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What does Job have to teach us
about intercessory prayer?
Message
#9 (of 20) from the PrayerPower radio series
Job was "blameless and upright," a man who feared God and shunned evil. [Job 1:8] Satan said that was true only because God had placed a hedge around him. Satan asked permission to prove that if everything were taken away from Job, he would curse God.So God let Satan take everything away from Job, even his sons and daughters, and to cover Job with painful boils from head to foot. Job was left only with his wife, and his life, yet he would not curse God. Three of Job’s friends came to see him, and they give Job more grief than support. The Lord finally told Job to pray for his friends [Job 42:8], and then "the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before." [Job 42:9b-10]The point isn’t that if we pray for others we will be blessed, but that we should pray for those who are not so lovable. Jesus reinforced this, telling us to pray for our enemies, and praying for His enemies from the cross. Prayer isn’t meant to be a matter of feeling, but of will, a choice we make. Priests don’t just intercede for people they love, but for all the people. As members of the royal priesthood, so must we.
Pray with me now -- Father, it’s not easy to make time to pray for those we hardly know or truly don’t even like very well. Please help us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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