## Sweet Hour of Prayer #6: Intercession

## I Titus 2:1-2

What time is it on our prayer clock? It is 6:00 o'clock. We have come to a very powerful and very important aspect of prayer: intercession. Intercession is where we pray for others.

In our text this evening, Paul instructs Timothy on prayer and includes that intercession should be made "...For all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority". In 1Pe. 2:5, Peter writes that we are an "holy priesthood". The function of a priest is to intercede to the Lord on behalf of others.

Certainly intercession involves praying for the sick and hurting families and friends, but the scope of our intercession should take in the whole world. This is God's way of allowing us to be involved in His work around the world. When we intercede we forget about our personal needs and we focus all of our faith and attention on the needs of others.

We may not be able to travel to far off lands and tell people about Christ, but we can get involved through making intercession for them! There are four claims that we can make in intercessory prayer for the world.

I. Claim Workers for the Harvest.

A. Note: Mt. 9:38, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

B. Nothing is more important in the worldwide work of God than the workers in the harvest.

C. God's plan centers in people: people who know Christ must share this knowledge with people who do not know Him.

D. Consider 1Co. 3:6, " I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."

E. Without God we cannot, but without us God will not! It is His plan for us to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

II. Claim Open Doors.

A. Note: Col. 4:2-3, "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:"

B. We must dedicate ourselves to this matter of prayer for open doors.

C. This is also why Paul instructed us to pray for those in authority.

D. One hundred thousand laborers on a given field would be useless, unless they had an open door through which to minister.

III. Claim Fruit That Will Remain.

A. Paul wanted to have results from his ministry, he told the Philippian church "...I desire fruit that may abound to your account." cf Ph. 4:17

B. Certainly God will bless faithful- ness, and some fields are harder than others, but all the more reason for us to intercede and pray for fruit!

C. 2Th 3:1, "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:"

D. We must get involved in the work around the world and pray that the laborers will be able to reach people for Christ, and that their fruit will remain!

IV. Claim a Strong Base of Support for the Missionary.

A. Ro 10:14-15a, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?..."

B. There is no specific Bible verse that tells us to pray that people will give more money to missions.

C. We are responsible to go or to send!

D. This ought to be an important part of our intercessory prayer!

This is a vital part of our prayer life. As we take time to pray for others, let's not forget that God intends for us to make intercession for all men...everywhere!