Skip to main content

Daniel Life Style: Intercessor

By

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. (ESV) Daniel 9:3

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. (ESV) Daniel 6:10

Intercessory prayer is carrying out to God on someone else’s behalf and taking their needs to Him in prayer. It is pleading on behalf of another person or people group. Holy Spirit and Jesus intercedes for us. As a priest of God, intercessory prayer is a ministry and function of every New Testament believer. When we do this, we are joining with high priestly ministry of Jesus. The foundation of intercessory prayer is selfless love and compassion for others.

Ezekiel 22:30-31 talks about the power of intercession. One person’s intercessory prayer can save and impact many including a nation or a city or a family. But when no one interceded, God allowed the natural consequences of sin to follow. Moses could save the nation of Israel and Abraham could save Lot’s family from God’s wrath through intercession. Intercessory prayer can destroy the work of the devil against God’s people (Luke 22:31-34).

Daniel interceded regularly for Jerusalem and his people.  Jerusalem city was destroyed and people were in exile in Babylon. We can learn following principles from Daniel’s intercessory prayer life (Dan.9): (a) Continuity and regularity: He interceded for the Jerusalem city and people mostly on three times a day (Dan. 6:10). Jesus intercedes for us in heaven continuously. (b) He used promises of God/scriptures to intercede for Jerusalem (9:2). (c) He interceded with fasting and brokenness (9:3) (d) His prayer was based on character of God (9:4) (e) He confessed his sin and sins of Jewish people (9:5-15). (f) He made petition to God on behalf of Jewish people for a restoration their nation (9: 16-19).

As a priest of God, let us develop a Daniel kind life style of intercessory prayer for nation, our city, our church, our families and others. It is our priestly ministry and function. Stand up and stand in the gaps. Make an impact around you through intercessory prayer.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

By
  Photo credit:  Shaira Dela Peña  Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Literary context, features, and issues 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (a) There is a debate among the scholars whether chapter 13 is prose or hymn. [1] (b) There are literary parallels for chapter 13 in Greek and Hellenistic Jewish literature. [2] (c) It is often suggested that chapter 13 interrupted the flow of Pauline discussion on the spiritual gifts [3] and this chapter used stylistic forms. [4] Consequently, scholars think that chapter 13 is out of place or it is a non-Pauline interpolation and literary critics even questioned the authorship of this chapter. [5] It is also suggested that Chapter 13 is a digression. [6] It has been recognized as an epideictic showpiece that is used to exhort Corinthians to keep love as their guiding principles of life in the community. [7] Commentary of 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 The need to have love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) Agape is used 18 times in LXX a...
Read more

Jewish Sects and Movements during the Intertestamental Period (New Testament Background, part-3)

By
Picture credit: Konrad Hofmann Jewish Sects and Movements during the Intertestamental Period (New Testament Background, part-3) (a) Temple, Law, and Priests (Sadducees) The Pentateuch was completed long before Hellenism. The re-established Jerusalem temple was the center of the religion. Though the highest political authority was the Persians, the Jerusalem temple state held the highest authority, with no other authority surpassing that of the temple and priests. The guardians of the temple and its cult, as well as the interpreters of the law, were the priests. The priests were the wealthiest aristocrats in the land. It is concluded that the wealthiest priestly families were open to Hellenistic elements. One of the reasons for the Maccabean revolt was the Hellenization of the priests, particularly the family of the Oniads. After the revolt, the Hasmoneans were supported by priests with different theological orientations who stood against Hellenization. The priests during the time of t...
Read more

The Literature of Judaism in the Hellenistic Period (New Testament Background, part-4)

By
Photo credit: The  Jewish Museum, New York   The Literature of Judaism in the Hellenistic Period (New Testament Background, part-4) (a) The Language of Judaism in the Hellenistic Period Hebrew continued as the religious language after the exile. Many books written in this period in Hebrew came to light through the discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Aramaic was the colloquial and business language in Syria and Mesopotamia and was spoken in Palestine. It was developed as an administrative language in the Assyrian Empire. But after the conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander, Aramaic continued as a second administrative language after Greek and was used as a business and colloquial language even during the Roman Empire. Aramaic was used for Jewish writings. Moreover, during the Hellenistic period, Greek became a more influential language, but Aramaic survived. Greek became prominent because of Greek colonization and the significance of Greek as a cultural language. In Pales...
Read more