Importance of Prayer: Session 3 “Re-presenting Jesus”

Lesson from Sunday January 24, 2010

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Intercession is not prayer. Intercession is something a person does that he or she can do in prayer. To intercede is to go or pass between; to act between parties with a view to reconcile those who differ or contend to interpose; mediate or go between (like an attorney re-presents a client). It involves delegation, authority and representation.

1. God’s plan for humankind was that Adam was to represent God to creation. He was God’s intercessor, His mediator.
2. The disruption of that plan came by the Fall. It involved sin and Adam’s failure.
3. God’s solution was Christ. He became human in order to be the mediator between man and God. Jesus is interceding for us, not praying for us, so we can pray. Our prayers are always and only an extension of Christ’s intercession for us.
   1. That is why we ask “In Jesus Name.”
   2. Christ is our advocate. He guarantees our access to the Father and to the benefits of redemption.
   3. He presents each of us to the Father as His own.

26"In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; (John 16 NASB)

God won’t honor any intercession except Christ’s. It makes our prayers infinitely more powerful. Therefore, we can intercede on behalf of non-believers. Christ’s intercession with regard to the Fall is two-fold.

5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (1 Timothy 2 NASB)

1. He goes between us and God to reconcile us.
2. He goes between us and Satan to separate us.
   We are distributors for God, like the disciples were with the loaves and fishes.

We are called to release God, not replace Him. Although they are already done, we must ask for the release and application of deliverance, reconciliation, victory, salvation and intercession.

“Intercessory prayer is an extension of the ministry of Jesus through His Body, the Church, whereby we mediate between God and humanity for the purpose of reconciling the world to Him, or between Satan and humanity for the purpose of enforcing the victory of Calvary. Christ needs a human on the earth to represent Himself through just as the Father did. The Father’s human was Jesus; Jesus’ humans are us–the Church.” Dutch Sheets

21So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

Jesus is a “sent one” and so are we. A “sent one” represents and has the authority of the sender. The emphasis is on the “sender” not on the “sent one.” The setting of conditions and the ability to carry out or enforce them is the responsibility of the sender. Our authority comes from being the “sent ones.” There is a heavenly pattern to God’s plan:

1. Jesus is the Victor. We are the Enforcers.
2. Jesus is the Redeemer. We are the Releasers.
3. Jesus is the Head. We are the Body.

We are co-laborers in Christ. Our prayer of intercession releases Christ’s finished work of intercession. His work empowers our prayers. He’s the generator and we’re the distributors. In all of it is opportunities of choice between two plans:

Plan A

Ordinary people who whole heartedly believe in the victory of Calvary (that it was complete and final) rise up as representatives (sent ones) of the “Victor” to not liberate or heal but to believe in the “Liberator” and “Healer”.

Plan B

Ordinary people waste the cross leaving the tormented in torment and doing no labor for Christ.

Lead by Diane Kelly

Session 3 Summary.pdf
Session 3 Summary.doc