Today's Scripture
Romans 8:26-39
Helpful or Heartless Toward Others? “It is Christ…who also makes intercession for us…the Spirit. makes intercession for the saints.” Romans 8:34, 27
Do we need any more arguments than these to become intercessors that Christ “always lives to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25), and that the Holy Spirit “makes intercession for the saints”? Are we living in such a relationship with others that we do the work of intercession as a result of being the children of God who are taught by His Spirit? We should take a look at our current circumstances. Do the crises that affect us or others in our home, business, country, or elsewhere, seem to be crushing in on us? Are we being pushed out of the presence of God and left with no time for worship? If so, we must put a stop to such distractions and get into such a living relationship with God that our relationship with others is maintained through the work of intercession, where God works His miracles.
Beware of getting ahead of God by your desire to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that we don’t worship God; and we fail to intercede. If a burden and its resulting pressure come upon us while we are not in an attitude of worship, it will only produce a hardness toward God and despair in our own souls. God continually introduces us to people in whom we have no interest, and unless we are worshiping God, the natural tendency is to be heartless toward them. We give them a quick verse of Scripture, like jabbing them with a spear, or leave them with a hurried, uncaring word of counsel before we go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord.
Are our lives in the proper place so that we may participate in the intercession of our Lord and His Spirit?
Today's Prayer
Lord, we want to worship You without distractions manipulating our choice to serve You and Your will. Help us pursue a living relationship with You so that our relationship with others is maintained through Your work of intercession in us—so that from us, You work Your miracles. Help us see others from Your eyes so that we don’t grieve You. Empower us today to participate in Your intercession with You.