But when I pray - The Model - Part II

[Please click here to read the first part of this entry]

All our worlds are filled with many people who have several needs. A friend sinking in secret sin, a family in debt, a dysfunctional home, a threatening disease, an abusive spouse, unruly children. And the list is endless...

The voice of my friend still rings in my ear, she called up to chat about college, and with time she started opening up, "My dad has a severe heart condition, but he just won’t quit smoking and drinking, my mom and me are tired of crying and begging him to change. But he just won’t give it up. He blames my mom for his disappointments and says that alcohol makes him forget his bitter failures." She said this, and she began crying. "How can I change my father??"

Each one of us must have faced times such as this. When someone knocked our door for help, and we were helpless ourselves. Despite our incapacity, just like the guy in the story, we need to be determined to help. Times like this call for our knocking at Heaven's door. Rest assured that there is no lack there.

It is necessary that we look deeper inside the story to understand the point that Jesus was trying to make. It is not about God’s insensitivity to need, it is not that He is reluctant to help. But he desires to delay, in order to help us overcome our uncaring attitude. He longs to see us function in love. We won’t be persistent about something that we don’t care about. Our shameless pleading is an indication of our deep love for the other and unshakable confidence in His power. I believe that this is what God wants to achieve in our lives.

Intercession is not a ritual; it is not to help you score points with God. Rather, it is a spiritual exercise designed by God, to enlarge our love tank and our faith tank.

I have often thought that Christ’s death for me was the display of the highest form of love….until I found this verse.

Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34 (NIV)

Isn’t it amazing that Christ Jesus who suffered the worst form of humiliation on the cross, still persistently pleads for our cause?

When Jesus talks about shameless persistence, He expects us to imitate Him. Our perfect model for intercession…

Let us learn to love, before we learn to pray.

Callie

But when I pray - The Model - Part I

When I first heard the word intercession, it sounded like INTERMISSION. So I thought it's like having a break in the middle of a prayer. :)

Way back in college, I had a friend called Gayathri. She was our spokesperson. When we wanted to postpone tests and assignment submission deadlines; she was the one, bold enough to talk on our behalf to our staff (who were always ready to devour us!!!) ....Awesome girl!!

Intercession is just like that, talking to God on behalf of others.

Jesus tells us an interesting parable ^a relating to intercession, that goes like this.

There was a guy who was disturbed in the middle of a night by a hungry stranger. In Jewish culture, hospitality was very important. It was mandatory that the host must feed the traveler who has come to his house to spend the night. Unfortunately, he had no leftover food and nothing to offer this hungry traveler.

Nevertheless, determined to feed his guest; this guy went to his other friend in the village and knocked his door . "Don't bother me man", replied his friend. "It is really very late and I've locked the doors. I don't want to make a noise and wake my kids up. I'm sorry, I can't get up and give you anything."

But this guy is just so persistent. He is not ready to give up. He kept knocking shamelessly. Jesus wanted us to learn this guy's persistence. When we go to God on behalf of others, Jesus asks us to imitate this kind of unswerving attitude.

Catch up with the continuation... to get a hang of what this parable has got to do with intercession.

Scripture Reference
a Luke 11:5-8

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But when you pray - First Note

[This is the first post on my series "But when you pray". To catch a glimpse of the background of this series please read When I didn't pray. ]

Today morning I left home angrily after losing a verbal spat with my mom. Quite obviously I forgot my umbrella and raincoat. As I reached the ground floor, I saw the gray clouds floating above;"The clouds are always fooling around, it won't really rain", I told myself.

After boarding the bus and traveling close to 10 kilometers, I heard the the sound of rain pelting hard. The sound which would have otherwise been music to my ears, now alarmed danger. I need to walk for 15 minutes from the bus stop to my office, "OHMYGOSH, It's raining so hard.. I would reach office dripping wet now!"

I sat there staring at the rain, observing the dimensions of every drop. I twisted my head sideways-upwards to catch a glimpse of the obscure skies through the rain splattered windows. My brain did some probability calculations trying to figure out when the rain would stop. For once, I really wished that the bus would slow down and reach the destination a little late.

I eyed every person with an umbrella or raincoat enviously. For me, right now, they were the happiest people in the world.

And then I started talking to God, "Oh please...I'll change....but stop the rain now". But the Master had another lesson in store.

It struck me that a praying life is quite often like an umbrella we carry.

An umbrella can't stop the rain, but it sure can cover you through the storm.

The providence of God in times of pain reaches us through prayer. We receive His promise, build our faith and stay rooted in steadfast hope through prayer. We can't control the flood or the storm by praying but we can weave a water tight basket for ourselves and others to stop us from sinking.

I am yet to experience a prayer life that can influence the will of God (if it can). But prayer for sure, helps us experience His cover of Grace and love through all difficult paths. Praying for others is like holding a bigger umbrella, covering many who are unprotected and trembling in cold. And that is the power of intercession. Going that extra mile, to enlarge our umbrella , strengthen it and extend our boundaries so that we can drawi many hurting people inside the cover of God's love.

The Bible rightly says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." Ephesians 6:18. I like how it says "all occasions", because you never know when its going to rain. Sometimes we get busy and leave prayer behind, and then wonder why we're drenched in anxiety.

Don't ask me how prayer works. That's for each one to find it for themselves. But one thing is for sure, it works.

Don't be like me.
Carry your umbrella today,
Before you can go
Just stop and PRAY.

Callie

P.S I'm excited about how the Master started off this series, and waiting anxiously for the rest of the lessons I'm gonna learn. It would be awesome to learn together and pray together..share your lessons too.

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