I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2
“As an encouragement cheerfully to offer intercessory prayer, remember that such prayer is the sweetest God ever hears, for the prayer of Christ is of this character. In all the incense which our Great High Priest now puts into the golden censer, there is not a single grain for Himself. His intercession must be the most acceptable of all supplications — and the more like our prayer is to Christ’s, the sweeter it will be; thus while petitions for ourselves will be accepted, our pleadings for others, having in them more of the fruits of the Spirit, more love, more faith, more brotherly kindness, will be, through the precious merits of Jesus, the sweetest oblation that we can offer to God, the very fat of our sacrifice.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) in Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (Grand Rapids, MI: CCEL) evening reading for 6 February.
Spurgeon reminds us that praying for others is not only a generous way to show kindness, it’s actually the sweetest oblation we can offer to God. It’s what God chooses to put before His throne (see Revelation 5:8). Ponder that for a moment. God hears our prayers. He sees our giving too. For example, read Acts 10:3-4.
One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.
No wonder that the Apostle Paul urged Timothy “first of all” to teach the Church in Ephesus (and us) to start with prayer for others! I am thankful that my Global Trust Partners board meetings are going well on Whidbey Island, WA (pictured above). I am confident it is because so many people are praying for us.
What does intercessory prayer look like in your life? Sometimes you say, “I will pray for you,” to someone, and then you forget. I know I have done that! What if, instead, we stopped and prayed for them on the spot? It’s a sacrifice of time and energy, but God sees and hears.
The sweetest, most generous oblation we can give, that is filled with kindness and love, is intercessory prayer.