Faithful Intercession (Ezekiel 22:30–31)

And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.
– Ezekiel 22:30–31

Whoa, what a picture of God saying, “I was seeking for, I was looking for someone who would stand in the breach, in the gap before me on behalf of this land, that I should not destroy it”. God is looking for an intercessor who will, by their intercession, keep God’s wrath and judgment from coming upon the land. And he says, “I found none, therefore, I have poured out my indignation upon them”.

Ezekiel 22:30–31 teaches that God is actively seeking faithful intercessors.

There’s so much here. And so much to think through that it’s just mind boggling, and how all of this works, and the sovereignty of God, and the responsibility of man. But the reality is that’s just being shouted from Ezekiel 22:30–31, is that our intercession for others matters. That God seeks intercessors. God is looking for those who will stand in the gap on behalf of others before him for others, that he might show his grace and his mercy through our intercession.

And this does not lead us to pray, to be intercessors? Just think of all the people, places, people groups that we can intercede for, knowing that God is looking for us to intercede for them, seeking intercessors, and that God will answer according to our intercession. So let these verses lead you to pray. Realizing, trusting, believing that your prayers for others, your intercession on others’ behalf, matters.

And so we press in right now to pray. God, we want to intercede right now. And I can just think of so many people, so many circumstances, so many places, people groups that I want to intercede for. I know other people have other names and faces and places that you put on their heart, people groups even, that you’re leading them to intercede for. God, help us to be faithful. Intercessors. Teach us to faithfully intercede. God, we pray that we would not be prayerless people, we pray that we would be prayerful people, praying continually, yes, for all kinds of things in our lives, but praying continually for all kinds of things in others’ lives.

Ezekiel 22:30–31 teaches the power and urgency of standing in the gap.

God, we pray right now. We stand in the gap on behalf of people. We know people whose faces are coming to our minds right now in our homes and our churches, friends, family members, people who know you, people who don’t know you.

God, we intercede for them. We pray for your blessing on them. We pray for your grace over them. God, we pray for your forgiveness of them. We pray for your mercy in their lives, your provision for their needs. God, we pray that you would draw them closer to yourself, that you would bring them to deeper levels of repentance and faith.

God, we pray for nations. We pray for peace among the nations. Lord, we pray for peace amidst war among the nations. We pray for leaders of nations, draw their hearts to you. Oh God, help them to lead with justice and mercy. God help them to lead for the good of those they lead. We pray for nations and leaders of nations.

Prayer for the Saithwar Rajput People

God, we pray, we intercede for unreached people. We stand in the gap together right now for the Saithwar Rajput people of India.

For half a million of them, Hindu men, women, and children. God, we’re standing in the gap for them right now. Please show your salvation, cause your grace in the gospel to spread, we pray, to the Saithwar Rajput people of India. Please, oh God, save them. Cause disciples to be made and churches to be planted and multiplied among the Saithwar Rajput people. Please, God, hear our intercession. See us as you seek out intercessors. May we be the people you see standing in the gap for others continually.

Oh God, thank you for prayer. Thank you for the privilege and responsibility of intercession. Please help us to be faithful with this privilege and this responsibility all day long, all the time, continually. In Jesus’ name, we pray, in the name of the One who intercedes for us, who has stood in the gap on the cross, taken our sin upon himself for us, and who lives, Hebrews 7, to intercede for us even now. In Jesus’ name we pray these things. Amen.