intercessory prayer

"Do you think I can't take care of you?"

Christy Tennant — Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Two posts ago, I told you about how I recently started using a new Bible reading plan from Zondervan to help give some structure to my morning devotional Bible study times, and I mentioned that within five minutes of reading the first day's selection (Numbers 11), I got the feeling that God was speaking to me about a specific prayer request I recently laid before him.

Last post, I told you what that prayer request was. I shared with you that for my recent birthday, I made a specific birthday wish (a.k.a. prayer), asking my heavenly father for husbands for several of my close single girlfriends who are over 35 and really want to be married.

So what does Numbers 11 have to do with this request? Click here to read it, and then come back to this post.

1) The people of God were complaining.

I do this sometimes. I complain, and I confess that I sometimes get other people to complain with me by complaining to them in a way that they are forced to agree with me. I did it with a friend over the weekend, and I did it again with my co-workers at lunch. Specifically, I was complaining about the fact that so many wonderful women I know who are in their late 30's and early 40's are still single, while several single men I know who are also in their late 30's and early 40's say they want to be married, but either don't make an effort to date, or they are really picky (I don't like the way she laughs... she's not a good cook and I want a woman who knows how to cook... she said something that reminded me of my mother and it really freaked me out), or they are holding out for much younger women. (I know two men in particular who are over 40, yet list on their online dating profiles that they want someone 27-30 "because I want to have a family..." Is anyone else out there troubled by this?)

2) God was not pleased with these complaints.

Even as I wrote the paragraph above, I was convicted again that getting mad about this is not helpful. Complaining is just never attractive or spiritually edifying. We are called to love our brothers in Christ, not judge or belittle them - neither to their faces, nor behind their backs. Is it hard to deal with these circumstances? Yes, it is. Is it a bit nauseating to discover that a 40-something man with a Ralph Kramden and a two-decade-long history of discarding perfectly good prospects is asking eHarmony to match him with an "athletic 27 year old?" Yes, it is.

But getting upset about it takes a very small view of God. In fact, when I am at the height of my complaining about "those men," I am also at the height of my own pride, thinking that I know better than God how things ought to be, and subconciously angry at God for not doing a better job of providing for his daughters. Danger, Will Robinson. Danger, indeed.

3) It's just never good to doubt God's ability to provide.

When God told Moses he heard the peoples' requests and was going to provide, Moses took a good look at the circumstances - 600,000 people asking for meat - and doubted God's word. Sometimes, I do the same thing when I take a look at the sea of women in my life who are 35-plus and still single and the men in my life who are qualified spouses. Like Moses, the task just seems too daunting.

But, "God answered Moses, 'So, do you think I can't take care of you? You'll see soon enough whether what I say happens for you or not.'"

God was chastising Moses, and I feel somewhat chastised as well.

But I'm also encouraged. God said, "You'll see soon enough..." You'll see soon enough, Christy, whether God is able to give good gifts to those who ask him.

And I'm asking. More than ever before, I am asking God for husbands for several of my dear, beloved friends before my next birthday. That would be the best present I could think of.

This whole thing has also exposed to me that my view of prayer has diminished. I've been so discouraged about this whole "scene" that I've just stopped praying about it altogether. So now that I'm aware of it and feeling the admonition to pray boldly, I'm going for it - in public, right here on Ferry Dust.

Game on.

My Birthday Wish Goes Public

Christy Tennant — Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

My birthday was Monday, May 17, but the celebration of my birthday has become more of a season than a day. I am blessed to have a lot of really amazing friends, and we are celebrating with mini-parties of 2-4 people at a time, going out for dinner, seeing plays, going to museums, and more.

The first celebration took place on Thursday, May 13, when my friend Kara took me to one of my favorite restaurants in Staten Island, Adobe Blues. Then, Friday I was with relatives for dinner at Beyoglu, Saturday was dinner (Thai) and a play (Falmouth Theatre Guild's "The Secret Garden") and then drinks and live music at Liam Maguire's in Falmouth (Cape Cod). Monday was lunch with my co-workers at one of my favorite restaurants in Manhattan, Simply Pasta, and then dinner with my two NYC-based cousins at Persepolis, which was a replacement for our original destination, which was packed with a long wait. (This was a fortuitous change of plans... I found out about Persepolis from my OpenTable iPhone app, and it was a wonderful dining experience. Their homemade rose ice cream - yes, I said rose - was heavenly.)

There are several more gatherings to come, and I can't wait. (Though I do need to up the ante on my exercise routine... this is some serious eating I don't usually do!)

All of this is to say, I have had several opportunities to "make a wish," and this year I have done something I have never done before: I have used that moment to say to my heavenly Father, "For my birthday, I am asking you, King of the Universe AND my loving Father, for..."

Something very specific. Something that has been frustrating for me for some time, and He (and He alone) has the power to do something about it.

Want to know my wish?

Here it is.

I have asked God for husbands. That's right, husbands. With an "s." I have several friends who are amazing, beautiful, talented, nurturing, loving, emotionally healthy, professionally accomplished, women over 35 who want very much to be married. They are also devoted Christians who are not willing to marry a man who is not, likewise, a devoted and mature follower of Christ. But other than that one non-negotiable, these women are open to many possibilities.

These women are talented in many different ways, but all of them are fun, energetic, creative, loving, and into various activities like hiking, traveling, reading, cooking, entertaining, and more. And whenever I spend time with them, I think to myself, "you are such an amazing woman. Why haven't you been discovered by some man yet?"

I confess, I spent some time with one such friend recently lamenting the sad state of dating for Christians over 35. We blasted several men we know who are over 35, still single, claim that they want to be married, but seem to be holding out for 20-somethings who look like the woman in the Banana Republic or J. Crew catalog, are able to lead a Bible study, and don't mind that the guy has a wierd attachment to his mom and his XBox.

(We repented quickly, realizing that we were not edifying one another or treating these men with the love Christ has commanded us to have for them.) But it was around that time, when I was all riled up about how frustrating some of these guys are, that I realized that I needed to take this straight to God in the form of a specific request presented to Him (Phil 4:5-7).

So I did. I asked God for husbands. And then I got really bold and asked that He give these women husbands for my birthday before my next birthday.

I'll keep you posted here. And since I do believe that, when it comes to prayer, there is power in numbers, I welcome you to add your "yes" and "amen" to my request. One of the things I love about being in God's Kingdom is that you can pray in South Africa or El Salvador or England, and I can pray in New York City, and to God, it's like we're standing shoulder-to-shoulder in front of his throne of grace.

Last post, I told you that I would be sharing about how my new "30 Stories You've Probably Never Heard" Bible reading planned rocked my world recently. And I will, but I'm afraid that story has to wait til the next post. I realized I needed to give you the set up first. So check back for how God used Numbers 11 to correct my attitude and encourage me to believe that He heard my birthday wish, loud and clear.

Prayer Should Be For Others (Part 6 of 8)

Christy Tennant — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:38:29 -0700

I shared in the last post why we need to pray for ourselves, but of course a vibrant and holistic prayer life also needs to include prayer for others. Often called "intercessory prayer," praying outwardly is, first and foremost, an imitation of Christ. After all, Jesus modeled intercessory prayer beautifully in John 17:

I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ⁷Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. ⁸For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. ¹⁰All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. ¹¹I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. ¹²While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. ¹³"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. ¹⁴I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷Sanctify^[b] them by the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (Jesus Prays for All Believers) ²⁰"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²²I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: ²³I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. ²⁴"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. ²⁵"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. ²⁶I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

On a very practical note, I see several things that praying for others accomplishes in the life of the believer.

First, being intentional about praying for others often creates an affection for them that would not otherwise be present. I have experienced this in many cases, most recently regarding the teenagers at my church. Our youth pastor, Peter Kim, created a monthly prayer calendar for the youth of our church and our sister church, Staten Island Chinese Christian Church. For each day of the month, there are three names of youth and the schools they attend. We are asked to pray for them throughout the month. I keep this calendar with my morning devotional materials (Bible, reading plan, My Utmost For His Highest) so each morning I am praying for three students by name. Since doing this, I have begun to care more for the teenagers in my church. One boy in particular who used to aggravate me with his attitude and distracted behavior during worship now occupies a small corner of my heart. Indeed, I have found that in this case and others, praying for someone tenderizes my heart toward him or her.

Praying for others helps overcome division in the body of Christ. I believe that the satan is hardest at work smack dab inside the walls of the church, with dividing the body chief among his goals. Whether it is through actual offenses, bitterness, unforgiveness, or even imagined offenses, the satan looks for opportunities to turn brother against brother, sister against sister, sheep against sheep. After all, a house that is divided cannot stand. A church that is divided is the devil's playground. Whenever I sense this phemomenon at work, I battle it by praying, not just for God to help and protect us, but for the actual person who I feel divided from. Many times, I have been offended by a dismissive tone or disapproving look, and in truth, I expect that what I am perceiving is not actual truth. I have also been on the offending side; once, I discovered that a woman in my church - a devoted Christian who is a dear sister in Christ - had been upset with me for months because I had not said "hi" to her for several weeks. I had nothing against her whatsoever, and in fact, had no idea she cared whether I said "hi" to her in church! So we see that we can innocently be pulled into battles unawares. If, instead of entertaining offenses toward others, we prayed for them, we would see far less

Praying for others encourages them. I can't overemphasize the role encouragement plays in the human life. Over and over, I have seen people - believers and non-believers - encouraged by being prayed for. At the very least, telling someone you are praying for them lets them know that they are remembered and that someone is thinking of them. Of course, we are all remembered and thought of by God, but the Incarnation was about more than just the cross and resurrection - it was also about the fact that human beings need human connection, first with Jesus, and now, as his body that remains on earth while he awaits his return, the Church.

Praying for others places us in partnership with God on behalf of others. I do not understand the mystery of how prayer works in conjunction with God's sovereignty, but throughout scripture, I see that, somehow, when God's people pray, God responds. When we pray for others, we join God in his work for their good. Again, it is a mystery, but one I embrace.

Praying for others is the best way to fight for them. We see it in several places in scripture, but most clearly in Ephesians 6. After Paul has described the armaments for fighting spiritual battles, he emphasizes prayer above all. "Pray, keep praying, and pray for me," he says. Oswald Chambers said in one the devotions from My Utmost for His Highest, "To say that 'prayer changes things' is not as close to the truth as saying, 'Prayer changes me and then I change things.'" Yet to Paul, prayer accomplished something on behalf of others as well. Beyond the undeniable inner-transformation that prayer achieves in the life of a believer, prayer also changes things for other people. This is the incredibly, mysterious power of intercessory prayer, and it is vital for the life of every believer endeavoring toward a life of maturity in Christ.

So, if we are agreed that we need to pray for others, the question faces us, "How do we pray for others?" While there are many examples, I want to look back at Jesus in John 17 for a model of how to pray for others.

First, if we are praying for other believers:

1) Protection. Jesus prayed, "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name..." Specifically, Jesus is praying here for proection from division. "... so that they may be one as we are one... My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."

2) Sanctification. ^"Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth," Jesus prayed, and so should we.

3) Unity. "...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me..."

4) Effective Evangelism. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

5) To see and savor the glory of God. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."

6) To be filled by the love of God in Christ. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

These are just some of the things Jesus prayed for his followers, and that we can pray for other believers.

Of course, we need to pray not only for other believers, but for unbelievers as well. A few things we can pray for those who are not in Christ are:

1) That they would be enabled to see and savor Christ. "The god of this age (the satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Cor 4:4).

2) That they would repent. "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed." (Rom 2:5)

3) That they would be born again. "Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."(John 3:5-8)

4) That they would be delivered from bondage to sin. "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." (Isaiah 61:1) Jesus echoed this verse when he established his ministry publically, and when he ascended to heaven, he passed the baton to his followers.

So, it is necessary to pray for ourselves and for others. This is, of course, just an overview of why it is so important that we make space in our prayer lives for intercessory prayer, or prayer on behalf of others. But I hope - indeed, I pray - that it will help you to pray effectively and consistently, and to build a framework for a robust and holistic prayer life.