We are looking at Luke 15 where Jesus give us three examples of His passion to save those who are lost.
Lost = to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed
Found = to get knowledge of, come to know, God
Luke 15 in the story of the father, he was expecting his son to return because he saw him when he was still a long way off. He was looking for him he was not surprised by the return of his son.
How do you pray for those who are lost that they might be found?
An example of someone who was lost and on a path of destruction who was found was Lot
1. The Intercessor
Genesis 18 tells the story of God visiting Abraham (God showed himself to Abraham through a preexistence of Jesus)
Genesis 18: 17 should I hide my plan from Abraham what I am going to do for he is going to become a great nation.
Imagine that, God is going to reveal his plan to a man.
Plan, I am going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. EXAMPLE of end result of those who are lost Jude 7 warning of eternal fire of God’s judgment.
Abraham’s one concern in for his nephew who lives there Lot (in the path of being lost)
- Will you destroy Sodom for 50 righteous people?
- How about 45, 40, 30, 20, 10?
- Genesis 18:33 when the Lord finished His conversation with Abraham He left.
- Genesis 19: 29 But God listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.
Imagine that, God listened to Abraham’s request
Oswald Chambers “the prayer of the feeblest saint who lives in the Spirit and keeps right with God is a terror to satan”
Intercede = pray or petition on behalf of another.
Don’t have to fight with God to get an answer from Him. Ephesians 6: 12 We wrestle against evil rulers and authorities in heavenly realms.
How do we pray in this area of praying for those who are lost?
2. We enforce the cross
When Jesus died on the cross payed price of sin, but there was also a violent encounter between Jesus and satan.
- Bruises were inflicted Isaiah 53: 5
- Jesus crushed satan Genesis 3: 15
- Captives were rescued 1 Peter 3: 19, 4: 6
- Keys of authority were being exchanged. Matthew 28: 18
- This encounter was so violent the earth shook
1 John 3: 8 for this purpose the son of man was manifest that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Destroy = luo
- to pronounce or determine that something or someone is no longer bound.
- To dissolve or void a contract or anything that legally binds.
Jesus came to dissolve the legal hold satan had over us and to pronounce that we were no longer bound by his works.
Word for intercession is the word paga which means to meet
When we pray, we meet with God and enforce his victory over the powers of darkness.
2 Timothy 2: 25, 26 in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will
Jesus has rescued us, and authority has been exchanged. We are now to pronounce that someone is no longer bound and we destroy anything that legally is keeping them captive.
Hosea 2: 6, 7 Therefore I will block her path with thorn bushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.
3. Kairos Prayer
Not every attack is orchestrated by us. Sometimes the enemy comes against us.
Kairos times which are specific times we are called to pray for a situation.
Proverbs 3: 5, 6 Trust in the Lord with all of our heart. Lean not on our own understanding but acknowledge him and he will direct our paths
Luke 18: 1 men ought always to pray and not give up.
- Not a good idea to pray
- Maybe you should pray if you can find the time
When we don’t know how to pray the Holy Spirit will come upon us. Romans 8: 26 – 28.