If you have been following this prayer series so far, we have discussed worship, thanksgiving, and confession. The next topic embodies the bulk of what most people consider prayer. That is the intercession or requests made on the behalf of others such as praying for salvation, health, or help in trials that others are facing. This is different from supplication, which is a plea on one’s own behalf, though both benefit from the infusion of worship. Why? Because knowing Who one is praying to gives understanding to what one is asking. Let me explain.
Anxiety can often infuse prayer, leaving the one who prays with no peace, no answer, and a continuous thought cycle that frets about the outcome. I saw this in my grandmother as she rubbed her rosary beads every morning, saying the same things over and over. I have also seen it in myself as I pled with the Lord saying the same prayers repeatedly as if God did not hear the first time. “Please help, Lord….” or “Please heal…”. Jesus warned against this kind of prayer when He taught the disciples the pattern of prayer.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. Matthew 6:6-8
Remember the story of Elijah and the false prophets on Mount Carmel? The prophets of Baal chanted their prayers endlessly from morning until the evening sacrifice, cutting themselves and leaping on the altar, in hopes that Baal would answer. When Elijah prayed, however, he prayed boldly, and only once, fully confident that the Lord would hear Him and show Himself mighty before the false prophets and children of Israel. (See 1 Kings 18). Elijah knew the power, care, and sovereignty of His God. His prayer was infused by worship.
This morning, I read Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem found in 2 Chronicles 6. I noted that Solomon focused his prayer on what God would do when the people found themselves in distress.
Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David. But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee: That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place. Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive. 2 Chronicles 6:17-21.
Throughout the chapter, Solomon calls on God to keep the promises He has made, and to forgive those who call out to Him as they look toward the temple. So often, we pray like Solomon did in this passage. We call out to God to keep His promises He has made in His Word. This is not a bad thing, necessarily, but it overlooks the fact that God is a faithful God, a keeper of His promises, unchanging and eternal, sovereign and holy, always wise and only good.
When God speaks to Solomon that night, recorded in 2 Chronicles 7, He points out that He will keep His promises, but the weight of responsibility rests on the one praying to posture his heart in humility, turn from his wicked ways, and seek God’s face. In other words, the hard thing we are asking does not rest on God keeping His promises. It rests on man’s heart turning to God in complete, humble dependence.
And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:12-14
We do know from John 9 that not all intercession rests on a need for repentance in the heart of the one for which we intercede. I do not want to leave this impression. However, by placing the emphasis of our intercession on asking God to do what only He can do in the heart of the one we plead for (not just his circumstances), we accomplish far more than when we ask God to be faithful to His promises. By knowing and understanding the infinite, unlimited attributes of the God to whom we pray, we can confidently ask Him to fully accomplish His purposes in the ones for whom we pray.
This posture avoids anxious and vain repetition, and it strengthens our faith. If it is impossible to please God without faith, this is the only way to pray in a way that pleases Him. Unlike King Solomon, asking God to do what He already promised to do, we pray for the heart of the sufferer to grow in their faith, to glorify God in their suffering, and to draw closer to Him than they have ever walked before. This is the purpose God always has for suffering, and it will only be accomplished through humble, dependent prayer.
I hope this lesson was as much a help to you as it was to me. I know that I spend too much time asking God to fix the circumstances without ever recognizing what He is trying to accomplish in the hearts of those for whom I pray. Because of who He is, I can pray with complete confidence that He will accomplish the good work He has started in those He loves beyond comprehension. My worship infuses my intercession with complete trust and thanksgiving.
Have a blessed weekend, my friends!
His Song in the Night 