Intercessory prayer is participating with God in His business. The wisest, most effectual prayer is not praying for my will to be done. It is finding God’s will in Scripture and praying according to His will. Born again people are “laborers together with God” (1 Co. 3:9). God has chosen to partner with His people in the accomplishment of His will in this present world. We are laborers together with Him in evangelism, in church building, in home building, in child training. Intercessory prayer is a large aspect of man’s part in God’s business. Intercessory prayer is based on the revealed will of God. God tells His people what He is doing and going to do, and we pray on the basis of that revelation, joining our prayers with His eternal purposes. Consider the worldwide preaching of the gospel. God has committed Himself to this and the Spirit of God came for this purpose, but prayer is an essential aspect. Christ taught us to pray that God will send forth laborers into His harvest (Lu. 10:2). It’s God’s harvest, but man must pray for laborers. Paul instructed the churches to pray for the ministry of God’s Word, for wisdom, blessing on the preaching, boldness, deliverance from wicked men, prosperous journeys, etc. (Ro. 15:30-31; Eph. 6:18-20; 2 Th. 3:1-2). Consider the mystery of iniquity (2 Th. 2:7-10). This is the devil’s program to put his man on the throne of the world. It has been operating since the days of the apostles. The mystery of iniquity entails the preparation for a global government and a global economy, the destruction of nationalism, anarchy, apostasy, war on biblical Christianity, the destruction of historic America, the strengthening of the United Nations, anything to exalt man and dethrone God. Humanism, evolution, economic and cultural Marxism, all such things are aspects of the mystery of iniquity. But the Bible says “he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way” (2 Th. 2:7). To “let” is old English for restrain. The Spirit of God is restraining the devil’s program, and He will continue to do so until He is finished with His own program of global evangelism. And since God is doing this, God’s people can pray for the restraining of evil. This is to be laborers together with God. We can expect Him to answer these prayers until He be taken out of the way and we with Him! “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Th. 4:16-18).
(Friday Church News Notes, January 15, 2021, www.wayoflife.org , fbns@wayoflife.org , 866-295-4143)