalf of those who are His, whom the Father gave Him. Christ intercedes on behalf of those who have been born again, and God the Father hears the prayers of the righteous.
Our right standing with God determines whether He will answer our prayers. Our right standing with God determines whether He will intervene on our behalf.
If we are friends with the world, and by definition at enmity with God, how can we expect Him to answer our prayers, whether they be prayers of intercession, or petition?
John 17:8-9, “For I have given to them the words which you have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given me for they are Yours.”
Three things define those who belong to Christ. First, they hear the word, second they receive the word, and third they believe the word. Jesus gave the words which the Father had given Him, some who heard received them, and then they believed that truly, Jesus had been sent of God. It is those who heard, received, and believed the words of Jesus that He identifies as His own, as those whom the Father gave Him.
By understanding who the Body of Christ is, as identified by the word, we will understand His prayers on behalf of the Body, and we will likewise learn to pray for the Body that it might be what He intended it to be when it came into maturity. If Jesus prayed for the Church, if Jesus prayed for those who were His, then we must likewise pray for those of the household of faith. We must love the brethren as Christ loved, coming before the Father with prayers of intercession when we see our brothers struggling, going through trials, or coming under spiritual attacks. It is our duty to pray, and we do so with boldness, knowing that the Lord hears and answers our prayers.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
James the apostle of Christ, also tells us that whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. By the same token, whoever therefore wants to be a friend of God makes himself an enemy of the world. We must love one and hate the other, and because there is a clear delineation between the two, one will be your friend, and the other will be your enemy.
The question is: who do you want to be a friend to? Do you desire to be a friend more to the world than you do to God, or do you desire to be a friend to God more than you do to the world? By the very nature of your existence you will be at enmity with either God or the world. One or the other will have preeminence in your life, you will devote more of your time either to God, or to the world, and by the choices we make on a daily basis, we gravitate toward one of the two.
I know it’s popular to slap a ‘coexist’ sticker on our back bumper, take the world by the hand, and dance the dance of friendship around a bonfire, but the word of God is still the word of God, and if it tells us that cohabitation is impossible, and that equally dividing the heart between God and the world cannot be done, then we must believe the word.
To some it may seem that I’m harping on this particular topic, but if I am, it is for good reason. A divided Christian is an ineffective Christian. When a believer allows the world to worm its way into their heart, and their loyalties become divided, they have been effectively neutralized by the enemy.
We are in the world, but not of the world. These words are far more profound than they seem at first glance. We live in the world, but our affinities, our kinships, our desires, our aspirations, and our empathies are not of the world. We do not see sin as the world sees sin. We do not see sin as something enjoyable and innocuous, we see it as God sees it, we see it for what it is, and we realize it is destructive, and detrimental to our spiritual man.
If we are friends with the world, then we are at enmity with God. If we see sin as an acceptable practice in the life of a believer, we are spurning holiness, and trampling on the blood of the Son of God.
Yes, it is that cut and dry, it is that black and white and I could continue with the clichés, but yes, our Christian walk, our lives in Christ, are that simple. We are either for God, or against Him. We are either God’s friend or the world’s. We either strive and hunger after truth and righteousness, or we are lukewarm, compromising, Pharisees who know nothing of His love, grace and mercy.
We want the benefits of son ship without the requisite commitment. We want the blessings of God, without the worship of Him. Neither the blessings of God, nor the benefits of son ship can be had independent of being committed to Him and worshiping Him as Lord and King of all.
We, who belong to the Body of Christ, have received the words of Christ, the selfsame words the Father gave Him, and as such have been transformed by them. There is a difference between hearing the word, and receiving the word. Not only have we heard the word of God, we have received it, allowing it to take root in our hearts, and begin the work of regeneration in us.
We no longer walk in darkness, or the lust of the flesh, or the ways of the world, because the word of God has transformed us, renewed our minds and hearts, that we may be vessels of glory unto Him.
What does this have to do with prayer?
Everything! Christ intercedes on behalf of those who are His, whom the Father gave Him. Christ intercedes on behalf of those who have been born again, and God the Father hears the prayers of the righteous.
Our right standing with God determines whether He will answer our prayers. Our right standing with God determines whether He will intervene on our behalf.
If we are friends with the world, and by definition at enmity with God, how can we expect Him to answer our prayers, whether they be prayers of intercession, or petition?
John 17:8-9, “For I have given to them the words which you have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given me for they are Yours.”
Three things define those who belong to Christ. First, they hear the word, second they receive the word, and third they believe the word. Jesus gave the words which the Father had given Him, some who heard received them, and then they believed that truly, Jesus had been sent of God. It is those who heard, received, and believed the words of Jesus that He identifies as His own, as those whom the Father gave Him.
By understanding who the Body of Christ is, as identified by the word, we will understand His prayers on behalf of the Body, and we will likewise learn to pray for the Body that it might be what He intended it to be when it came into maturity. If Jesus prayed for the Church, if Jesus prayed for those who were His, then we must likewise pray for those of the household of faith. We must love the brethren as Christ loved, coming before the Father with prayers of intercession when we see our brothers struggling, going through trials, or coming under spiritual attacks. It is our duty to pray, and we do so with boldness, knowing that the Lord hears and answers our prayers.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Lord, Teach Us To Pray! Part 36
Prayers of Intercession continued...
1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Nobody gets a special dispensation! You don’t get a pass if you went to seminary, preached the gospel, sang in the choir or served as an usher. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. It doesn’t matter how often we warm a pew, it doesn’t matter how giving we are to charity, it doesn’t matter how many fish stickers we have on our back bumper. If the love of the world is still in us the love of the Father is not.
In our ongoing attempt to pacify and placate the world, we’ve sugarcoated the word of God to such an extent that all the lines of delineation have been blurred or erased altogether. We find ourselves making excuses for God, and for His word, apologizing for the apparent lack of broadmindedness, insisting that although the Bible says a certain thing, it’s not really what God meant.
It’s pretty clear to me! There really isn’t any way we can spin this scripture passage. There really isn’t any way we can justify the morally ambiguous, or those whose fondness for the world supersedes their love for the things of God. ‘Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.’
There comes a point in every man’s searching wherein he must choose whether he will believe the easy thing, the palatable thing, the sugarcoated thing, or the truth. Yes, more often than not the truth and the comfortable thing will be in diametrical opposition to each other.
If we choose the path of least resistance, if we choose to believe that God has changed and His word is no longer relevant, that He has done away with His standard and no longer requires separation from the world, no matter how enchanting the words, no matter how eloquent the presentation, we still have the Bible to contend with.
Granted, some so-called congregations, have done away with the Bible altogether as it was a constant reminder that they were teaching heresy, but if you’re reading this, chances are you’re searching for the truth, and if you’re searching for the truth, then the Bible must be the final authority in regards to what you believe.
The world and the lust of the world are passing away. Things that men put their faith and trust in, at the time seemingly unshakable, have crumbled into the dust, and all that is left to remind anyone that something once stood there is rubble and decay. The world is passing away before our eyes, yet even those within the house of God continue to cling to it with death grips, hoping to salvage what remains.
We are attempting to fix what has been broken beyond repair, rather than doing the will of God that we might abide. He who does the will of God abides forever. To abide, is to wait for, to endure without yielding, to bear patiently, to remain stable or fixed in a state, or to continue in a place. He who does the will of God has permanence, he remains and continues bearing patiently and enduring without yielding.
If we desire to abide, if we desire to have permanence, and not pass away as the world and its lusts are, then we must do the will of God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”
God called us to holiness. Now there’s an unpopular truth. We don’t want to hear about abstaining, or possessing our own vessels in sanctification and honor anymore, because that would mean repenting of those pet sins we cling to so dearly.
We no longer like to hear about Christ returning for a spotless bride, because there’s far more leeway in hearing that He will take us to heaven on a bed of roses just as we are.
If we are preaching and teaching something antithetical to scripture, can we still call ourselves ambassadors of Christ and servants of the cross?
This isn’t a debate. There is no debate. ‘He who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.’
I’m sick and tired of the back and forth between seemingly intelligent people, who attempt to find loopholes in the Bible, as though they were debating tax law rather than the eternal residence of their immortal soul.
It is because our hearts are still tethered to the world and the things of the world that we are so adamant about finding justification for sin, immorality, and uncleanness.
We leave behind the life we lived before we came to the knowledge of His grace. We leave behind the immorality we practiced once we come to the knowledge of His love. We are no longer what we once were. We are born again into Him, dead to the flesh, dead to the sins which once held us captive, and alive in Christ Jesus our Lord.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Nobody gets a special dispensation! You don’t get a pass if you went to seminary, preached the gospel, sang in the choir or served as an usher. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. It doesn’t matter how often we warm a pew, it doesn’t matter how giving we are to charity, it doesn’t matter how many fish stickers we have on our back bumper. If the love of the world is still in us the love of the Father is not.
In our ongoing attempt to pacify and placate the world, we’ve sugarcoated the word of God to such an extent that all the lines of delineation have been blurred or erased altogether. We find ourselves making excuses for God, and for His word, apologizing for the apparent lack of broadmindedness, insisting that although the Bible says a certain thing, it’s not really what God meant.
It’s pretty clear to me! There really isn’t any way we can spin this scripture passage. There really isn’t any way we can justify the morally ambiguous, or those whose fondness for the world supersedes their love for the things of God. ‘Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.’
There comes a point in every man’s searching wherein he must choose whether he will believe the easy thing, the palatable thing, the sugarcoated thing, or the truth. Yes, more often than not the truth and the comfortable thing will be in diametrical opposition to each other.
If we choose the path of least resistance, if we choose to believe that God has changed and His word is no longer relevant, that He has done away with His standard and no longer requires separation from the world, no matter how enchanting the words, no matter how eloquent the presentation, we still have the Bible to contend with.
Granted, some so-called congregations, have done away with the Bible altogether as it was a constant reminder that they were teaching heresy, but if you’re reading this, chances are you’re searching for the truth, and if you’re searching for the truth, then the Bible must be the final authority in regards to what you believe.
The world and the lust of the world are passing away. Things that men put their faith and trust in, at the time seemingly unshakable, have crumbled into the dust, and all that is left to remind anyone that something once stood there is rubble and decay. The world is passing away before our eyes, yet even those within the house of God continue to cling to it with death grips, hoping to salvage what remains.
We are attempting to fix what has been broken beyond repair, rather than doing the will of God that we might abide. He who does the will of God abides forever. To abide, is to wait for, to endure without yielding, to bear patiently, to remain stable or fixed in a state, or to continue in a place. He who does the will of God has permanence, he remains and continues bearing patiently and enduring without yielding.
If we desire to abide, if we desire to have permanence, and not pass away as the world and its lusts are, then we must do the will of God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”
God called us to holiness. Now there’s an unpopular truth. We don’t want to hear about abstaining, or possessing our own vessels in sanctification and honor anymore, because that would mean repenting of those pet sins we cling to so dearly.
We no longer like to hear about Christ returning for a spotless bride, because there’s far more leeway in hearing that He will take us to heaven on a bed of roses just as we are.
If we are preaching and teaching something antithetical to scripture, can we still call ourselves ambassadors of Christ and servants of the cross?
This isn’t a debate. There is no debate. ‘He who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.’
I’m sick and tired of the back and forth between seemingly intelligent people, who attempt to find loopholes in the Bible, as though they were debating tax law rather than the eternal residence of their immortal soul.
It is because our hearts are still tethered to the world and the things of the world that we are so adamant about finding justification for sin, immorality, and uncleanness.
We leave behind the life we lived before we came to the knowledge of His grace. We leave behind the immorality we practiced once we come to the knowledge of His love. We are no longer what we once were. We are born again into Him, dead to the flesh, dead to the sins which once held us captive, and alive in Christ Jesus our Lord.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Lord, Teach Us To Pray! Part 35
Prayers of Intercession continued...
There are many people, circumstances, and situations for which we can pray prayers of intercession. Among the most beautiful of these, are the intercessions of the saints on behalf of the saints.
As children of God and followers of Christ, we must pray for each other, as Christ prayed for us. Yes, Jesus prayed for the church, and we must likewise pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
John 17:9, “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.”
Jesus did not stop interceding for us once He ascended into heaven. He didn’t just pray for us while He walked the earth. Having been glorified, He is now our great High Priest, who makes intercession for us before the Father. Jesus is our mediator, He is our intercessor, and He intercedes on our behalf before God.
Romans 8:34, “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
We have the blessed assurance, that not only did Christ die and rise again, but also that He is at the right hand of God making intercession for us.
We have an advocate in Christ, who pleads our cause before the Father in perpetuity. Paul declares the work of intercession on our behalf to be an ongoing one. Jesus did not cease being the Shepherd, He did not cease being our High Priest, and He did not cease being our Mediator. He will continue to intercede on our behalf until the day He returns to claim His Bride.
Hebrews 9:24, ‘For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”
Christ now appears in the presence of God for us. It is not for Himself that He does this, but for you and for me, that He might intercede and petition the Father on our behalf. God loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus loves His Bride, those who believe in Him and have come to the knowledge of saving grace so much that He appears in the presence of God for us, and makes intercession for us.
The privileges of being a child of God, saved, sanctified and redeemed, extend beyond what our understanding can grasp. Christ has done, and continues to do more than we will ever know on our behalf, so we might be in perfect union with the Father, experience true fellowship with Him, and one day be welcomed into His eternal Kingdom.
If we analyze the words of Christ’s prayer of intercession on behalf of the redeemed, we realize that the true church is defined and legitimized by its separation from the world. Jesus specified that He was not praying for the world, but for those whom the Father had given Him. He makes the distinction of separation between those who have been redeemed and sanctified, and those who still wander in darkness and despair.
John 17:14-16, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
The prayer of Christ on behalf of believers is the longest recorded prayer He uttered within the pages of scripture.
When taking into account that Jesus prayed this prayer shortly before He was arrested, tried, and sentenced to die by crucifixion, we can’t help but see His love for us. Jesus knew what was about to happen, He knew what He would have to endure, yet He prayed to the Father not for Himself, but for you, and for me, and all those who would believe in Him through the preaching of the gospel.
Jesus defined what it means to be His. If we are of Christ, we are no longer of the world. If we are still of the world, then we are not of Christ.
Just as He is not of the world, the true church is likewise not of the world. This does not mean we ought not to pray for those of the world, the Bible is clear on this topic, but what it means is that we no longer love the world or the things thereof.
If the world and the things of the world still hold sway over us, then we do not belong to Christ.
The word of God is clear on what it means to be saved and sanctified, yet men considered the way too narrow, and took it upon themselves to widen the path.
If the world loves us, but hates Christ, then we have a serious issue on our hands.
For the sake of our very souls we must stop playing at getting saved, and get saved. We must stop flirting with the world, and attempting to widen that path that Christ Himself said was a narrow one, because if we are not in harmony with the word of God, all we are doing is deceiving ourselves into believing we are something that we’re not.
I realize my words might seem harsh to some, but they are the truth. Christ intercedes for those who are His, for those who are no longer of the world. If we are still of the world, then hope as we might that the High Priest will make intercession on our behalf, it will have been a misplaced hope. Christ intercedes for those who belong to Him. In the light of the gospel, make certain that you do.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
There are many people, circumstances, and situations for which we can pray prayers of intercession. Among the most beautiful of these, are the intercessions of the saints on behalf of the saints.
As children of God and followers of Christ, we must pray for each other, as Christ prayed for us. Yes, Jesus prayed for the church, and we must likewise pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
John 17:9, “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.”
Jesus did not stop interceding for us once He ascended into heaven. He didn’t just pray for us while He walked the earth. Having been glorified, He is now our great High Priest, who makes intercession for us before the Father. Jesus is our mediator, He is our intercessor, and He intercedes on our behalf before God.
Romans 8:34, “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
We have the blessed assurance, that not only did Christ die and rise again, but also that He is at the right hand of God making intercession for us.
We have an advocate in Christ, who pleads our cause before the Father in perpetuity. Paul declares the work of intercession on our behalf to be an ongoing one. Jesus did not cease being the Shepherd, He did not cease being our High Priest, and He did not cease being our Mediator. He will continue to intercede on our behalf until the day He returns to claim His Bride.
Hebrews 9:24, ‘For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”
Christ now appears in the presence of God for us. It is not for Himself that He does this, but for you and for me, that He might intercede and petition the Father on our behalf. God loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus loves His Bride, those who believe in Him and have come to the knowledge of saving grace so much that He appears in the presence of God for us, and makes intercession for us.
The privileges of being a child of God, saved, sanctified and redeemed, extend beyond what our understanding can grasp. Christ has done, and continues to do more than we will ever know on our behalf, so we might be in perfect union with the Father, experience true fellowship with Him, and one day be welcomed into His eternal Kingdom.
If we analyze the words of Christ’s prayer of intercession on behalf of the redeemed, we realize that the true church is defined and legitimized by its separation from the world. Jesus specified that He was not praying for the world, but for those whom the Father had given Him. He makes the distinction of separation between those who have been redeemed and sanctified, and those who still wander in darkness and despair.
John 17:14-16, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
The prayer of Christ on behalf of believers is the longest recorded prayer He uttered within the pages of scripture.
When taking into account that Jesus prayed this prayer shortly before He was arrested, tried, and sentenced to die by crucifixion, we can’t help but see His love for us. Jesus knew what was about to happen, He knew what He would have to endure, yet He prayed to the Father not for Himself, but for you, and for me, and all those who would believe in Him through the preaching of the gospel.
Jesus defined what it means to be His. If we are of Christ, we are no longer of the world. If we are still of the world, then we are not of Christ.
Just as He is not of the world, the true church is likewise not of the world. This does not mean we ought not to pray for those of the world, the Bible is clear on this topic, but what it means is that we no longer love the world or the things thereof.
If the world and the things of the world still hold sway over us, then we do not belong to Christ.
The word of God is clear on what it means to be saved and sanctified, yet men considered the way too narrow, and took it upon themselves to widen the path.
If the world loves us, but hates Christ, then we have a serious issue on our hands.
For the sake of our very souls we must stop playing at getting saved, and get saved. We must stop flirting with the world, and attempting to widen that path that Christ Himself said was a narrow one, because if we are not in harmony with the word of God, all we are doing is deceiving ourselves into believing we are something that we’re not.
I realize my words might seem harsh to some, but they are the truth. Christ intercedes for those who are His, for those who are no longer of the world. If we are still of the world, then hope as we might that the High Priest will make intercession on our behalf, it will have been a misplaced hope. Christ intercedes for those who belong to Him. In the light of the gospel, make certain that you do.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Lord, Teach Us To Pray! Part 34
Prayers of Intercession continued...
Another worthwhile example of intercession, this time not on behalf of Israel, is that of Abraham. Knowing what we know of Sodom and Gomorrah, it would be difficult to imagine someone interceding for it, standing before the Lord and asking that it be spared. In truth, Abraham interceded for the righteous that were in Sodom and Gomorrah and not for the cities themselves; however, he could just as readily have shrugged his shoulders upon hearing that these two cities would be judged.
The angels of the Lord had come to Abraham, and the Lord saw fit to inform him that Sodom and Gomorrah would soon be judged. Their sin was a grievous one, and God had purposed to go and see whether they had done altogether according to the outcry against them.
Genesis 18:22-25, “Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. And Abraham came near and said, ‘would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’”
Although the angels had turned away from where Abraham stood and went toward Sodom, Abraham remained before the Lord, and he began to intercede. Attempting to stay the wrath of God, Abraham proceeds to present God with a hypothetical situation. ‘Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?’
After God assured him that if there were fifty righteous within the city He would not destroy it, Abraham begins to process all that he had heard concerning Sodom, and concludes that fifty righteous might have been aiming a tad too high.
Genesis 18:27-28, “Then Abraham answered and said, ‘Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: ‘suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?’ And He said, ‘if I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.’”
By his own admission, no one asked Abraham to intercede, no one compelled him to speak to the Lord, he took it upon himself to make intercession for the righteous of Sodom. Sometimes we intercede for individuals who have not asked us to intercede on their behalf. We come before God with prayers of intercession for those who are lost, those still in darkness, who would not think to ask for prayer, yet we pray for them nevertheless.
We take it upon ourselves, as Abraham did, to speak to God, and make intercession.
Abraham’s dialogue with God continues, until he whittles the hypothetical number of the righteous to ten souls. Within the span of a few verses, Abraham makes intercession to the Lord no less than six times, decreasing his number from fifty, to forty-five, to forty, thirty, twenty and finally ten righteous souls.
Although each time Abraham is apologetic for coming before God with the same issue, he is nevertheless determined to intercede before God in the hope that enough righteous souls might be found so God might not destroy Sodom.
The greatest lesson we can learn from Abraham’s repeated intercessions before God, is that of persistence. Abraham didn’t just intercede once, but came before God repeatedly, passionately, because he loved.
When we love as Christ taught us to love, we will be insistent in our prayers of intercession on behalf of those we are interceding for. It will not be a prayer of custom, as we are wont to do when blessing a meal, it will be a prayer filled with emotion and pathos, one that we bring before the throne of grace as often as we feel the stirring in our hearts to do so.
Love is the principle agent that fuels prayers of intercession. It is because we love the brethren, and even those who are as yet lost that we take the time and make petitions of intercession before God. If we have no love, then we will not intercede, we will not sacrifice of ourselves and of our time to pray on behalf of another, be they stranger or friend.
We fight, and strive, and toil for those we love. We sweat and labor and exert ourselves on behalf of our children and our spouses, and intercession in its purest form is a labor of love.
If we intercede on behalf of those we love and the word of God commands us to love even our enemies, then the list of those we could be interceding for is a long one indeed. If you desire to be an intercessor, there will never be an end to those you could be interceding for. Whether interceding for someone’s healing, someone’s salvation, someone’s comfort through a difficult season in their life, prayers of intercession will never lack for an objective.
God calls His children to be men and women of prayer and the prayers of His people are as sweet smelling incense to Him.
When we come to understand the true power of prayer in our lives, when we come to understand the power of intercession, perhaps we will not be as reticent or complacent when it comes to spending time before God, and worshiping at His feet.
We pray because it is the only way by which we can dialogue with God our Father, and we know that He hears our prayers.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Another worthwhile example of intercession, this time not on behalf of Israel, is that of Abraham. Knowing what we know of Sodom and Gomorrah, it would be difficult to imagine someone interceding for it, standing before the Lord and asking that it be spared. In truth, Abraham interceded for the righteous that were in Sodom and Gomorrah and not for the cities themselves; however, he could just as readily have shrugged his shoulders upon hearing that these two cities would be judged.
The angels of the Lord had come to Abraham, and the Lord saw fit to inform him that Sodom and Gomorrah would soon be judged. Their sin was a grievous one, and God had purposed to go and see whether they had done altogether according to the outcry against them.
Genesis 18:22-25, “Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. And Abraham came near and said, ‘would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’”
Although the angels had turned away from where Abraham stood and went toward Sodom, Abraham remained before the Lord, and he began to intercede. Attempting to stay the wrath of God, Abraham proceeds to present God with a hypothetical situation. ‘Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?’
After God assured him that if there were fifty righteous within the city He would not destroy it, Abraham begins to process all that he had heard concerning Sodom, and concludes that fifty righteous might have been aiming a tad too high.
Genesis 18:27-28, “Then Abraham answered and said, ‘Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: ‘suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?’ And He said, ‘if I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.’”
By his own admission, no one asked Abraham to intercede, no one compelled him to speak to the Lord, he took it upon himself to make intercession for the righteous of Sodom. Sometimes we intercede for individuals who have not asked us to intercede on their behalf. We come before God with prayers of intercession for those who are lost, those still in darkness, who would not think to ask for prayer, yet we pray for them nevertheless.
We take it upon ourselves, as Abraham did, to speak to God, and make intercession.
Abraham’s dialogue with God continues, until he whittles the hypothetical number of the righteous to ten souls. Within the span of a few verses, Abraham makes intercession to the Lord no less than six times, decreasing his number from fifty, to forty-five, to forty, thirty, twenty and finally ten righteous souls.
Although each time Abraham is apologetic for coming before God with the same issue, he is nevertheless determined to intercede before God in the hope that enough righteous souls might be found so God might not destroy Sodom.
The greatest lesson we can learn from Abraham’s repeated intercessions before God, is that of persistence. Abraham didn’t just intercede once, but came before God repeatedly, passionately, because he loved.
When we love as Christ taught us to love, we will be insistent in our prayers of intercession on behalf of those we are interceding for. It will not be a prayer of custom, as we are wont to do when blessing a meal, it will be a prayer filled with emotion and pathos, one that we bring before the throne of grace as often as we feel the stirring in our hearts to do so.
Love is the principle agent that fuels prayers of intercession. It is because we love the brethren, and even those who are as yet lost that we take the time and make petitions of intercession before God. If we have no love, then we will not intercede, we will not sacrifice of ourselves and of our time to pray on behalf of another, be they stranger or friend.
We fight, and strive, and toil for those we love. We sweat and labor and exert ourselves on behalf of our children and our spouses, and intercession in its purest form is a labor of love.
If we intercede on behalf of those we love and the word of God commands us to love even our enemies, then the list of those we could be interceding for is a long one indeed. If you desire to be an intercessor, there will never be an end to those you could be interceding for. Whether interceding for someone’s healing, someone’s salvation, someone’s comfort through a difficult season in their life, prayers of intercession will never lack for an objective.
God calls His children to be men and women of prayer and the prayers of His people are as sweet smelling incense to Him.
When we come to understand the true power of prayer in our lives, when we come to understand the power of intercession, perhaps we will not be as reticent or complacent when it comes to spending time before God, and worshiping at His feet.
We pray because it is the only way by which we can dialogue with God our Father, and we know that He hears our prayers.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Lord, Teach Us To Pray! Part 33
Prayers of Intercession continued...
The second thing required for a prayer of intercession, is to know the details of what you are interceding for. Specificity is important, because when we are interceding on behalf of someone, it is for a specific issue, and not a general prayer.
It’s one thing to pray for Bob in general terms; it’s another to pray for Bob’s healing from Crohn’s disease. We can lift someone up in prayer, and we ought to as often as we are able, but interceding on behalf of someone is slightly different than just lifting them up. When we intercede, it is for a specific issue, for a specific purpose, and it is for that issue in particular that we plead for before God, and intercede.
In order for an attorney to adequately plead your case before a judge, they must know the specifics of what they are pleading. A good attorney goes into court thoroughly prepared to make their argument, and adequately represents their client.
When we intercede on behalf of another, we are pleading their case, and as such must know the particulars of the individual in question.
The third thing required for a prayer of intercession, is emotion. We must feel with those for whom we are praying. We must be empathetic, compassionate, sympathetic, and pray with the passion these feelings elicit.
Prayers of intercession are passionate, fervent things, because we feel with those who are hurting, we feel with those for whom we are praying, and we are pleading before God to work on their behalf.
God desires that His children be intercessors. He desires that we intercede on behalf of those who are either unable, or reluctant to approach Him themselves.
Isaiah 59:16, “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him.”
God saw that there was no intercessor, and marveled. He saw that there was no man; He saw that there was no one to intercede, and God was amazed. Although there were still believers on earth, although there were still those that followed His precepts, there were none who interceded.
If interceding were not relevant or important to God, logic would dictate He would have had no reason to be amazed at the absence of intercessors.
Ezekiel 22:30-31, ‘“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,’ says the Lord God.’”
One of the sure signs that the wrath of God is getting ready to be poured out upon a nation, is when the children of God stop interceding before Him on behalf of the land. When God says He sought someone to make a wall, and stand in the gap, what He is saying is that He sought someone who would intercede, who would plead with Him, yet He found no one.
Yes, there are times, as was the case with Jeremiah, wherein God will say ‘do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, or make intercession to Me,’ but until such a time, our duty is to pray and intercede.
When we diminish the importance of prayer, when we belittle the importance of intercession, when the children of God begin to omit prayers of intercession from their daily lives, the end result is that God pours out His indignation upon the land.
Because He could not find anyone who would stand in the gap, because He could not find anyone who would make a wall, God poured out the fire of His wrath, and recompensed the deeds of the people on their own heads. God’s judgment was the direct result of not finding anyone who would intercede.
Throughout the word, we see that men of God knew the importance of interceding, of standing in the gap, and pleading on behalf of the people.
One of the greatest examples of intercession is that of Moses on behalf of Israel.
Psalm 106:23, “Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.”
Because they had started worshiping other Gods, because they had abandoned the one true God, because their sin had reached to heaven, God had decided to destroy the people of Israel. If not for Moses, who stood in the breach before God, who interceded, and pleaded for God to turn away His wrath, the history of Israel would read very differently today.
Moses interceded, he stood in the breach, and God’s wrath was turned away. Prayer works miracles. Prayer stirs the heart of God, prayer turns away the wrath of God and prayers of intercession on behalf of others compels God to intervene and do mighty works.
When the word tells us that the prayer of a righteous man avails much, it is not hyperbole, it is the truth. We see this in scripture, time and again, wherein one man standing in the gap, one man standing in the breach, one man interceding, moved the heart of God. Whether to turn away His wrath, or bless His people, whether to strengthen them in adversity, or keep them from the hands of their enemies, prayers of intercession have been proven to work.
The three essentials for any intercessor is that they come before God with confidence, know what they are praying for, and pray from the heart, with emotion and pathos, with fervor and passion.
Pray, and see the windows of heaven open wide. Intercede on behalf of those who are lost, who are broken, who are hurting, and see God work on their behalf.
God is still seeking for a man who would make a wall and stand in the gap. The question is: will He find him?
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
The second thing required for a prayer of intercession, is to know the details of what you are interceding for. Specificity is important, because when we are interceding on behalf of someone, it is for a specific issue, and not a general prayer.
It’s one thing to pray for Bob in general terms; it’s another to pray for Bob’s healing from Crohn’s disease. We can lift someone up in prayer, and we ought to as often as we are able, but interceding on behalf of someone is slightly different than just lifting them up. When we intercede, it is for a specific issue, for a specific purpose, and it is for that issue in particular that we plead for before God, and intercede.
In order for an attorney to adequately plead your case before a judge, they must know the specifics of what they are pleading. A good attorney goes into court thoroughly prepared to make their argument, and adequately represents their client.
When we intercede on behalf of another, we are pleading their case, and as such must know the particulars of the individual in question.
The third thing required for a prayer of intercession, is emotion. We must feel with those for whom we are praying. We must be empathetic, compassionate, sympathetic, and pray with the passion these feelings elicit.
Prayers of intercession are passionate, fervent things, because we feel with those who are hurting, we feel with those for whom we are praying, and we are pleading before God to work on their behalf.
God desires that His children be intercessors. He desires that we intercede on behalf of those who are either unable, or reluctant to approach Him themselves.
Isaiah 59:16, “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him.”
God saw that there was no intercessor, and marveled. He saw that there was no man; He saw that there was no one to intercede, and God was amazed. Although there were still believers on earth, although there were still those that followed His precepts, there were none who interceded.
If interceding were not relevant or important to God, logic would dictate He would have had no reason to be amazed at the absence of intercessors.
Ezekiel 22:30-31, ‘“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,’ says the Lord God.’”
One of the sure signs that the wrath of God is getting ready to be poured out upon a nation, is when the children of God stop interceding before Him on behalf of the land. When God says He sought someone to make a wall, and stand in the gap, what He is saying is that He sought someone who would intercede, who would plead with Him, yet He found no one.
Yes, there are times, as was the case with Jeremiah, wherein God will say ‘do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, or make intercession to Me,’ but until such a time, our duty is to pray and intercede.
When we diminish the importance of prayer, when we belittle the importance of intercession, when the children of God begin to omit prayers of intercession from their daily lives, the end result is that God pours out His indignation upon the land.
Because He could not find anyone who would stand in the gap, because He could not find anyone who would make a wall, God poured out the fire of His wrath, and recompensed the deeds of the people on their own heads. God’s judgment was the direct result of not finding anyone who would intercede.
Throughout the word, we see that men of God knew the importance of interceding, of standing in the gap, and pleading on behalf of the people.
One of the greatest examples of intercession is that of Moses on behalf of Israel.
Psalm 106:23, “Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.”
Because they had started worshiping other Gods, because they had abandoned the one true God, because their sin had reached to heaven, God had decided to destroy the people of Israel. If not for Moses, who stood in the breach before God, who interceded, and pleaded for God to turn away His wrath, the history of Israel would read very differently today.
Moses interceded, he stood in the breach, and God’s wrath was turned away. Prayer works miracles. Prayer stirs the heart of God, prayer turns away the wrath of God and prayers of intercession on behalf of others compels God to intervene and do mighty works.
When the word tells us that the prayer of a righteous man avails much, it is not hyperbole, it is the truth. We see this in scripture, time and again, wherein one man standing in the gap, one man standing in the breach, one man interceding, moved the heart of God. Whether to turn away His wrath, or bless His people, whether to strengthen them in adversity, or keep them from the hands of their enemies, prayers of intercession have been proven to work.
The three essentials for any intercessor is that they come before God with confidence, know what they are praying for, and pray from the heart, with emotion and pathos, with fervor and passion.
Pray, and see the windows of heaven open wide. Intercede on behalf of those who are lost, who are broken, who are hurting, and see God work on their behalf.
God is still seeking for a man who would make a wall and stand in the gap. The question is: will He find him?
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Lord, Teach Us To Pray! Part 32
Prayers of Intercession continued...
1 John 3:21-22, “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
We have confidence toward God when our heart does not condemn us. When we know that we are keeping His commandments and doing those things pleasing in His sight, we can approach the throne room of grace, we can approach the seat of mercy with the confidence that whatever we ask, we will receive from Him.
Only when we have confidence toward God, only when we know we are doing those things that are pleasing in His sight can we come before Him with prayers of intercession on behalf of others and know He will hear us and answer our prayers.
When we possess confidence, we possess certitude. When we possess certitude it shows in the way we come before God, in the way we pray, and in the way we present ourselves before Him.
Some time ago I had to retake the written portion of my driver’s license exam. My license had expired, and since I was in Romania at the time, I could not renew it in a timely manner. When I finally got around to it, I was told I’d have to retake the written test, and a new license would be issued to me.
There were others who were taking the same test, and just by looking at them one could tell whether they had studied for it or not. Those who knew the material, those who had taken the time to study for their test, had a certain confidence about them, they had a sureness that could not be quantified, yet was readily visible in their mannerisms.
Those who had not studied, were likewise easy to spot, exhibiting signs of stress from chewing on their fingernails, to biting their lips, to staring at the ceiling as though expecting the answer to come from on high.
We must have confidence toward God when praying prayers of intercession, and the only way we can have confidence toward Him, is if we are keeping His commandments, and doing those things which are pleasing in His sight.
It is a difficult endeavor to attempt interceding for another, when we, ourselves, have not dialogued with God in next to forever. It is a difficult endeavor to pray prayers of intercession that someone might repent, and return to the path of righteousness, when we, ourselves, are in need of the selfsame repentance we are praying for others to experience.
When the heart condemns us, we have no confidence toward God.
If this is the case, then the first step we must take is repenting for that which our heart is condemning us of. Before interceding for another, before praying prayers of intercession for loved ones and neighbors, we must first deal with ourselves, and make certain our heart is no longer condemning us, so we might come before Him with confidence.
God will speak to you through your heart more often, and more clearly, than He ever will through prophecy, or a word of knowledge. When our hearts are tender toward God, and the presence of the Holy Spirit inhabits it, it is through the heart that God will warn us first and foremost. Only when we have discounted the voice of God and ignored the heart repeatedly, will God send a vessel to give us a word of warning or admonition.
The surrendered heart, and the confidence we exhibit toward God in prayer when our heart does not condemn us, is like the canary in a coalmine. It is the first to sense when there is something off, the first to sense when something needs to be dealt with in our lives. Before the advent of ventilation systems, gas detectors and other gadgets and inventions that made the lives of miners a little easier, they used to take a caged canary down in the mine with them, as a warning system as to the presence of methane gas or carbon monoxide. Canaries are extremely sensitive to both methane and carbon monoxide, and they would feel it long before it rose to dangerous levels for humans. As long as the canary kept singing, the miners knew everything was fine, and they could keep working. When the canary stopped singing, they knew this signaled an evacuation.
As long as your heart does not condemn you, and you have confidence towards God, the canary is singing, and all is well. When your heart condemns you, and you no longer have confidence toward Him, then it’s time to seek out the hindrance, seek out the stumbling block, and remove it with all due diligence.
Just like the miners of old took the death of the canary seriously enough to evacuate the mine, not waiting to see if another would die, not wondering if it was just a false alarm, or performing an onsite autopsy to see if the canary had expired of natural causes, we as wise children of God must deal with the issues that arise in our hearts before they have a chance to grow, and bloom and deepen their roots.
With each passing day we ignore that which our heart is condemning us for, it only grows stronger, and what could have been plucked from the soil of the heart with little effort and a solid grip, will require chainsaws, axes, a backhoe and a few strong backs, given enough time.
Because our heart is condemning us, we have no confidence toward God. Because we have no confidence toward God we no longer have fellowship with Him, and because we no longer have fellowship with Him, what caused us not to have confidence toward God in the first place, grows unhindered and unchecked.
This is a preventable death spiral, avoidable if only we would humble ourselves, be sensitive to the voice of God, and remedy whatever needs remedying in our lives and hearts.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
1 John 3:21-22, “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
We have confidence toward God when our heart does not condemn us. When we know that we are keeping His commandments and doing those things pleasing in His sight, we can approach the throne room of grace, we can approach the seat of mercy with the confidence that whatever we ask, we will receive from Him.
Only when we have confidence toward God, only when we know we are doing those things that are pleasing in His sight can we come before Him with prayers of intercession on behalf of others and know He will hear us and answer our prayers.
When we possess confidence, we possess certitude. When we possess certitude it shows in the way we come before God, in the way we pray, and in the way we present ourselves before Him.
Some time ago I had to retake the written portion of my driver’s license exam. My license had expired, and since I was in Romania at the time, I could not renew it in a timely manner. When I finally got around to it, I was told I’d have to retake the written test, and a new license would be issued to me.
There were others who were taking the same test, and just by looking at them one could tell whether they had studied for it or not. Those who knew the material, those who had taken the time to study for their test, had a certain confidence about them, they had a sureness that could not be quantified, yet was readily visible in their mannerisms.
Those who had not studied, were likewise easy to spot, exhibiting signs of stress from chewing on their fingernails, to biting their lips, to staring at the ceiling as though expecting the answer to come from on high.
We must have confidence toward God when praying prayers of intercession, and the only way we can have confidence toward Him, is if we are keeping His commandments, and doing those things which are pleasing in His sight.
It is a difficult endeavor to attempt interceding for another, when we, ourselves, have not dialogued with God in next to forever. It is a difficult endeavor to pray prayers of intercession that someone might repent, and return to the path of righteousness, when we, ourselves, are in need of the selfsame repentance we are praying for others to experience.
When the heart condemns us, we have no confidence toward God.
If this is the case, then the first step we must take is repenting for that which our heart is condemning us of. Before interceding for another, before praying prayers of intercession for loved ones and neighbors, we must first deal with ourselves, and make certain our heart is no longer condemning us, so we might come before Him with confidence.
God will speak to you through your heart more often, and more clearly, than He ever will through prophecy, or a word of knowledge. When our hearts are tender toward God, and the presence of the Holy Spirit inhabits it, it is through the heart that God will warn us first and foremost. Only when we have discounted the voice of God and ignored the heart repeatedly, will God send a vessel to give us a word of warning or admonition.
The surrendered heart, and the confidence we exhibit toward God in prayer when our heart does not condemn us, is like the canary in a coalmine. It is the first to sense when there is something off, the first to sense when something needs to be dealt with in our lives. Before the advent of ventilation systems, gas detectors and other gadgets and inventions that made the lives of miners a little easier, they used to take a caged canary down in the mine with them, as a warning system as to the presence of methane gas or carbon monoxide. Canaries are extremely sensitive to both methane and carbon monoxide, and they would feel it long before it rose to dangerous levels for humans. As long as the canary kept singing, the miners knew everything was fine, and they could keep working. When the canary stopped singing, they knew this signaled an evacuation.
As long as your heart does not condemn you, and you have confidence towards God, the canary is singing, and all is well. When your heart condemns you, and you no longer have confidence toward Him, then it’s time to seek out the hindrance, seek out the stumbling block, and remove it with all due diligence.
Just like the miners of old took the death of the canary seriously enough to evacuate the mine, not waiting to see if another would die, not wondering if it was just a false alarm, or performing an onsite autopsy to see if the canary had expired of natural causes, we as wise children of God must deal with the issues that arise in our hearts before they have a chance to grow, and bloom and deepen their roots.
With each passing day we ignore that which our heart is condemning us for, it only grows stronger, and what could have been plucked from the soil of the heart with little effort and a solid grip, will require chainsaws, axes, a backhoe and a few strong backs, given enough time.
Because our heart is condemning us, we have no confidence toward God. Because we have no confidence toward God we no longer have fellowship with Him, and because we no longer have fellowship with Him, what caused us not to have confidence toward God in the first place, grows unhindered and unchecked.
This is a preventable death spiral, avoidable if only we would humble ourselves, be sensitive to the voice of God, and remedy whatever needs remedying in our lives and hearts.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
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