Study Focus: Revelation 12:17, Hebrews 7:25, Daniel 10:10-14.
Part 1: Overview
In the great controversy between good and evil, intercessory prayer is a powerful weapon (Rev. 12:7-9; 2 Cor. 10:4, 5). Prayer is not some pious platitude to make us feel warm inside. It is as Ellen G. White says, “opening of the heart to God as to a friend.”—Steps to Christ, p. 93. It is sharing with God our joys and sorrows, our struggles and victories, our dreams and disappointments. It is in prayer that we connect with God on the deepest level. It is through intercession that we engage in spiritual warfare and plead with the Almighty for the salvation of people whom we care about.
God is doing everything He can to reach people without our prayers, but He is gracious and will never violate their freedom of choice. Our prayers make a difference because there are ground rules in the conflict between good and evil. One of the eternal laws of the universe is that God has given to every human being the freedom of choice. All the demons in hell cannot force us to sin, and all the heavenly angels would never coerce us to do right. God voluntarily limits Himself by our choices. He does not use force to motivate us to serve Him.
When we pray for someone else, it opens our hearts to divine influences. God gives us wisdom and skill to reach that other person. In addition, our prayers open doors of opportunity for God to work more powerfully in the lives of others. He respects our freedom of choice and pours His Spirit out through us to influence them for His kingdom. He releases the powers of heaven in their behalf. Our prayers become the channel God uses to powerfully influence others for eternal life.
Part II: Commentary
One of the most powerful passages in the Bible on intercessory prayer is found in 1 John 5:14-16. The passage begins with the assurance that God hears our prayers. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14, NKJV). The word “confidence” means strong assurance. It conveys a sense of certainty. Confidence is the opposite of doubt and uncertainty. Notice that our confidence is not in our prayers. It is in the God who answers our prayers. God’s promise to answer our prayers is not without conditions. When our will is molded by God’s will and becomes one with His will, we can have the absolute assurance that He will hear us. It is always God’s will to forgive our sins. It is always God’s will to give us victory over the power of evil. It is always God’s will to give us the gift of His salvation, and it is always God’s will to lead those for whom we are praying to a knowledge of His Word.
By faith we believe that God’s promises are true. By faith we believe that He will answer our prayers. By faith we believe that He is working in ways we cannot see, and certainly do not fully understand, to save those for whom we are praying. First John 5:16 is one of the most enlightening verses in all the Bible on what happens when we pray. It draws the curtain aside and gives us a glimpse of God’s divine activity through our prayers. “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death” (NKJV). Here John lists two kinds of sins—the sin that leads to death and the sins that do not lead to death.
Most Bible scholars understand the sin that leads to death as the unpardonable sin. John does not encourage us to pray for that sin. He does, however, encourage us to pray for individuals who have not committed the unpardonable sin. As we ask God to save them, He gives us “life for those who commit sin not leading to death.”
What does it mean that God gives to the praying one, the intercessor, life for others? The SDA Bible Commentary suggests that, “Christ shall give the praying Christian life to pass on to those sinners who have not finally hardened their hearts. . . . The Christian has no power apart from the Saviour; so, in the end, it is Christ who gives the life, though the intercessory prayer may have been the instrument through which that life has been granted.”—Vol. 7, p. 678. Our prayers become the channel for the very life of God to flow to hearts longing for salvation.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Ellen G. White declares the efficacy of intercessory prayer in two remarkable statements: “It is part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow did we not thus ask.”—The Great Controversy, p. 525. “Ministering angels are waiting about the throne to instantly obey the mandate of Jesus Christ to answer every prayer offered in earnest, living faith.”—Selected Messages, book 2, p. 377.
As our prayers ascend to the throne of God, Jesus commissions heavenly angels to instantly descend to earth. He empowers them to beat back the forces of hell that are battling for the mind of the individual for whom we are interceding. The individual has the freedom to choose Christ or Satan. Our prayers do not force or manipulate the will. They do provide the best opportunity for the individual to see the issues clearly and give him or her the greatest advantage to choose eternal life.
Jesus’ Prayer Life
The Gospels detail in quite specific terms the prayer life of Jesus. One facet of Jesus’ life that stands out in bold relief is the time He spent alone with God in prayer. Luke states it this way: “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16, NKJV). In chapter 9, Luke adds, “And it happened, as He was alone praying” (Luke 9:18, NKJV). Matthew describes several times that Jesus withdrew from the crowds to pray, including the greatest trial of His life. The destiny of the world trembled in the balance. Jesus pled with God in Gethsemane for strength to face the enormous challenge ahead (Matt. 26:36-39).
Mark’s Gospel begins with a precise description of Jesus’ prayer life. After a Sabbath of hectic activity in Capernaum, early the next morning, Jesus “went out . . . into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35). There are three things to note about the specifics of Jesus’ prayer life. First, He had a time to pray. Often, He arose early in the morning to spend time alone with God in the quietness. Second, He had a place to pray. Jesus had His favorite spots where He could commune with the Father away from the activity of the crowds that so commonly pressed Him. Third, Jesus’ secret prayers were not necessarily silent prayers. Three times in the Gethsemane prayer, Matthew’s Gospel records that Jesus fell on His face “saying” (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44). The book of Hebrews records that Jesus, “offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear” (Heb. 5:7, NKJV).
On one occasion, the disciples heard Christ praying and were so moved by His personal prayers, they requested that He teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). Ellen G. White adds this insightful statement: “Learn to pray aloud where only God can hear you.”—Our High Calling, p. 130. Some people are concerned about praying out loud because they are afraid that Satan will hear them and know what they are praying about. They reason that because Satan cannot read our thoughts, it is better to pray silently. Praying silently in our minds is certainly appropriate. One of the challenges, though, is that our minds begin to wander.
There is something special about praying out loud that keeps us focused. When we have a time to pray, are in our prayer spot, and pour out our hearts to God aloud, our prayer life becomes much more meaningful. We don’t have to worry about Satan hearing our prayers because “at the sound of fervent prayer, Satan’s whole host trembles.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 346.
When we earnestly pray for others, our prayers unite with Christ’s prayers, our mighty Intercessor, at the throne of God. He immediately employs all the resources of heaven to positively influence the ones we are praying for. Jesus prayed for Peter by name. He prayed that Peter would experience a deep conversion. Jesus’ prayers were answered, and Peter became the mighty preacher of Pentecost.
The apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippian churches by name. He also often prayed for his companions in the gospel by name. They were in his heart and on his lips in prayer. Along with Jesus, the apostle Paul interceded for those with whom he labored and those for whom he labored.
Arguably one of the great giants of the Old Testament was Daniel. His intercession for Israel is recorded in both Daniel 9 and 10. His heartfelt prayers are an example to the church today of the power of intercession. Throughout Scripture, intercessory prayer is biblical. Intercessory prayer is powerful. Intercessory prayer is part of God’s plan to transform our own lives and reach lost people.
Part III: Life Application
Would you like to have a more vibrant prayer life? Would you like to become a mighty intercessor for God? Here are a few practical steps you can follow.
Set aside a specific time and place to seek God for the salvation of others.
Ask God to impress you with the name of the one for whom you should pray. Spend time thinking of those within your sphere of influence who need your prayers. The Holy Spirit will impress you with who is going through a spiritual struggle and who most needs to be prayed for that day.
Make a list of those you are impressed to seek God for. Follow the method of Jesus and pray for them aloud by name.
As you seek God in prayer, invite others to join you in your times of intercession. Jesus invited Peter, James, and John into His inner circle for times of earnest prayer. Praying together with others is a powerful method of staying focused in prayer. According to Matthew 18:18, 19 when two or three people pray unitedly, God hears and pours out His special blessing. In the seventh volume of the Testimonies for the Church, Ellen G. White poses this thought provoking question, “Why do not believers feel a deeper, more earnest concern for those who are out of Christ? Why do not two or three meet together and plead with God for the salvation of some special one, and then for still another?”—Page 21.
Why not set a few moments in your Sabbath School class each week to pray for people who have not been coming to Sabbath School or church and watch what God will do?
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Key Text: 1 John 5:14-16
Study Focus: Revelation 12:17, Hebrews 7:25, Daniel 10:10-14.
Part 1: Overview
In the great controversy between good and evil, intercessory prayer is a powerful weapon (Rev. 12:7-9; 2 Cor. 10:4, 5). Prayer is not some pious platitude to make us feel warm inside. It is as Ellen G. White says, “opening of the heart to God as to a friend.”—Steps to Christ, p. 93. It is sharing with God our joys and sorrows, our struggles and victories, our dreams and disappointments. It is in prayer that we connect with God on the deepest level. It is through intercession that we engage in spiritual warfare and plead with the Almighty for the salvation of people whom we care about.
God is doing everything He can to reach people without our prayers, but He is gracious and will never violate their freedom of choice. Our prayers make a difference because there are ground rules in the conflict between good and evil. One of the eternal laws of the universe is that God has given to every human being the freedom of choice. All the demons in hell cannot force us to sin, and all the heavenly angels would never coerce us to do right. God voluntarily limits Himself by our choices. He does not use force to motivate us to serve Him.
When we pray for someone else, it opens our hearts to divine influences. God gives us wisdom and skill to reach that other person. In addition, our prayers open doors of opportunity for God to work more powerfully in the lives of others. He respects our freedom of choice and pours His Spirit out through us to influence them for His kingdom. He releases the powers of heaven in their behalf. Our prayers become the channel God uses to powerfully influence others for eternal life.
Part II: Commentary
One of the most powerful passages in the Bible on intercessory prayer is found in 1 John 5:14-16. The passage begins with the assurance that God hears our prayers. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14, NKJV). The word “confidence” means strong assurance. It conveys a sense of certainty. Confidence is the opposite of doubt and uncertainty. Notice that our confidence is not in our prayers. It is in the God who answers our prayers. God’s promise to answer our prayers is not without conditions. When our will is molded by God’s will and becomes one with His will, we can have the absolute assurance that He will hear us. It is always God’s will to forgive our sins. It is always God’s will to give us victory over the power of evil. It is always God’s will to give us the gift of His salvation, and it is always God’s will to lead those for whom we are praying to a knowledge of His Word.
By faith we believe that God’s promises are true. By faith we believe that He will answer our prayers. By faith we believe that He is working in ways we cannot see, and certainly do not fully understand, to save those for whom we are praying. First John 5:16 is one of the most enlightening verses in all the Bible on what happens when we pray. It draws the curtain aside and gives us a glimpse of God’s divine activity through our prayers. “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death” (NKJV). Here John lists two kinds of sins—the sin that leads to death and the sins that do not lead to death.
Most Bible scholars understand the sin that leads to death as the unpardonable sin. John does not encourage us to pray for that sin. He does, however, encourage us to pray for individuals who have not committed the unpardonable sin. As we ask God to save them, He gives us “life for those who commit sin not leading to death.”
What does it mean that God gives to the praying one, the intercessor, life for others? The SDA Bible Commentary suggests that, “Christ shall give the praying Christian life to pass on to those sinners who have not finally hardened their hearts. . . . The Christian has no power apart from the Saviour; so, in the end, it is Christ who gives the life, though the intercessory prayer may have been the instrument through which that life has been granted.”—Vol. 7, p. 678. Our prayers become the channel for the very life of God to flow to hearts longing for salvation.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Ellen G. White declares the efficacy of intercessory prayer in two remarkable statements: “It is part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow did we not thus ask.”—The Great Controversy, p. 525. “Ministering angels are waiting about the throne to instantly obey the mandate of Jesus Christ to answer every prayer offered in earnest, living faith.”—Selected Messages, book 2, p. 377.
As our prayers ascend to the throne of God, Jesus commissions heavenly angels to instantly descend to earth. He empowers them to beat back the forces of hell that are battling for the mind of the individual for whom we are interceding. The individual has the freedom to choose Christ or Satan. Our prayers do not force or manipulate the will. They do provide the best opportunity for the individual to see the issues clearly and give him or her the greatest advantage to choose eternal life.
Jesus’ Prayer Life
The Gospels detail in quite specific terms the prayer life of Jesus. One facet of Jesus’ life that stands out in bold relief is the time He spent alone with God in prayer. Luke states it this way: “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16, NKJV). In chapter 9, Luke adds, “And it happened, as He was alone praying” (Luke 9:18, NKJV). Matthew describes several times that Jesus withdrew from the crowds to pray, including the greatest trial of His life. The destiny of the world trembled in the balance. Jesus pled with God in Gethsemane for strength to face the enormous challenge ahead (Matt. 26:36-39).
Mark’s Gospel begins with a precise description of Jesus’ prayer life. After a Sabbath of hectic activity in Capernaum, early the next morning, Jesus “went out . . . into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35). There are three things to note about the specifics of Jesus’ prayer life. First, He had a time to pray. Often, He arose early in the morning to spend time alone with God in the quietness. Second, He had a place to pray. Jesus had His favorite spots where He could commune with the Father away from the activity of the crowds that so commonly pressed Him. Third, Jesus’ secret prayers were not necessarily silent prayers. Three times in the Gethsemane prayer, Matthew’s Gospel records that Jesus fell on His face “saying” (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44). The book of Hebrews records that Jesus, “offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear” (Heb. 5:7, NKJV).
On one occasion, the disciples heard Christ praying and were so moved by His personal prayers, they requested that He teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). Ellen G. White adds this insightful statement: “Learn to pray aloud where only God can hear you.”—Our High Calling, p. 130. Some people are concerned about praying out loud because they are afraid that Satan will hear them and know what they are praying about. They reason that because Satan cannot read our thoughts, it is better to pray silently. Praying silently in our minds is certainly appropriate. One of the challenges, though, is that our minds begin to wander.
There is something special about praying out loud that keeps us focused. When we have a time to pray, are in our prayer spot, and pour out our hearts to God aloud, our prayer life becomes much more meaningful. We don’t have to worry about Satan hearing our prayers because “at the sound of fervent prayer, Satan’s whole host trembles.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 346.
When we earnestly pray for others, our prayers unite with Christ’s prayers, our mighty Intercessor, at the throne of God. He immediately employs all the resources of heaven to positively influence the ones we are praying for. Jesus prayed for Peter by name. He prayed that Peter would experience a deep conversion. Jesus’ prayers were answered, and Peter became the mighty preacher of Pentecost.
The apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippian churches by name. He also often prayed for his companions in the gospel by name. They were in his heart and on his lips in prayer. Along with Jesus, the apostle Paul interceded for those with whom he labored and those for whom he labored.
Arguably one of the great giants of the Old Testament was Daniel. His intercession for Israel is recorded in both Daniel 9 and 10. His heartfelt prayers are an example to the church today of the power of intercession. Throughout Scripture, intercessory prayer is biblical. Intercessory prayer is powerful. Intercessory prayer is part of God’s plan to transform our own lives and reach lost people.
Part III: Life Application
Would you like to have a more vibrant prayer life? Would you like to become a mighty intercessor for God? Here are a few practical steps you can follow.
Why not set a few moments in your Sabbath School class each week to pray for people who have not been coming to Sabbath School or church and watch what God will do?