Tag Archives: intercessory prayer

Stand in the Gap

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

A friend of mine signs his correspondences, Standing in the Gap. He believes in the power of intercessory prayer. He believes in standing in the gap between God and man on man’s behalf. Just as the saints of God have done throughout the ages.

When Abraham learned God planned to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness, he petitioned God on the people’s behalf. He was willing to stand in the gap on their behalf and asked the LORD to spare the people. Abraham whittled his bargaining number of how many righteous people it would take to spare the cities, from fifty, to ten. Not even ten righteous people lived in the cities, yet God spared Abe’s nephew, Lot, and his family.

As Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan, many a time he fell on his face before the LORD. He was willing to stand in the gap on their behalf between the punishment their unfaithfulness deserved, and God’s righteousness. To the point of being willing to offer his own life and place in God’s kingdom, if necessary.

At the time of the prophet Ezekiel, God listed the sins of his people and pronounced his coming punishment upon them. To God, his people had become dross. What once was precious to him became worthless through their continued blatant disobedience.

The LORD told Ezekiel he looked for a person among them who would build up the wall that broke between them and God, but found no one worthy to stand in the gap. There was no one to save the people from God’s righteous destruction.

Like my friend, are we willing to stand in the gap on someone’s behalf? Are we willing to be an intercessor between them and God? Our gap-standing circumstances don’t need to be as dire as those of Abraham, Moses, or Ezekiel.

We all have needs. We all need a Savior. We all like sheep have gone astray. We all need someone who is willing to step up, stand in the gap, and plead our case before the LORD.

But the greatest of all persons to ever stand in the gap between our sins and the Holy Righteous God is Jesus. The Way, the Truth, the Life, and the Gate through which all must enter. He is the one who knew no sin, yet took our sins upon his perfect sinless self and payed the price we owed, but could never pay.

How are we doing with standing in the gap on someone else’s behalf? Do we thank God for those who stand in the gap on our behalf? We should, you know.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30 (NLT)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Stand in the Gap

Posted on by

by Sandy Kirby Quandt

In the 6th Century B.C. Ezekiel, the priest taken into Babylonian captivity, spoke to the generation born in exile about the sins of the Israelites that brought them so low and also to sustain the faith of the exiles by predicting national restoration, the execution of justice upon their oppressors, and of national glory under David’s monarchy.

In the middle of the Old Testament book of Ezekiel God tells the priest God has been patient with the Israelites, but they continued to rebel and disobey his laws. He tells Ezekiel Jerusalem’s doom is inevitable.

Near the end of Chapter 22 the Lord said he looked for someone to stand in the gap before him on behalf of the land, but found no one.

In considering what it means to stand in the gap, I thought of several things.

  • the story of the little Dutch boy who saved the village by placing his finger in the hole of the dike
  • the workers who kept their weapons with them as they rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem after they returned from exile
  • the prayer warriors who intercede before God on behalf of others

According to the dictionary, intercede means to act or interpose in behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition and to attempt to reconcile differences between two people or groups; mediate.

Standing in the gap.

When we intercede for another we stand in the gap between them and God. We act as plugs in the hole in the dike.

God asked for someone to stand in the gap before him on behalf of the land. He asks the same of us today.

Will you join me, get on our knees, and be a gap stander?

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

 “I looked in vain for anyone who would build again the wall of righteousness that guards the land, who could stand in the gap and defend you from my just attacks, but I found not one.” Ezekiel 22:30 (TLB)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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