As Solomon rightly coined “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). When things don’t get done in the right season, they pose a problem, or they bring disruption that can have serious consequences. For example, a farmer that sleeps when it is planting season will not be able to reap anything. Or take the lazy person who sleeps away when it is time to work, invest and be disciplined; he will only reap poverty (Proverbs 24:33-34). You get my point; everything must be done in the right time or season so that we get to reap the complete benefits. This is also true of God; the difference is that His time is not our time, but the principle remains the same. Everything that God did on this earth through man was done in a specific time and order. I wonder if that is why God had to first birth intercessors to pray for a specific move of His before He could act?
Since Abraham, it seems God always raises intercessors, priests, and prophets to take the burden of His people and intercede on their behalf. When God told Abraham His mind concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah because their wickedness had come up to Him, Abraham interceded on behalf of his nephew Lot; he pleaded for Lot’s life to be spared. It is interesting to see that God will only intervene when the time is right, when it has reached its peak. If the evil from Sodom and Gomorrah hadn’t reached its apex, God would not have intervened, He would have waited for the right time. Moreover, it was the grace of God to tell Abraham of His plans, because God does not owe us anything, He could have destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and still be just. Yet, in telling Abraham, the outcome was precisely what God was hoping would happen. Because as we know, God does not delight in destruction or suffering of the wicked, but He wants all men to come to Him (Ezekiel 33:11; 1 Timothy 2:4) but if none turn, if His mercy is not pleaded, it means He cannot act on our behalf. Like with everything in this life, if you don’t cry for help, it means there is no need for help, there is no problem. Only when you cry for help are people able to know that you are in distress and only then can help be sent your way. I suppose, it is not that different in God’s kingdom.
In the same way, before God could intervene for the people of Israel, He had to wait for their cry for help to come up to him. As it says in Exodus “the Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help…went up to God. God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob” (Exodus 2:23-25). Now, understand this with me, God always knew He had a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob yet He waited for the cry of the Israelites to come up to Him before He could act. And how exactly did their cry come up to Him? Well, this is the power of intercession. They cried out for help, they prayed to God, they kept knocking at the door of heaven, they P.U.S.H.ed (Pray Until Something Happens). This is the truth I saw today as I read the word: nothing can be done without prayer. Before a move from God, there needs to be intercessors, prayer warriors. Daniel prayed and interceded on behalf of his nation along with many prophets before God could bring about the salvation He had promised. Intercessors are able to carry people’s burden just like Moses carried the Israelites or Ezekiel carried that of his nation, or the way Jeremiah carried the burden of his people and most importantly the way Jesus carried our burdens. Jesus is the best example of intercession we have because he not only identified with us, but he also suffered on our behalf and he still intercedes on our behalf today (Hebrews 7:25). He has carried our burden as he promised to do when he said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… for my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). At the cross, Jesus took our burden and gave us his righteousness. There was a transfer, an exchange that happened there and that gives us the privilege to stand in the presence of God. We now have direct access to the Father so our prayers can actually get to Him.
So then, if the Son of God, who does not need anything intercedes for you and me so that the Father can work on our behalf, who are we to think we can do anything on this earth without the power of intercession? Why do we think we can achieve anything on this earth without God? We claim to want God to bring about His justice, His peace, His way of life yet we are unable to cry out to Him, we seldom identify with the issues our nations are facing, let alone our own issues, we are too quick to give in to laziness, selfishness, and pride. I pray we get to be what God wants us to be, vessels He can use, men and women He can count on to act on this earth for us. I pray we learn to identify with the suffering of others, crying out to God for the evil that we see to the point that it reaches heaven. May we not grow tired or weary of standing in the gap, our Father in heaven is looking for such people (Ezekiel 22:30). We can bring about God’s will on this earth; let’s reclaim our time and get on our knees pleading for our nation, our families, our cities, our churches, our world.
A Word Aptly Spoken 