ABRAHAM'S INTERCESSION.

GOD SAID SOMETHING TO ISRAEL THROUGH THE PROPHET ISAIAH WHICH SHOWS THAT GOD DESIRES HIS PROPHET TO INTERCEDE ON BEHALF OF OTHERS.
ISAIAH 64:7
7 AND THERE IS NONE THAT CALLETH UPON THY NAME , THAT STIRRETH UP HIMSELF TO TAKE HOLD OF THEE: FOR THOU HAST HID THY FACE FROM US, AND HAST CONSUMED US, BECAUSE OF OUR INIQUITIES.

THIS VERSE IMPLIES THAT IF SOMEONE HA STIRRED HIMSELF UP TO PRAY AND INTERCEDE AND TO CALL UPON GOD, JUDGEMENT ON THE NATION OF ISRAEL COULD HAVE BEEN OR STOPPED! LETS LOOK AT A SIMILAR STATEMENT BY EZEKIEL.

EZEKIEL, 22:30

30 AND I SOUGHT FOR A MAN AMONG THEM, THAT SHOULD MAKE UP THE HEDGE, AND STAND IN THE GAP BEFORE ME FOR THE LAND, THAT I SHOULD NOT DESTROY IT: BUT I FOUND NONE.

DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THESE VERSES ARE SAYING? GOD LOOKS FOR PEOPLE OF PRAYER TO STAND IN THE GAP, TO MAKE UP THE HEDGE, AND TO INTERCEDE SO THAT PEOPLE'S LIVES CAN BE SPARED, WARS WILL CEASE POVERTY WILL BE NO MORE THERE WILL BE NO MORE CHOLERA AFRICA WILL BE HEALED BUT THERE MUST BE PEOPLE TO STAND IN THE GAP TO INTERCEDE GOD WANTS A PEOPLE WHO WILL STAND INTHE FRONT LINE WHO WILL NEVER FALL IN BATTLE THE NATIONS HAVE TO TURN TO GOD.

IN GENESIS CHAPTER18, WE SEE THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM AS ONE WHO STOOD IN THE GAP ON BEHALF OF OTHERS, WHEN ABRAHAM BECAME AWARE OF THE IMPENDING JUDGEMENT UPON THE INHABITANTS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH, HE INTERCEDED FOR THEM. LETS LOOK AT THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM IN GENESIS CHAPTER 18, WHO INTERCEDED OR STOOD IN THE GAP FOR OTHERS. GENESIS 18:23-32 (READ) WHEN ABRAHAM ASK THE LORD TO SPEAR THE CITY IF HE SHOULD FINF FIFTY RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE, THE LORD SAID IF I FIND IN SODOM FIFTY RIGHTEOUS WITHIN THE CITY , THEN I WILL SPEAR THE PLACE FOR THEIR SAKES(GEN, 18:26). THEN ABRAHAM SAID "LORD I WILL JUST LIKE TO SPEAK A LITTLE FURTHER TO YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND I AM PUTTING THIS IN MY OWN WORDS, BUT THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF WHAT ABRAHAM SAID IF THERE ARE FORTY-FIVE RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE THERE, WOULD YOU SPARE THE PLACE FOR FORTY-FIVE?" IN EFFECT, THE LORD ANSSWERED ABRAHAM, YES, I'LL DO IT--JUST BECAUSE YOU ASK ME. FOR FORTY-FIVE RIGHTEOUS, I'LL SPARE THE THOUSANDS WHO ARE THERE, PEOPLE GOD HAS NEVER CHANGE HE IS THE SAME GOD OF YESTERAY TODAY AND FOREVER, HE DID IT IN THAT DAY AN HE WILL DO IT TODAY IF ONLY WE HIS PEOPLE WILL CALL UPON HIM AND PRAY 2 CHRONICLES CHAP 7:14 (READ) THEN ABRAHAM CONTINUED TO ASK THE LORD TO SPARE SODOM AN GOMORRAH, EVEN IF THERE WERE ONLY FORTY, THIRTY-FIVE, THIRTY, OR TWENTY RIGHTEOUS INHABITANTS. FINALLY, ABRAHAM ASKED GOD TO SPARE SODOM AND GOMORRAH FOR THE SAKE OF TEN RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE, AND GOD AGREED TO STAY JUDGEMENT IF TEN RIGHTEOUS WERE FOUND, I BELEIVE ABRAHAM SURELY THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE AT LEAST TEN RIGHTEOUS IN SODOM AND GOMORRAH.
THINK ABOUT THAT! GOD WOULD HAVE SPARED THAT CITY WHICH WAS FULL OF CORRUPTION AND IMMORALITY FOR THE SAKE OF TEN RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE. THE BIBLE SAYS GOD NEVER CHANGES---HE IS FOREVER THE SAME(MAL. 3:6). WILL HE NOT DO IN OUR DAY WHAT HE DID IN ABRAHAM"S DAY?

IF UNDER THE OLD COVENANT ABRAHAM INTERCEDED FOR OTHER PEOPLE AND GOD HEARD HIM, HOW MUCH MORE WILL GOD HEAR OUR PRAYERS UNDER THE NEW COVENANT? WILL HE NOT HEAR OUR PRAYERS FOR CITIES AND NATIONS FOR THE SAKE OF HIS CHILDREN WHO LIVE IN THEM? HE WILL IF WE'LL INTERCEDE AS ABRAHAM DID!

WE ARE THE COVENANT CHILREN, JUST AS ABRAHAM WAS, HOWEVER, WE HAVE AN EVEN BETTER COVENANT ESTABLISHED UPON BETTER PROMISES (HEB 8:6) AN WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY IN THE NAME OF JESUS TO HELP OTHERS THROUGH PRAYER AND INTERCESSION AND TO BRING A CHANGE IN NATIONS TO THE GLORY OF GOD ! AND LET ME SAY HERE THAT ALL CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO INTERCEDE, PUT AWAY THE LAZINESS AN THE SLOTHFULNESS, SHAKE YOURSELVES FROM THE DURST OF THE EARTH AND ARISE PUT ON YOUR HOLY GARMENTS AND LET US PRAY FOR THE TIME HAS COME PEOPLE TO PRAY!!!!!