Scripture Promises & Prayers a manual for intercession - Desiring God

196 Pages·2010·0.67 MB·English

ScripturePromises&Prayers
Take
Words
with
You
Hosea14:2
amanualforintercession

There is no one
who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself
to take hold of you.
Isaiah64:7
If they are prophets,
and if the word of the LORD is with them,
then let them intercede
with the LORD of hosts.
Jeremiah27:18
I sought for a man among them
who should build up the wall
and stand in the breach before me for the land,
that I should not destroy it,
but I found none.
Ezekiel22:30
Thispublicationcontains
TheHolyBible,EnglishStandardVersion®,copyright©2001
byCrosswayBibles,apublishingministryofGoodNewsPublishers.
ESVTextEdition:2007.
Allrightsreserved.
CompiledbyTimKerr,2010.
GraphicsandtypesettingbyAlvesDesign.ca
3rdedition
Suggestedprice:$10.00
WhyThisManualWasWritten
ManyyearsagoIdiscoveredaprecioustruthregardingprayer:
Godlovestohearhisownwordsprayedbacktohim!Whenasmall
childcrawlsuponthelapoftheirfatherandsays,“Daddywhenare
yougoingtotakeustothezoolikeyoupromised?”thefather
smilesandassureshischildhehasnotforgottenandisverymuch
lookingforwardtodoingwhathepromised(whenthetimeis
right).Inthesameway,ourheavenlyFatherdelightstohearus
remindhimofhispromisestous.TheBibleisinfactagreatbig
prayermanualthatshouldfillandguideourprayerseachand
everyday.
ItishopedthatthemanypromisesofGodwrittenherewillbe
prayedbacktoGodinprayerasweseektoenterintoGod’s
purposesaccomplishedforusthroughChrist’scross.Sometimes
werememberthegistofapromisebutcannotrememberwhat
wassaidorwhereitisfoundinScripture.Thismanualhasbeen
writtentomakethatprocesseasierbyorganizingthepromisesof
Godbycategoriesandthemes.
WhyScripturepromisesaresoimportantforourprayers
Therearetwowordsthatareverypowerfulwhenusedinprayer.
Thesewordsaresimply,“yousaid”.InGenesis31:2,Godmakesa
promisetoJacob.Involvedinthatpromiseisoneofthemost
faith-givingpromisesinScripture—“Iwillbewithyou”.Apromise
thatmeansGodwilldousgoodandpourouthisfavouruponus!
Thenlater,whenindeepcrises,JacobcriesouttoGodinprayer
andremindsGodofhispromisetohim.Listentowhathesays:
Butyousaid,‘Iwillsurelydoyougood’…andJacob
said,“OGodofmyfatherAbrahamandGodofmy
fatherIsaac,OLORDwhosaidtome,‘Returntoyour
countryandtoyourkindred,thatImaydoyougood.’
Gen32:12,32:9
ThefuelofanintercessoristhepromisesofGod.WeremindGodin
prayerofwhathehassaidandcallhimtobefaithfultohisword.
AttachingGod’spromisestopeopleandsituationsisthevery
backboneofallfaith-filledpraying.
Somestrugglewithhowtoapplythepromisesinprayercorrectly.
IsitrightforustotakepromisesgiventothepeopleofIsraelor
MosesorDavid,andapplytheminprayertoourownsituations?
Basically,theanswerisaqualified“YES”.Letmeshowyouwhythis
isso.2Corinthiansshedssomevaluablelightonthismatter:
ForallthepromisesofGodfindtheirYesinhim.
Thatiswhyitisthroughhim
thatweutterourAmentoGodforhisglory.
2Cor1:20
NotonlyisJesustheultimatefulfillmentofallthepromises,buthe
isthekeytothepromises.Wemaysaythatthepromisesaremade
ultimatelytohimandforhimandabouthim.Nowlookhowthis
appliesafewverseslaterinthisbook.Rememberthatthe
Corinthiancongregationwaspredominantlynon-Jewish.Butat
theendof2Corinthians6,Paulquotesseveralpromisesthatwere
madecenturiesbeforetothepeopleofIsrael(see2Cor.6:16b-18
andcompareLev.26:12,Exod.32:27,Isa52:11).Nownotethe
astonishingtruththatPaulsaystothischurchafterquotingthese
OldTestamentpromisestothem:
Sincewehavethesepromises,beloved,letuscleanse
ourselvesfromeverydefilementofbodyandspirit,
bringingholinesstocompletioninthefearofGod.
2Cor7:1
InChrist,wereceivethepromisesandcancallthemourown.
BecausetheyareinthecanonofScripture,andbecausetheyare
partofChrist’sinheritancethroughhiscross-work,andbecausewe
arealsoheirsofthepromisesinhim(Gal3:16,29),wetoo,infact,
havethesepromises…foreverydimensionofourlives.
InmyownBible,Ihavehighlightedhundredsofpromisesin
scripturewithagreenhighlightersoIcanfindthemquicklyand
usethemforprayerwhenneeded.Weallneedtofindawaytofind
promisesandusetheminourprayersforothers.Thismanualisan
attempttohelpwiththatprocess,butthebestwayofallisto
becomefamiliarwiththepromisesofGodinthecontextinwhich
theyareusedinScripture.
HowimportantandhowpowerfulitiswhenGod’speoplesayto
himinprayer:“Yousaid…”
HowtoUseThisManual
Thismanualcanbeusedinmanywaystogrowusinfaithandprayer:
1. Usethismanualasyouspenddailytimeinprayer.Attheback
ofthemanual,writedownthenamesofthoseyouareprayingfor,
bothbelieversandunbelievers.Thenreferenceapagenumberand
versethathasapromise(orpromises)youwouldliketousein
prayingforthem.
2. Carrythismanualtochurchanduseitduringcollectivetimesof
corporateprayerinprayingforothers–therearesectionsincluded
forpraisingGod,aswellasmanyScriptureprayers,etc.
3. Carrythismanualtosmallgroupanduseitduringtimesof
prayingforothers.Ascertainneedscomeup,lookinthemanual
forprayersandpromisesthatdealwiththoseissuesandpraythem
backtoGodinexpectantfaith.
4. Usethemanualingroupsdedicatedtoprayer,suchasmen’sor
women’sprayergroups;pre-serviceprayergroups;church-wide
prayermeetings;duringweeksofprayer;duringtimesofprayer
andfasting;duringconcertsofprayerinthechurch;etc.
5. Usethemanualtofindversestoencourageothersthrough
emailsandphonecalls;hand-writtennotes;spontaneoustimesof
edificationatsmallgroups,oratchurchgatherings.
6. Whenlackingfaithandhope,readthepromisesofGodto
regainaclearviewofGodandhispurposes.JustasChristianin
“Pilgrim’sProgress”escapedfromthedungeonofdespairwhenhe
foundthekeyofpromiseinhispocket,God’spromisesarea
powerfulmeansofgraceand“light”forourliveswhendarknessis
allaround.
7. Praythesepromisesoveryourfamily.
8. Usethesepromisesduringfamilydevotionstokeeptheentire
familyremindedofGodandhispurposesfortheminChrist.Teach
yourchildrentoprayusingScripture.
Ifthissimplemanualisusedinanywaytoencourageandhelp
God’speopletopraywithmorefaith,andmorespecifically,thenit
willhaveserveditspurpose.Mayitbeso!

1 Prayer Begins with God
DevelopingtheMotivationforPrayer:
TheGloryofGodandHisSovereignPlan 11
BuildingFaithinthePromises
ByMeditationonGod’sFaithfulness 14
PraisingGodforWhoHeisandWhatHehasDone 15
PrayingwithChristattheCenter:
RecognizingtheSupremacyofChristinEverything 24
2 The Fuel of Intercession (#1)
God’s Promises
1 PromisesforHelpwithPrayer 39
2 PromisestoAnswerPrayer 40
3 PromisestoThoseWhoTrustGod 45
PromisesontheGrandPurposesofRedemption
4 PromisesofGod’sIntentiontoSaveUs 46
5 PromisesofForgiveness 54
6 PromisesofGod’sIntentiontoSavetheNations 56
7 PromisesofGod’sLoveforHisPeople 58
8 PromisestotheChurch 61
9 PromisesRegardingShepherds 71
10 PromisesRegardingtheTeachingofGod’sWord 72
11 PromisesonthePowerofGod’sWord 72
12 PromisestoSendRevival 75
13 PromisesofTheHolySpirit’sPowerfulMinistry 79
Contents 7
PromisesOnTheAmazingRewardsofRedemption
14 PromisesthatGodWillMakeUsHisPossession 84
15 PromisesthatGodWillBe“WithUs” 85
16 PromisesthatGodWillDrawNear 90
17 PromisesthatGodWillManifestHisFavour 91
PromisesontheRewardsofRedemption
TowardSpecificNeeds
18 PromisestoBelieversStrugglingwithSin 94
19 PromisestoGiveHisPeopleStrength 96
20 PromisestoGiveLightintheDarkness 100
21 PromisestoThoseWhoareAfflicted 103
22 PromisestoThoseWhoareAnxiousandAfraid 105
23 PromisesRegardingWisdom 107
24 PromisestoGiveGuidance 109
25 PromisestoGiveNeededProvision 110
26 PromisestoGiveNeededProtection 111
27 PromisesthatGodisFightingforHisPeople 113
28 PromisesonthePoweroftheCrossOverSatan 116
29 PromisestoSaveOurChildren
andFutureGenerations 118
30 PromisesforVariousSpecialNeeds 122
PromisesontheRewardsofRedemption
ForTheGodly
31 PromisestoThoseWhoSeekGod 127
32 PromisestoThoseWhoFearGod 128
33 PromisestotheHumble 131
34 PromisestotheGenerous 132
35 PromisestotheObedient 133
8 TakeWordswithYou