Day: May 3, 2011

Vital Intercession

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Oswald Chambers 90x115by Oswald Chambers

. . . praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . . . —Ephesians 6:18

As we continue on in our intercession for others, we may find that our obedience to God in interceding is going to cost those for whom we intercede more than we ever thought. The danger in this is that we begin to intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting up to a totally different level in direct answer to our prayers. Whenever we step back from our close identification with God’s interest and concern for others and step into having emotional sympathy with them, the vital connection with God is gone. We have then put our sympathy and concern for them in the way, and this is a deliberate rebuke to God.

A Seared Conscience

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Greg Laurie 90x115by Greg Laurie

Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.—Luke 23:11

Talk about opportunity. Herod had the greatest Old Testament prophet ever, John the Baptist, locked up. He could call on him 24/7, but he had John executed—even beheaded. Worse yet, he later had standing before him God incarnate, the Creator of the universe in human form: Jesus Christ himself. But Herod just wanted Jesus to do a trick. Herod could have poured out his heart, confessed his sins, found pardon, and resensitized his seared conscience. But he did not. And Jesus did no miracles for him.