Open Heaven 4 March 2022
MEMORISE: “And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched.” – (Numbers 11:2)
BIBLE READING: Numbers 11:1-3
And the people grumbled and deplored their hardships, which was evil in the ears of the Lord, and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burned among them and devoured those in the outlying parts of the camp.
2 The people cried to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire subsided.
3 He called the name of the place Taberah [burning], because the fire of the Lord burned among them.
Read yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
Intercession can be simply described as the act of saying a prayer or making a statement on behalf of another person or group of persons. The ministry of intercession is as old as human history itself and it can come in different forms. For example, in Genesis 4:15 we see God ‘interceding’ for Cain – a murderer:
And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
In today’s Bible reading, we see God’s representative (Moses), interceding for Israel when the judgment of God came upon them. The anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel because they misbehaved. They cried to God’s representative in their midst who then cried to the Lord, and the result was highly rewarding.
There are many lessons from this story, pointing to the benefits of intercession. One, it is a blessing to have a man that God listens to on your side. This tells us the type of Church leader we should choose for ourselves. Two, it is one thing to have a leader that God listens to and yet another to be able to approach such a person with your problems.
The children of Israel cried to Moses and he in turn cried to God. The third lesson we should learn here is that the children of Israel chose to cry to God through Moses because they knew their sin would prevent God from hearing them. Isaiah 59:1-2 says that iniquity would make God hide His face and not hear sinners. The fourth lesson is that we should live the life that will make us have direct access to our Father in heaven. The Bible says, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” – (Hebrews 10:19).
With Jesus in our lives, we can effectively intercede and gain God’s attention and favour.
PRAYER POINT: Father, please draw me closer to You so that I can have free access to Your throne of grace, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 27-28
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – Benefits of Intercession (1) – written by Pastor Enoch A.
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Open Heaven 4 March 2022
