Prayer and Intercession-continued

(John 17)

Recently I had the opportunity to spend time with an older brother. By this I mean someone I respect as a follower of Jesus, not necessarily one older in years.  This man, Thom Gardner, has served the Lord’s people in various capacities for many years.  He recently listed the prayers of Jesus during His earthly ministry including references we often miss.

The main thrust of his review of Jesus’ prayers was this; Jesus was always in communication with His Father. This emphasizes what I shared previously.  Our life of prayer is an intimate communion with our heavenly Father.  Jesus lived and walked in this state perfectly.  We are learning to walk in it.  In recent years I have heard frequent references to Enoch.  He walked with God and he had a testimony from God Himself that he was pleasing to God.  This is the essence of our life with Him.  Is He pleased, is He satisfied?  Enoch’s walk speaks of progress, of going on wherever the Lord may lead us.  Is He not still, and forever, the Good Shepherd?  Enoch found what had been lost in the garden.  There Adam had walked with God in the cool of the day.  Regarding Enoch, we do not see a time limitation.  I believe he walked with God 24/7.  God was so pleased with that man that He simply took him home, directly into His full presence, without the experience of physical death.

If Enoch, after the fall in the garden and before the day of Noah and the flood, could know such a lifestyle and receive such a blessing, how much more is available to us.  Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He shares that authority with us as we mature.  This is what the disciples knew.  This included the 12 but also the 70.  Later it included the 500 who saw Him alive after His resurrection, and the 120 who were in one accord in the upper room.  I expect the 120 were a part of those 500 but let us not be distracted.  The disciples grew in the knowledge, first-hand experience, of the Lord.  It reached a high point at Pentecost, when each received the Holy Spirit in a full way.  Now, we who have known Him, whatever measure of experience we may have, are included in that group of witnesses.  This is what Jesus prayed in John 17.

We have mentioned Jesus’ prayers and communion with His Father. He is now our Father.  We have the same access, yes the very same access.  We are not pure as He is pure but we are called to purify ourselves, to go on in the process toward that goal.  If we say He abides in us, we ought to walk as He walked.  Enoch came to that place.  I have read a book by a man DeVern Fromke, entitled Unto Full Stature.  The cover includes the following, “(the author) challenges the believer to expect and attain that measure of spiritual stature which God intends – though often considered impossible.  He shows how God’s provision is completely adequate for reaching this stature.”  Again, this is exactly what Jesus asked for in John 17, that we would be one as He and the Father are one.  The culmination of His time on earth was for this purpose to bring us together with Himself into such union, such harmony, such synchronization with the Father.  It is for us to believe and press into that.

The way is not impossible. It is for this He calls us so that we might be part of His ministry of intercession even in this life.  Reign in the midst of your enemies is His call to His nation of kings and priests.  We begin to know this in this life.  This is not just for the future.  I often realize that whatever that future reigning and authority and reward is about, He intends for us to be doing His works of love, compassion, healing, and deliverance now.  My hope for later is to be with Him, close to Him.  As a member of His bride, my goal, my heart is to one with Him.  What other goal is worthy of pursuit?

Prayer and Intercession

(Eph. 6:18-19, Col. 4:2-4, I Thess. 5:16-18)

Pray without ceasing. Simply stay in constant communication with the One who sits on the throne.  He remains a faithful high priest.  He is constantly our Savior.  I find as I go on after more than 40 years that I always need Him as my Good Shepherd.  Prayer is as much, or more, listening rather than speaking.  We make our requests, our needs known to Him.  This is always a part of our life with Him as our Father and we are His children.  We then listen to His response and seek understanding.

As we grow, as we mature, we come into a fuller understanding of our Father’s purposes in our lives, in the lives of our brothers and sisters in the church, and His purpose in the lives of everyone we meet. He will not involve us in things for which He has not prepared us.  If we refuse some lessons, some painful experiences, He will not involve us in certain areas.  It may be we have not refused Him, or a lesson.  It may be He has other intentions for us.  It is not for us to choose our place, or mode of service.  This happens too often, that we step into areas where He has not led us, but we also learn from such mistakes.

Missteps happen when we miss His voice. It can be that He speaks clearly but if it is so unlike a previous direction, we may simply not obey.  This can become a valuable lesson even while it may seem like a distraction or diversion.  Such mistakes are no surprise to Him and we learn to simply follow what He says.  We can ask for help to understand when it seems contrary to us.  He may the use circumstances to bring us on to a closer walk with Him.  Others will also have the opportunity to learn if they look to him for understanding as they may observe or be affected by our missing Him.

Over the years and after many lessons the Lord brings us to new levels. Some of these are gradual but some are significant promotions.  In the last few years I have experienced such a promotion.  This was not isolated to myself alone but happened in connection with new relationships among His people.  I found myself in an atmosphere of hunger for the Lord Jesus Himself.  I had been prepared for this and was accelerated because of His purpose in my life.  At such a time in our lives, the Lord, our Father, takes the initiative.  This is a truth for all true spiritual growth in our lives.  He takes the initiative and we follow.  We say yes, take His yoke on us and cooperate with Him by the Spirit.  We all know that this is never automatic because we are human, we are frail, we are flesh and blood.  He is faithful and will complete the work that He has begun.  Same idea here in this scripture; He is the initiator and we follow His lead.

So, during this promotional experience, in my spirit, I saw seats in the heavenly realm, in His presence. This was simply a revelation of the truth that we are seated with Him.  He brings us into a reality, an experience of this.  We begin to see more clearly from his perspective.  We know a greater measure of His mind, His heart, and His will.  We often think, and it is true, that we begin with the will of God but this causes us trouble.  We must then press on to know Him in His fullness.  Without His mind and heart, our doing of His will becomes a dead obedience.  As we see empty seats in the heavens and hear His call to take our seats with Him, we are brought into closer alignment with Him.

In these days the call to be with Him in the place of intercession is strong. We are hungry to sit at his feet to listen to Him.  Do you hear the call to be still and know that He is God?  Along with that I hear a cry for the fear of the Lord to return.  Yes, but we need to go on from there because the knowledge of the only One is understanding.  We need His mind and heart and the understanding, the wisdom that comes directly from Him alone.  Here is the truth concerning Issachar who knew the times and season and what the church, His bride, is to do.  Issachar is representative of sons of God today.  We are His children growing in maturity as sons to do His will.  Then we pray His heart and mind; we declare a thing and it is so because like the son, Christ Jesus, we say what we hear the Father say and do not speak from ourselves.