Tag: intercession

Fight-Pray-Watch-Write

Old Testament: Exodus 17 & 18

Poetry: Psalm 26

New Testament: Matthew 22:15-46

Sunday I said I love a good underdog story. It just so happens I also love a good battle story – and the Bible does not disappoint. There are many great battle stories in God’s word, including one in today’s reading in Exodus 17 of young Joshua (this is the first time he is mentioned in Scripture) battling the Amalekite army that attacked the Israelites.

My favorite kind of story though are the faith stories. How did God come through and save the day – again? What was needed and how did God deliver? Who was praying, where, and who witnessed the answer to prayer? And, how did they praise God for the answers sent? And – once again – the Bible does not disappoint. 

In fact, the battle story of Joshua vs. the Amalekites is also a great faith story. For while we have Joshua leading his very first battle with an army he put together in a day, we also have Moses holding the staff of God on the top of a hill overlooking the battle below. The action on the battlefield is just part of the story. It is the intercession on the hill which is pivotal in the outcome below. ”As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were wining, but whenever he lowered his hands the Amalekites were winning.” (Exodus 17:11) 80 year old Moses wasn’t on the battlefield but he was so important in the events of the day!

The trouble is – fatigue and weariness set in and his arms were getting heavier and heavier. He couldn’t hold up his arms any longer. He couldn’t do it alone. Intercession for the army below was not a one man job. Luckily, Aaron and Hur were on hand, saw the need, and stepped up. They provided a stone for Moses to sit on and with Aaron on one side and Hur on the other, they propped up Moses’ weary arms so that his hands remained outstretched toward heaven. 

And at the end of the day (and it did take all day) the Israelites beat back the Amalekites. And it wasn’t just because of the Joshua and his soldiers. And it wasn’t just because of the steadfast intercession of Moses, Aaron and Hur. It was a direct result of all of those AND mostly due to a mighty God who gave the victory. Moses realized this and he gave the glory to God as he built an altar to God and called it, “The LORD is my Banner.”

Does your prayer matter? Yes! There is great power in prayer and too often we take it much too lightly. We might mumble off a few sentences about, “Dear God please be with _____ and help her with ______ today.” But, when was the last time we let prayer and intercession order the events of our day, inconvenience us, or even cause a bit of pain? 

What could be changed if we take more seriously the job of lifting our hands to the throne of God? Realizing that prayer is not a one man job, who can we involve in praying with us? If you are currently on the battlefield, who can you ask to lift up hands in prayer for you and the victory you are fighting for? And how will you give the glory to God for sending answers and showing his goodness, power and love. 

I am thankful these stories have been written down to for us to learn and remember. And, I love that God told Moses to write the events of that day long ago down for Joshua to remember. How often do we forget how God displayed His goodness and power in our own lives and through the intercession of others? What great faith stories have you witnessed – perhaps as the warrior on the battlefield or perhaps as the intercessor on the hill? Will you write it down?

-Marcia Railton

Reflection & APPLICATION

  1. It is not recorded what specific words Moses may have been praying aloud or silently. In fact the word pray is not included in this passage. Do you think we might focus a bit too much on what words we say in prayer when God is more interested in our heart and arms uplifted to him (not just physically, but spiritually lifting needs to him with a devoted heart)? 
  2. There were a lot of questions in the devotion to contemplate. Which ones do you want to spend more time on?
  3. This has been on my mind for awhile now – so today is the perfect day to ask for your help! I would love to compile a collection of written faith stories from warriors and intercessors who have seen the One True God provide the victory – in both big and small ways: the keys were found, the prodigal son returned, the need was met in unexpected ways. Do you have a story you would write down to be shared? If so, please reach out to me so I can read and share your story! You can leave a comment below or find me on facebook or email me at grow16br@gmail.com. 
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No Daily Patch Needed

Hebrews 7

Hebrews 7 24 25 NIV

So often when we pray for ourselves or for others, we are concerned about certain specific things that are happening in the present moment of our life or their life.  This is okay, because sometimes we feel so overwhelmed by a situation or weakness in our life, that we want immediate help.  We fall on our faces or knees and plead for help in this particular situation or with this particular weakness, but never see the whole picture.  That’s because we are human, after all.  We often can’t see past the present moment. We want to put patches on what is torn or broken. We feel the pain right now, we experience the embarrassment of a sin and hope no one else notices, or we share in part with another in their present experience.  All of that is well and good as we plead for ourselves and intercede for others.  But then a new day comes, laced with all the same trials, tribulations, and temptations of life all over again and we look for another patch.

That was the life of a priest before the time of Christ.  Before a priest could do his job of offering up sacrifices for the sins of others, he first had to take care of his own personal business—his own sins, his own cares, his own violations.  So, each day, as he lit the fire to begin his godly work, he took inventory of the sins of his people and his own sins (Hebrews 7: 27).  Day after day, moment by moment, his mind raced with all these shortcomings.  His job was difficult and exhausting.

Then Christ came and became the high priest, and He holds this position permanently and forever (Hebrews 7:24).  He was after-all, “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7: 26).  Not only that but “He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself” (Hebrews 7:27).   The daily grind of fire building, killing a sacrifice, inner-searching, and finally offering up prayers ended.  Jesus paid it all.

That does not mean we do not pray for others or ourselves.  Indeed Peter says that we are to be “a royal priesthood” (I Pet 2:9), meaning we are to pray for others.  But unless and until we accept without question and wholly the atonement of Jesus in our lives, the daily grind of being a priest will continue for us. We will never get out of that cycle of embarrassment, regret, remorse and the need to pray for that “daily patch” to cover our sins along with the sins of those for whom we pray.

Jesus lives to make intersession for us (Hebrews 7:25), He prays for us continually.  It is because of His intercession that we can do our work of intercession for others.  It is all possible because Jesus has saved us to the uttermost.  No daily patch needed.  Jesus saves us totally and at all times.  Once we believe this as a little child of God, and we draw near to God through Him, He is able to save us to the uttermost! (Hebrews 7: 25).  Then, with full assurance of our own atonement, we can put our full energy into praying for others which is our greatest work.

Luke Elwell