You feel a sense of grief, a heavy heart; yet, you are not suffering the loss of a loved one.
It is a persistent burden over a personal problem or a sense of real need in the life of someone else. Maybe you have the condition of your church, city, state, nation or world grieving you.
You might have a strong impression of someone come to mind during the day or even awake you from a sound sleep.
It is a call to prayer.
Walk with me through scriptures.
Meet Abraham…
He cried out for Sodom.
“Then the Lord said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious. I will go down to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to Me. If not, I will find out.’
The men turned from there and went toward Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Abraham stepped forward and said, ‘Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are 50 righteous people in the city? Will You really sweep it away instead of sparing the place for the sake of the 50 righteous people who are in it? You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won’t the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’
The Lord said, ‘If I find 50 righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.’
Then Abraham answered, ‘Since I have ventured to speak to the Lord—even though I am dust and ashes— suppose the 50 righteous lack five. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?’
He replied, ‘I will not destroy it if I find 45 there.’
Then he spoke to Him again, ‘Suppose 40 are found there?’
He answered, ‘I will not do it on account of 40.’
Then he said, ‘Let the Lord not be angry, and I will speak further. Suppose 30 are found there?’
He answered, ‘I will not do it if I find 30 there.’
Then he said, ‘Since I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose 20 are found there?’
He replied, ‘I will not destroy it on account of 20.’
Then he said, ‘Let the Lord not be angry, and I will speak one more time. Suppose 10 are found there?’
He answered, ‘I will not destroy it on account of 10.’ When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned to his place (Genesis 18:20-33 HCSB).”
The LORD finished the time of communing with Abraham.
Abraham witnessed God’s intervention.
“Early in the morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood before the Lord. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw that smoke was going up from the land like the smoke of a furnace. So it was, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, He remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of the middle of the upheaval when He demolished the cities where Lot had lived (Genesis 19:27-29 HCSB).”
Concerned about the spiritual welfare of those you know? The LORD compels us to pray.
“As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way (1 Samuel 12:23 HCSB).”
Christ followers have a responsibility and privilege to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
“Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18 HCSB).”
Christ set the example. He interceded for us. (John Chapter 17)
He intercedes now.
“Who is the one who condemns?
Christ Jesus is the One who died,
but even more, has been raised;
He also is at the right hand of God
and intercedes for us (Romans 8:34 HCSB).”
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