By Not Known
My mother is a woman of prayer. After coming back from work, mom would go to her room to pray. Her prayers were long and many times after praying, there would be tears in her eyes. When asked what she was praying for everyday, she replied, “For guidance in life for all of you, for your unsaved grandparents, uncles and aunts, for sick friends, for the pastors and leaders of our church – so many things to pray for.”
Whenever our family faced difficulties, mom would instruct us to pray. Our family had witnessed many answered prayers all our life. When we were in need, mom always reminded us “not to be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7). Indeed, I have never seen my mom afraid nor lacking in anything.
There are many examples of intercessors in the Bible. Hannah prayed for her son, Samuel, before and after he was born (1 Sam 1 & 2). Anna, a widow of about 84 years old never left the Temple but worshipped God with fasting and prayer (Luke 2:34-37). Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah and cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, mourned, fasted and prayed to God when he heard about the Jews who survived captivity and Jerusalem’s broken walls. Because he was willing to pray for Jerusalem, God granted him success as he approached the king for permission to return to Jerusalem. When he faced opposition during and after the completion of the wall, he prayed and God gave him strength. And in 52 days, Nehemiah completed the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls.
God is looking for intercessors so He can do great things with us, in us, through us and for us. Ezekiel 22:30 said “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” Our church needs intercessors. Will you pray for our church? Will you pray for our leaders so they can make godly and wise decisions? Will you pray for love and forgiveness to reign in our midst? Will you pray for our pastors so they can prepare good messages that speak to our hearts? Will you pray for the Spirit to revive our church and make her an evangelistic church? Will you pray that God will teach us how to love one another? Will you pray for more workers to fill the different needs of our ministries? Will you pray for our children and youth who need to stand up for their faith? Will you pray for those who are sick? There are so many things to pray for.
As the writer Ken Medema wrote “Something’s gonna happen like the world has never known when the people of the Lord get down to pray.” Looking forward to the many wonderful things God will do in ORPC because you prayed for her.
Agnes Tan