Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from the “Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide”, is titled “Sharing God’s Mission”. A close look at Abraham and his relationship to God. Interesting lessons. I hope you had time to study each day’s lesson. In Tuesday’s lesson, we once again look at intercessory prayer. So, I would like to write on this idea for this week. An idea that seems to belie a loving, actively engaged Father, Does God need any of us to “intercede” before He will act?
First, let’s look at intercession itself. In the Greek, Intercessor, Intervener, mediator is all the same word. And what those persons do is to intercede, intervene and mediate between two parties at-odds with each other. As Paul so succinctly states: “Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one” (Galatians 3:20). Therefore, the picture we have of the intercession and mediation between God and man, must have God as one of the 2 parties seeking at-one-ment AND God as the intercessor/ mediator, as well. So, when we talk of God-the-Son interceding to God-the-Father in behalf of man, we must not have God-the-Son pleading with God-the-Father. Because the Son and the Father are already “One”. The Son’s intercession/ mediation is not bringing the things of man to the Father. So, if the Son knows and sympathizes with us, if the Son is our advocate; so also, the Father already knows and is our Advocate, too. Our picture of the Son pleading with the Father is an erroneous picture. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself…” (2 Corinthians 5:19). God-the-Father and God-the-Son are both pleading with us.
When it comes to interceding, then, it is not bringing the things of man to God. It must be bringing the things of God to man. Which makes perfect sense. Man is the party that has broken-off the relationship. It is man who has estranged himself. It is man that needs to be reconciled to God. God seeks to restore the relationship. God seeks to span the gulf and heal the breach. Therefore, no one needs to bring the things of man to God. This is not the purpose of intercession between man and God. What is the purpose of intercession? Why does God so often wait to act until we ask? Especially when we read of “Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…” (Ephesians 3:20)? Why even ask?
One answer that I’ve heard that I find somewhat lacking is this… that because of the “Great Controversy”, God’s power cannot be fully unleashed until His children ask. That this proves to Satan and the universe that His children need Him. Hmmmm? The verse just quoted in the previous paragraph seems to belie that interpretation some. I’m not saying that interpretation is wrong. But it begs the question, does God need us to ask before He acts? Hmmmm?? Doesn’t He love and support us even in our sin without us asking? Isn’t His love so much more than merely hinged on us asking? So much more active than that? His love will not let Him stand-back until someone asks while lives implode on themselves and eternal destinies are lost, will it? Yet He does wait at times… even often. Therefore, the reason must have something to do with us. Something to do with the one who seeks the blessing and for the one who needs the blessing. And for me, this is the answer to why He waits. Why He asks us to pray for others. It is for our sakes. It is for us. He bids us ask (intercede/intervene/mediate) for our sakes, not His sake. The heart and hand of “Divine Love” needs no prompting or pleading from sinful man in order to love. But it is man that needs to supplicate and submit.
To illustrate, let me tell you a story. Early in our marriage, my wife Ruth was a stay-at-home mother to our children. So to make ends meet, I would do contracting work on the “side” after my normal job. One year, no extra work was forthcoming. As we contemplated what to do in this desperate circumstance, Ruth said to me, “Your Dad spoke of needing new roofing this summer. Why not ask him if we could do it”? So, I did. And we did. This helped fill the pressing financial need. Ruth, my Dad and I would work nights and weekends, while our children were watched and cared-for by my Mother.
Many years later, while my folks were visiting our home on a cold Christmas night, I recounted this story to my Dad… and thanked him for the help so long ago. He then told me “the rest of the story”. He said that he knew we were in financial straits at that time. He also knew he could help solve our problem by merely giving us money. But he also knew that such a hand-out was not beneficial to us. He also knew his new roofing project was something we could do and for which he would pay us. But he decided to let me think through our financial crisis ourselves and come to a conclusion ourselves as to how to solve our money problem. Then he dropped this bombshell of a thought. He said, “I knew if I suggested my roofing project to you it would be my idea. But if your thoughtful conclusions involved my roofing project, then it would be your idea and you would put your whole weight behind it”.
This is the reason my Dad waited. For my good. For Ruth’s good. For His own good as he got to work with his son and his “daughter”. For the good of my Mother who could become even closer to her grandchildren. And for the good of my children who would see Ruth, my Dad, my mother and I working day after day in order to provide for them. A cascading of blessings to my family… all because my Dad waited until I thought it through and asked. A handout of money would not have so blessed. A handout of money would neatly solve the immediate problem, true. But in my asking and in the doing, the money issue was solved PLUS blessings upon blessings abounded to me and successive generations.
AHA! This is the reason God does not often act until we ask, too. Not because He cannot act. Not because my asking moves the reluctant hand of God. But because in the asking, we are voluntarily placing ourselves in the immediate path of being an agent in the solution. And others, so many others, are blessed in the process. Intercessory prayer is not man’s persistent power (?) that moves God’s reluctant hand. Intercessory prayer is not bringing to our God an issue he does not know. Intercessory prayer is not (GOD FORBID!!) pleading with Him to act. Intercessory prayer is not getting God to act in the way we decide. Intercessory prayer is opening a path of mutual cooperation between God and us so that His super-abounding blessings can flow over us, through us, to bless us, bless others, and bless countless generations after us.
If we would but always remember who we are and who God is, all our perplexing theological issues would evaporate as the morning mist. He is our Father, we are His children. We all are one vast, great and glorious family. Asking (intercessory prayer) is but the opening of our minds and hearts to our Heavenly Dad as the all wise and loving Father He is, in cooperation with His ongoing and ever-present work for the good of all of us… His family. It opens the door of a new channel (YOU) by which His love can flow. A channel that was not open before until you ask. Intercessory prayer involves each of us who so pray, placing ourselves directly in the path of His abounding blessings. To work by His side in close cooperation. And to be a part of the cascading Niagara of love-blessings for the good of our brothers and sisters… and the good of our Heavenly Dad, too. How it must make Him glad, make Him smile, when we ask (intercede)!
With brotherly love,
Jim
P.S. Let’s finish the scripture quote used in the first part of this “thought”. Here it is: “to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.” (Ephesians 3:20). Great! Let us ask… and cooperatively work by His side. Our “family” needs us… all of us
