There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me..

What difference did that make in your life? Other sample reasons gaps exist include: Pride, ego, depending on things such as money, education, military power and not on God, Following false gods, such as fame, power, riches, Occult practices, false religions, Neglect of personal faith, misusing religion for your own purposes, Oppressing others, anger, resentment, being unforgiving, Victimization by others, oppression, personal calamity, illness, Lack of access to help, education, opportunity, Addictions, lust, moral failure, sinful habits.

Then declare to her all her abominations. Those who should be praying the ones who could change their behavior, repent, serve justice etc. Z. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, You desire and do not have, so you murder. You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of your years has come. In that one moment, Mary and I locked our shields of faith through words and marched into battle together. Once God has helped you identify the gap or the underlying spiritual need, obstacle or lack, you are in a position to pray with authority. S Although I found journaling helpful, the actual technique of prayer used will vary by according to the individual. Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. They say, This is what the Sovereign Lord says when the Lord has not spoken (Ezekiel 22:28 NIV); and the people practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice (Ezekiel 22:29 NIV). And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the Lord.. What does Ezekiel 20:25 mean when God says, I gave them statutes that were not good? You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.. We usually receive an inner calling to stand in the gap in prayer when: God opens our eyes to a situation where prayer needs to be made to bring Gods help and intervention and. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai.

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Paul understood the power of standing in the gap. It was my friend, Mary. K V

F There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. Praying against evil and for the coming of Gods Kingdom. Copyright 2002-2022 Got Questions Ministries. On the other hand, a different dynamic is disclosed in Amos. In the context of Ezekiel 22, however, God is looking for an intercessor who by Gods own appointment blocks Gods way, as it were (not unlike Moses in Exodus 3234). H Usually, intercessors continue to pray at regular intervals figuratively standing in prayer in the same spiritual gap. And he said, See that you are not led astray. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. Labs

What is the meaning of the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37. That is not a criticism of those who enjoy such blessings; it may even be a confession that in some domains I have a short attention span. This too occurred during a Sunday evening service, but the location of the church was in Cambridge, England. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you. But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? The verse from Isaiah 62:6,7 uses the plural form watchmen that tells us that God often provides other like-minded intercessors to join us in our vigil. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever. And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.. I was having one of those moments when I looked in the mirror and thoughts began swirling in my head. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. Blog, A He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands., Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. The context of Isaiah 6 shows that Isaiahs volunteering was simultaneously the product of contrition and of presumption; I certainly did not escape the latter. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will withdraw. (Ezekiel 22:30 NIV). And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? This world needs more people willing to look foolish in the eyes of the world so that more in the world might be saved. D Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should (Ephesians 6:19-20, NIV). Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. The princes conspire together to devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her (Ezekiel 22:25 NIV); the priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things (Ezekiel 22:26 NIV); the officials are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain (Ezekiel 22:27 NIV); the prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. O Here are some verses about Christs power to bridge the ultimate gap between humanity and God our Father. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. You shall say, Thus says the Lord God: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself! When locked together, the soldiers moved as one, forming a barricade against the enemy.

Thats what my friend Mary did for me that night, and thats what we can do for each other. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. What is the significance of Ezekiels temple? And I said: Woe is me!

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. Who is to condemn? For a few months I found myself in Ottawa, in a chemistry lab operated by the Canadian federal government, focusing on air pollution. Often these verses have come to me at a well-defined period of my life, and have consequently spoken to me with particular clarity and unction. Im thinking you answered yes, so stand in the bathroom with me for a moment, and lets see what happened. Elsewhere, we are told that Samuel is not even to mourn over Saul, once the Lord has rejected him (1 Samuel 16:1). To become a woman who uses her words wisely, youll love Sharon Jaynes updated re-release of The Power of a Womans Words: How the Words You Speak Shape the Lives of Others. He is so small! The biblical text goes on, So the Lord relented. P And when he wrote to the church in Ephesus, he said, Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. A quick reading of the prophets will give you an idea of the types of things that have created gaps since ancient times. Think of a time when you knew someone was praying for you. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.. Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Y By and by when I look at his face, He prompted Mary to stand in the gap for me to struggle in prayer for me and strive together with me. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. Then the Lord said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. Publication date: Jul 21, 2022. Karen Barber is the Founding Director of Prayer Igniters International, a Contributing Editor with Guideposts Magazine, the author of Surprised by Prayer and the creator of the Personal Prayer Power video/study series. Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. I could not shake off a chorus I learned in Sunday school: By and by when I look on his face For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. Have you ever felt like you werent capable of doing what God called you to do? But He persisted, and she obeyed. Praying against unjust circumstances, governments and laws. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.. Share your story in the comments! It could be that you are that someone who could stand in the gap for another person. Did you notice God said, I looked for someone?

Above him stood the seraphim. Many ancient shields had brackets attached to the sides. But I would find it easier to list a hundred (or a thousand!) I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.. Broken parts of the wall created a physical gap in the citys ability to protect itself from invading armies. One night, I was in the restroom touching up my makeup before teaching a Bible study to a group of women. Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. Alone, the shield was a small defense. That is the context of darkness in which God declares, I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.. At the same time, I was devoting some of my energy, especially on the weekends, to helping a friend plant a new church a little farther up the Valley. What does it mean to stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30)? Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. Send me! (see Isaiah 6:8). I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. My eye will not spare, and I will have no pity. E D.A. Praying against cultural and social conditions that are corrupt, evil or destructive. In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. That he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man; Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. I imagined Mary standing in her kitchen with spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove and stopping mid-stir. Agreeing to pray for someone isnt simply a nice platitude letting them know were thinking of them or a pat on the back to cheer them on. Why should the Egyptians say, With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth?

The chaplain told the woman that he would take on the prayer burden about her husbands illness for the woman. prayer. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

In September of that year, on a Sunday evening back in my home church in Montral, I heard a missionary to Haiti, one Richard Wilkinson, give an address on Ezekiel 22:30 (NIV), where God tells the prophet, I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one..

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. Not only that, He told me to call and tell you I was praying for you.. And God separated the light from the darkness. You do not have, because you do not ask. Will he again find no one? Visit Sharons website for free downloads on 30 Verses on The Power of the Words We Speak! And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city?

God went looking for someone to pray or stand in the gap for sinful Jerusalem, but I believe we can apply these words to our lives as well. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. And one called to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. Therefore he said he would destroy them had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them. Praying for those who dont believe in God, or are angry at God or who are actively denouncing faith/religion. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. (NIV) Even though the situations for which we are praying may seem like lost causes, Christ assures us that he came to seek and find the lost in the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7. At the time I was studying chemistry at McGill University, and enjoying the work well enough. Privacy Policy, Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe: A Daily Guide to Scripture-Based Prayer, Spiritual Disciplines 101: The Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner Teaching Series, Hey Mama, In Christ, You Are More Than Enough, Bible Belles: Abigail the Belle of Bravery. All rights reserved. Standing in the gap prayer based on Psalm 28-30 for those in bad situations who do not know how to seek Gods help for themselves, Prayer by proxy when the person you are praying for isnt present.

What do I possibly have to say to these women that could make any difference in their lives? Christ Jesus is the one who diedmore than that, who was raisedwho is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. When we stand in the gap praying for others, we are praying Gods heart for the world. Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; your name is defiled; you are full of tumult. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.. Publisher: OpenBible.info. All Rights Reserved. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. The chaplain was standing in the gap for the woman. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lords people. (NIV), Psalm 50:15, Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. (NLT). I went to the back screen porch where I could be alone away from interruptions. As an example, a hospital chaplain shared with me that she met a woman who was overwhelmed by the serious illness of her husband. I do not remember all the points he drew from the text, but I recall how he focused our attention on several relevant passages. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them? But he turned and rebuked them. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. 7:56 NIV). He said: Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! When God threatens catastrophic judgment, Amos intercedes with the words, Sovereign Lord, forgive! The Greek word Paul uses for struggle in Romans 15:30 is sunagonizomai, which means to struggle in company of; i.e., to be a partner (assistant), strive together with. The root word means to endeavor to accomplish something: fight, labor fervently, strive.. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. All rights reserved. Many more years of Bible reading have brought me to think about a number of additional textual details. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!

God wanted me to know I was not going into battle alone. And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon, declares the Lord. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.. Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. We kids were early taught to pay attention to context. Recently I felt overcome with the need to pray for a couple going through serious life difficulties and God seemed to call me to stand in the gap in prayer for them. Hooked together, they were a human wall. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. I Geocoding

Scriptures about the redemptive power of Christ are especially useful in all situations when standing in the gap in prayer. Examples of the kinds of situations where you might need to stand in the gap in prayer include: Praying for those in a crisis situation who dont know God and/or who may not know how to pray or who dont believe in prayer. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. T For many will come in my name, saying, I am he! and, The time is at hand! Do not go after them. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. Then after each Psalm I wrote a prayerful response, claiming the Scripture for my friends. In Jesus Name, Amen. One of the prime ways to do this is to choose Bible verses that speak to the specific issues. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. Isaiah 63:9 says, In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old. Pray and claim these scriptures as part of your prayer. How can Jacob survive? For when they are humbled you say, It is because of pride; but he saves the lowly. The term standing in the gap comes from the Bible verse in Ezekiel 22:30 that says, I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. (NIV) In Bible times, cities had walls around them to help defend them from attack. And the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation. Were on a mission to change that. I pray for many people daily but occasionally I feel led to pray more intently and forcefully by standing in the gap in prayer. Be sober-minded; be watchful. And the need to stand in the gap before God is as urgent now as it was six hundred years before Christ. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Q There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall come back to their own country. With this verse, set in the context of Ezekiel and in the context of my own life, God challenged me to think more carefully and prayerfully about what he wanted me to do with my life. Ask God for the name of whomever Hes calling you to pray for today, then send them a text or call to let them know youre standing in the gap for them. The preacher was Theo Donner, originally from the Netherlands. Here are some ways to stand in the gap in prayer for others. If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, and he is merciful to him, and says, Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom; let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor; then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness. Praying for communities, institutions, churches or workplaces where factions are battling for control. Praying for the weak, ill, downtrodden or oppressed who cannot pray for themselves. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. Heres the problem Ezekiel saw in Ezekiel 13:5, You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. In this case, the gap was there because of neglect, lack of action, lack of priority and a false sense of security. Then declare to her all her abominations. Standing in the gap in prayer is often something you do more than a single time. To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight. 2020 by Sharon Jaynes. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Ill wish I had given him more. Maybe she argued with God and asked Him if it could wait until dinner was done. While I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. And they went on to another village. U But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil, saying, What have I done? Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle. As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. I do not have a life verse, or even a favorite Bible verse. M All rights reserved. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. On the one hand, when the covenant people confess their sin to Samuel the sin of wanting a king so as to be like the pagan nations around them Samuel reassures them that the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. Then Samuel adds, As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you (1 Samuel 12:2223). Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. In other words, intercessory prayer on behalf of the people of God was part of Samuels calling. Just like different shifts taken by watchmen throughout the night, intercessors can help share the prayer load with each other by taking turns praying for the same issue or gap. Some prefer praying out loud in a private place while others silently pray while walking in an area that is significant to the prayer subject, such as doing a silent prayer walk around a school yard or through the bedroom of a family member. Of course, I understood, even then (more than fifty years ago), that some people are called to be chemists, others teachers, workers in waste management, and so forth: for them, the more of the chorus includes such vocations. While I was mulling over the lies the devil was telling me about not being good enough, my cell phone rang.