The story of Esther gives us a clear picture of how intercession works. In the story, Queen Vashti was divorced from King Ahasuerus because she refused to dance before the king and his guests at a banquet. Later, after the king’s anger had subsided, a search was made for a new Queen. Esther was chosen, and the king loved her.
Soon afterwards, King Ahasuerus appointed a man named Haman as Prime Minister; and as the king commanded, all the king’s officials were to bow down to him. But Mordecai, who was Esther’s cousin and the one who reared her, refused to bow down to Haman because of his Jewish faith. Upon hearing this news Haman was furious and immediately began to plot the destruction of all the Jews, out of which a decree was issued and signed by the king that all Jews would be killed on the 28th of…
Minneapolis on Thursday became the first major American city to permit unfettered broadcast of the Muslim call to prayer, allowing the adhan to be heard over speakers five times a day, year-round.
The Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to amend the city’s noise ordinance, which had prevented some morning and evening calls at certain times of the year because they occurred at times of the day when tighter noise restrictions are in place.
“The Constitution doesn’t sleep at night,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), after the vote. He said Minneapolis’ action should show the world that a “nation founded on freedom of religion makes good on its promise.”
Thursday’s vote, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, marked the capstone of a years-long effort to allow more calls to be broadcast in Minneapolis, whose burgeoning population of East African immigrants has led to mosques dotting the landscape.
Three council members — Aisha Chughtai, Jeremiah Ellison and Jamal Osman — identify as Muslim. “In a body of 13, that’s a real caucus,” Ellison said before the 12-0 vote (Council Member Andrew Johnson was absent).
Not only was the council vote unanimous, the decision drew no organized community opposition. Mayor Jacob Frey is expected to sign the measure within a week.
I live in Minneapolis, and, while I was working outside one day I happened to hear these prayer calls. One bold Muslim decided to do it on his own (with a loud microphone). I’m not Muslim, so I didn’t agree with it; but on the other hand, I thoiught this man was quite bold and dedicated to his religion; and I wished I was as bold as him. I wish more Christians would be more dedicated to prayer.
I recalled that Daniel prayed three times a day in his window chamber (Daniel 6:10). David also prayed many times a day. They were dedicated prayer warriors.
It is not the Father’s role to intercede. The Father is the one who hears, receives, and answers our prayers. But I think He should be included in the intercession process, because if it wasn’t for the Father we could not pray at all. In fact, all prayer comes from the Father. We will take time now to consider seven things regarding how the Father is involved in intercession.
1.He is the head person of the trinity and is in charge over the whole intercession process. Jesus said that His Father is Lord over heaven and earth (Lu. 10:21) and that He is greater than all (Jn. 10:29). Jesus also said in John 6:57 that He lives because of the Father. This does not mean that the Father gave Him existence (Jesus has always existed); however, it means that His special life of power and authority was…
The one obvious result, of course, will be that we will see more answers to prayer, and we will experience the great joy in the Lord that follows (Jn. 16:24). But there are also other results. Here are three things that I can think of:
Importune Prayer will become Easier
The more you pray with importunity, the easier it will be to continue to pray with importunity. Not that importune prayer is ever easy, but the first few experiences of it will tend to pave the road and make the way smoother for more and more importune prayer. For when you have that prayer experience behind you, you will have gained the insight that makes your prayers more importunate.
Accordingly, with this experience, you will pray with more patience and strength, and with more ability to press on in prayer, even when it seems hopeless. You will have developed…
These verses hold the biblical principle of Equal Retribution: that if a man digs a pit for another to fall into, or if he sets a trap for another, he will end up falling into it or being trapped by his own trap. I have read these verses over and over and they seem pretty definite. That is, the evil one who tries to trap or destroy another, it will spring back on him.
MAGA
I immediately thought of what is being done to Donald Trump. It is wrong and evil. They are right now digging a pit for him to fall into—so that he won’t have a chance to be re-elected.
But I believe, and I pray, that this principle of Equal Retribution will be at work. That whatever evil they plan for a him will fall back on them. MAGA!!
There is so much we could say here. I think the following four points will give you a lot to work on.
Start by building up your faith
Since true importune prayer is aroused and energized by the Holy Spirit, it makes sense that if you want to pray with importunity you must be filled with the Spirit and walk in the Spirit. You can begin to do this by meditating on the Word. When you get to know the God of the Word you will learn to trust Him and wait on Him in prayer. Soon you will not yield to discouragement and weariness when you pray. Likewise, you will say to God, “O my God, I trust in You” (Ps. 25:2). And you will keep praying persistently for as long as it takes to gain the answer.
Trump thinks he will be arrested this Tuesday. Most good people think that this is a terrible thing–to see a former President be arrested for a misdemeanor. And they say it is all political, and they are doing it to try to prevent him from running for President again. Please I urge you to pray that the right thing will be done–that justice will be done according to what is God’s will. Please read the following article.
Former President Donald Trump expects to be arrested Tuesday in a case brought by the Manhattan district attorney’s office and called on his supporters to protest in a Truth Social post Saturday.
“Illegal leaks from a corrupt & highly political Manhattan district attorney’s office, which has allowed records to be set in violent crime & whose leader is funded by George Soros, indicate that, with no crime being able to be proven, and based on an old and fully debunked (by numerous other prosecutors) fairytale, the far & away leading Republican candidate & former president of the United States of America, will be arrested on Tuesday of next week,” Trump wrote.
From what I have discovered from my study, there seems to be two main aspects of importune prayer: it is urgent, and it has a dogged persistence. Each of these has their own demands. Urgency is demanded because of great needs. Persistence is demanded because of the time factor—the fact that it takes time for prayer to be answered.
The Demand for Urgency
In every importune prayer there is a demand for urgency. In the parables and stories we saw that there was always a great need, which required urgency. The man who went to his friend for bread (Lu. 11:5-10) had a great need for bread. The woman in the parable in Luke 18 had a great need for justice. The Canaanite woman had a daughter who had an urgent need to be healed (Matt. 15:21-28). And the blind man had a great need to see (Lu. 18:35-43).
We will continue our study of Importunity in prayer with two more holy men, Elijah and Daniel.
Elijah’s Prayer, 1 Kings 18:41- 45
Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth, and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. 44 And it came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot…
The story of Esther gives us a clear picture of how intercession works. In the story, Queen Vashti was divorced from King Ahasuerus because she refused to dance before the king and his guests at a banquet. Later, after the king’s anger had subsided, a search was made for a new Queen. Esther was chosen, and the king loved her.
Stephen Nielsen 