Exodus 32:11-15
11 But Moses interceded with the LORD his God: “LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a strong hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out with an evil intent to kill them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from Your great anger and change Your mind about this disaster planned for Your people. 13 Remember that You swore to Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel by Yourself and declared to them, ‘I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and will give your offspring all this land that I have promised, and they will inherit it forever. ‘ ” 14 So the LORD changed His mind about the disaster He said He would bring on His people.
15 Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands.
Romans 8:26-27
26 In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. 27 And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Related Text:
Genesis 15:1-5
Genesis 22:15-18
Genesis 26:2-4
Deuteronomy 9:16-21
Psalm 106:23
Jonah 3
Acts 7:40-42
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Intercessory Prayer
When Moses begged God on the behalf of the Israelites, pleading with Him not to destroy them, Moses was praying for their own good. This type of prayer is referred to intercessory prayer. Simply put, intercessory prayer is when you pray for someone other than yourself.
You’ve probably done this many times. Whenever you share a prayer request in a Bible study for a friend or family member, whenever you pray for your parents, or your friends, or even your co-workers. It’s one of the ways we can love others, by lifting them up to God, and asking Him to help, to heal, and to supply what is needed.
But here’s where it gets crazy awesome! The Holy Spirit prays for us. Just like we pray for others, the Holy Spirit prays for us. It’s right there in scripture. The BIG difference (besides the Holy Spirit being part of the Trinity, or course) is that the Holy Spirit knows exactly what to pray for even when we don’t. When we feel so overwhelmed by whatever is happening in our life that we don’t even know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit knows what to pray for. The Holy Spirit performs intercessory prayer on our behalf. Go back up there and re-read Romans 8:26-27.
I hope you have peace today as you read this and know that you always have someone praying for you, someone interceding to God on your behalf.
