Summary:

Your God needs you to stand in the gap on behalf of your family, community and nation- its people and its leaders. Praying first and foremost for salvation of souls, for people to come to salvation and the knowledge of the truth. Indeed it is the will of Almighty God that you pray and intercede for whole Planet Earth, countries and regions in conflict or wars, countries and regions with disasters like famine, disease and hardships caused by natural disasters such as earthquakes, flooding, hurricanes etc.

Covered in this section:

1. At the centre of the will of Almighty God is salvation of souls
2. He desires that we pray for the opening of eyes.

 

1. Almighty God desires that we plead on behalf of people who do not know Him.
2. You are qualified to plead on behalf of Planet Earth because of Jesus Christ.
3. You are qualified to join brethren in corporate prayer for God to spare His people and not give them to reproach.
4. The power of prayer with fasting.
5. Learning from the Lord Jesus Christ.
6. At the centre of the will of Almighty God is salvation of soul

 

His word says: 

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” I Timothy 2:1-4 NKJV.

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He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, He desires that every nation has an environment conducive to the preaching of the gospel to accomplish salvation of souls. We therefore need to intercede for people to be saved, to cry for mercy and the outpouring of His Holy Spirit. To pray for signs, wonders and undeniable miracles  to follow the preaching of the gospel as these make people to believe in Almighty God and accept the message of the gospel.

 

1. He desires that we pray for the opening of eyes.

 

His word says in Acts 26: 16-18 NKJV:

 "But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

 It is the desire of Almighty God that we pray for the opening of eyes- spiritual eyes- people's minds have been darkened, eyes blinded to spiritual and eternal realities- by a working of the enemy satan. As we pray, eyes of people will be opened, the dark cloud will lift and there will be receptive to the preaching of the word of Almighty God and salvation will come to many. As we pray bind and rebuke the spirit of blindness and release the spirit of sight. Rebuke the spirit of darkness and release the light of Almighty God into their lives. Command satan to let the people of Almighty God go and serve their God, command the shackles of the enemy to be broken that people be freed to serve their God. Glory be to God.

1. Almighty God desires that we plead on behalf of people who do not know Him.

 

His word says in Ezekiel 22: 29-31: "The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. 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. 

 When He was about to pour His indignation, His wrath upon the people who had done wickedly, Almighty God sought for a man or woman who would plead the cause of the people to Him. A person who would ask for mercy but He found none- the result was that Almighty God poured His wrath upon the people- today let us answer the call and come and stand in the gap.

 

Abraham stood and pleaded with Almighty God on behalf of Sodom  (Genesis 18:17-32)- until Almighty God promised He would not destroy Sodom if ten righteous people were found there. In the end Almighty God failed to find ten people but found one - Lot and had to rescue Lot out of Sodom before He destroyed it.

 

 

Moses interceded for the children of Israel in the wilderness when Almighty God was about to destroy them because of their unbelief. Notice what he said : “Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: 'LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’  So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.” Exodus 32:10-14.

Here the word of Almighty God teaches us that God was so angry with the children of Israel that He wanted to destroy them all and start to raise a new nation through Moses. Moses reasoned with Almighty God and He relented. Notice the language Moses used-very forceful persuasive language. Almighty God is looking for men and women who will accept  His call to be intercessors. 

1. You are qualified to plead on behalf of Planet Earth because of Jesus Christ.

 Jesus Christ  is our High Priest and Chief Intercessor. Through Jesus Christ you you are the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). You have received adoption to become a child of God (John 1:12-13). His word also says in 1 Peter 2:9-10: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." His word says further that you are a member of Almighty God's own household. (Ephesians 2:19).

His word also says in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14: “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

 

 So you are qualified by Jesus Christ's salvation to stand before Almighty God on behalf of God's people and plead their case before the Father. As you do Almighty God has promised to hear you. Yes - you are a person called by the name of Jehovah through Jesus Christ. When you seek His face and pray on behalf of God's people - He will hear from heaven and heal our planet, He will hear from heaven and save souls, He will hear from heaven and heal the politics of planet Earth, He will hear from heaven and deliver Planet Earth from attacks of the enemy satan and his demons. 

 

1. You are qualified to join brethren in corporate prayer for God to spare His people and not give them to reproach.

 His word says: Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar; let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’"Joel 2:15-17 NKJV.

 Here there was reproach, the enemy satan was causing suffering and the heathens were asking: "Where is their God?" God's answer was to call a sacred assembly, to sanctify a fast, to cancel even the honeymoons of newly wedded couples so that everybody would cry to God with one voice "Spare your people O God, do not give your heritage to reproach, that the enemy satan should rule over them- why should they say among the heathens where is their God." We see a similar situation in the book of Acts when Peter and John were arrested for preaching the gospel:

 “And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:23-31 KJV.

Here Peter and John went to their company where a group of believers were gathered and they raised their voice (one voice) in one accord, in agreement- after prayer there was an earthquake, the Holy Spirit came down and filled the brethren (again) and Almighty God answered their prayers saved souls, healed the sick and raised the dead.

 

6.   The power of prayer with fasting.

Sometimes it is critical to set apart time to pray with fasting.  Fasting is going through a period of abstaining from food and drink, for the purpose of seeking the face of Almighty God in the weakness of the body. It is an act of faith and as such it is a supernatural activity. It should be done with full understanding of your body and its limitations. Under certain circumstances it needs to be done under medical counsel and supervision.

Above (Joel 2:15-17), we saw how Almighty God commanded leaders to call upon God's people to gather to pray fasted.

 

Isaiah 58: “Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?

 Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?

 Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen?

To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house?

 When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.

Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity.

 Isaiah 58:3-9 KJV. 

 

Fasting makes your voice be heard on high with a different type of impact. It gives the believer a higher dimension of authority over satan and demons resulting in loosing the bands of wickedness, undoing heavy burdens, breaking yokes of the enemy upon our lives and upon God's people and letting oppressed go free. It takes authority over demons of blindness so that people may see the light of God.

We notice that Moses fasted for 40 days and 40 nights while up the mountain of Almighty God to receive the Ten Commandments.

 “And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did  neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.” Exodus 34:28 KJV.

Jesus Christ fasted forty days and forty nights before being attempted by the devil:

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.” Matthew 4:1-2 KJV.

Esther called for three days of prayer and fasting before he appeared before the king with a petition for the Israelites in Babylon:

 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” Esther 4:15-16 NKJV.

Jesus Christ taught that certain demons will not go away except after prayer and fasting:

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:20-21 NKJV.

 The apostle Paul fasted often. (2 Corinthians 11:27).

A word of wisdom regarding fasting if you have certain medical conditions such as Type 1 diabetes treated with insulin- you would need to fast with medical counsel and supervision. The same applies to anyone under medical supervision for heart, kidney or blood disorders such as anaemia.

 

7.   Learning from the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ is our intercessor. The scriptures tell us that He is seated at the right hand of the Father making intercessions for us:

 “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:34.

The Holy Spirit in us also intercedes for us when we speak in tongues with groanings:

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 KJV.

 

Remember the Lord Jesus Christ Himself  had a prayer habit:

 

 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Mark 1:35 KJV.

 

Matthew 14:23 tells us: And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when the evening came, He was alone there. (NKJV).

 

The scriptures teach us that the day before He appointed His twelve disciples the Lord Jesus Christ prayed all night:

 “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;” Luke 6:12-13 KJV.

 

In the garden of Gethsemane  Jesus Christ told His disciples to pray so that they may not enter into temptation- to intercede for themselves while He interceded also for the battles He was going to face: 

 In Matthew26:36-42,44:

 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

 

And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.”

Matthew 26:36-42, 44 KJV

Jesus Christ here asked the disciples to watch and pray with Him - one hour- aim therefore for a cumulative hour of prayer per day.

 Jesus Christ prayed and had a victorious night, but His disciples slept and the result was disastrous for them.

 

 

Copyright: Planet Ministries 2016

 

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