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Modern Day Intercessors
While reading the Scripture in John chapter eleven, where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, the words that seemed to really draw my attention were, "Roll the stone away, Jesus told them".
Who are "them" I ask the Holy Spirit? Jesus did not roll the stone aside. Lazarus obviously did not move the stone from inside the tomb. So who did Jesus designate to move the stone?
I don't think Jesus was talking to anyone of the general crowd that had gathered. No doubt at least one in that crowd would have skeptically remarked that if Jesus had so much power why didn't he roll the stone away himself. I don't think Jesus intended to deal with their skepticism, at least not in the way they expected.
My guess is he was speaking to his disciples. After all hadn't they already seen what miracles he could do? Hadn't they seen him turn water into wine; give sight to a blind man with the application of a little mud; heal a group of lepers; and much more? I think the disciples were eager to lend a hand if only out of curiosity to see what in the world he would do next. They believed in him. They trusted him. The disciples had established a relationship with him so Jesus knew he could call upon them for assistance.
Now what does that say to us about our personal relationship with Jesus? That we too need to trust him and establish a relationship with him? Yes, of course. But it says something else too. It says that even though Jesus knew exactly what he intended to do - raise Lazarus up from the dead; he did nothing until those he counted on to assist him had done what he asked them to do. Of course Jesus could have rolled away the stone by himself. He could have done that with a simple word or the crook of his finger. But instead he asked others to be the stone movers so that he could free Lazarus from his entombed condition.
Have you ever met a person who was not entombed by something - fear, anxiety, anger, addiction, loneliness, etc? I haven't. Everyone is entombed with something in their life and that something makes them as if dead in that area because they cannot find the way out of their own personal tomb.
Jesus knows that about us, in fact, he knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows that we are forever getting ourselves entangled in some problem or encountering some seemingly insurmountable obstacle. He knows that the one thing we generally do the most consistently is struggle to find a way out of our own entombment. He knows too how we desperately need freedom. Freedom from sickness; victory over our problems; and a realization of the peace for which we all long. And just as in the days of Lazarus, Jesus intends to free us from our tomb, too.
But not until, as he did in the case of Lazarus, he invites someone to assist him. Someone who is willing to be his today disciple. Jesus is relying on those who have a trust relationship with him. He counts on those who are excited about what he is going to do next! Jesus calls upon us, you and me, to be his modern day stone movers. He wants us to be a part and a partner in what he is doing. And he is asking us if we would be willing to roll up our spiritual sleeves in intercessory prayer and assist him in rolling away the stones from the lives of those who are as entombed as was Lazarus.
How do we answer the call of Jesus to be his stone movers, his intercessors? By praying a very simple prayer for those he points out to us who are in need of prayer. Just pray," Jesus, with this prayer I assist you in rolling away the stone in this persons life. I ask you to release them from whatever has them entombed, that they might live in your resurrection freedom. Amen."
And don't forget to pray that same prayer for yourself too!
© Shari R. Panages
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