Let's continue with yesterday's look at the Hebrews following their exodus from Egypt. They had really messed up and God was ready to destroy them. The psalmist is referring to the time recorded in Exodus 32:7-14 when the Hebrews had constructed a golden calf, which they planned to worship. God said, ". . . leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them . . ." However, Moses interceded for these people, and his prayer to God was, "Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people."
Intercession is so vital in how God wants to use us. God wants us to pray for other people, to plead for the lives of the lost. He wants to know we care enough to bring the needs of others to Him. Our prayers are of great worth. James 5:16 says, ". . . The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
We all need to be regularly interceding for someone who is lost. I am in a prayer group that began because we each had family and friends we knew were not Christians. We began to pray for them daily, and we meet weekly to share the results and pray together.
The result of Moses' prayer was, ". . . the Lord relented and did not bring on His people the disaster He had threatened." Some of those for whom we have interceded have come to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and there are some for whom we are still standing 'in the gap.' The niece of one woman was totally on the wrong path, but through radical circumstances in her life, she has come to seek a relationship with Jesus. I fully believe that because her aunt chose to pray for her she is alive and knows about Jesus.
"With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith." (2 Thessalonians 1:11 NIV)