The Ministry of Intercession Part 15

THIRTEENTH DAY

WHAT TO PRAY.--For the Spirit of Burning

="And it shall come to pa.s.s, that he that is left in Zion shall be called holy: when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning."=--ISA. iv. 3, 4.

A washing by fire! a cleansing by judgment! He that has pa.s.sed through this shall be called holy. The power of blessing for the world, the power of work and intercession that will avail, depends upon the spiritual state of the Church; and that can only rise higher as sin is discovered and put away. Judgment must begin at the house of G.o.d. There must be conviction of sin for sanctification. Beseech G.o.d to give His Spirit as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning--to discover and burn out sin in His people.

HOW TO PRAY.--In the Name of Christ

="Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do. If ye shall ask Me anything in My name, that will I do."=--JOHN xiv. 13, 14.

Ask in the name of your Redeemer G.o.d, who sits upon the throne. Ask what He has promised, what He gave His blood for, that sin may be put away from among His people. Ask--the prayer is after His own heart--for the spirit of deep conviction of sin to come among His people. Ask for the spirit of burning. Ask in the faith of His name--the faith of what He wills, of what He can do--and look for the answer. Pray that the Church may be blessed, to be made a blessing in the world.

SPECIAL PEt.i.tIONS

FOURTEENTH DAY

WHAT TO PRAY.--For the Church of the Future

="That the children might not be as their fathers, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with G.o.d."=--PS. lxxviii. 8.

="I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thy offspring."=--ISA. xliv. 3.

Pray for the rising generation, who are to come after us. Think of the young men and young women and children of this age, and pray for all the agencies at work among them; that in a.s.sociation and societies and unions, in homes and schools, Christ may be honoured, and the Holy Spirit get possession of them. Pray for the young of your own neighbourhood.

HOW TO PRAY.--With the Whole Heart

="The Lord grant thee according to thine own heart."=--PS. xx. 4.

="Thou hast given him his heart's desire."=--PS. xxi. 2.

="I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord."=--PS. cxix. 145.

G.o.d lives, and listens to every pet.i.tion with His whole heart. Each time we pray the whole Infinite G.o.d is there to hear. He asks that in each prayer the whole man shall be there too; that we shall cry with our whole heart. Christ gave Himself to G.o.d for men; and so He takes up every need into His intercession. If once we seek G.o.d with our whole heart, the whole heart will be in every prayer with which we come to this G.o.d. Pray with your whole heart for the young.

SPECIAL PEt.i.tIONS

FIFTEENTH DAY

WHAT TO PRAY.--For Schools and Colleges

="As for Me, this is My covenant with them, saith the Lord: My Spirit that is upon thee, and My words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever."=--ISA. lix. 21.

The future of the Church and the world depends, to an extent we little conceive, on the education of the day. The Church may be seeking to evangelise the heathen, and be giving up her own children to secular and materialistic influences. Pray for schools and colleges, and that the Church may realise and fulfil its momentous duty of caring for its children. Pray for G.o.dly teachers.

HOW TO PRAY.--Not Limiting G.o.d

="They limited the Holy One of Israel."=--PS. lxxviii. 41.

="He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."=--MATT. xiii. 58.

="Is anything too hard for the Lord?"=--GEN. xviii. 14.

="Ah, Lord G.o.d! Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power; there is nothing too hard for Thee. Behold, I am the Lord: is there anything too hard for Me?"=--JER. x.x.xii. 17, 27.

Beware, in your prayer, above everything, of limiting G.o.d, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, above all that we ask or think. Each time you intercede, be quiet first and worship G.o.d in his glory. Think of what He can do, of how He delights to hear Christ, of your place in Christ, and expect great things.