Prayer
and intercession in its various forms are parts of the heavenly arrangement
which allows for the complex and many-coloured work and expressions
of the cross of Christ. The richness of the reality of the cross presents
to us the very nature of God and the plight and predicament of man.
The cross provides for the initiative of God and it breaks man’s urge
to play his part at the centre stage. Its work consists in presenting
what is good, it brings goodness into life and prayer. It contains a
heavenly quality which is aimed at bringing clarity and a correct focus
to every prayer.
The cross is God’s invitation
to prayer. Its power is salvation, and it thrusts man into a state of
dependency which is to be handled by prayer, prayer only. Within its
framework all things are gathered that belong to grace and goodness.
Only on this ground there will be a seeing of God as He truly is. The
cross of Christ is God’s invitation to fellowship. Its work in a man’s
heart corresponds with that which sent the Son of God on his sacrificial
route before the foundations of the world were laid. A man who begins
to pray is taught to carry a cross within according to the same order
as the Father carries his. Because of this, it leads to salvation from
the wisdom and the power of this age.
Prayer finds its inception
at the cross. The cross of Christ stands as the indispensable means
of reconciliation throughout the ages. It writes humility in man’s heart
and supplies all grace and salvation. The cross of Christ, as it operates
as God’s means for reconciliation, turns to its second work – by no
means secondary to the first – the second work which is a work of formation
unto priestliness, unto likeness in character, made like Christ.
The Father deliberately
chooses this, a most horrible instrument of destruction, as a means
of self-display. A cross tells the truest truth about God. This cross
tells the truest truth about man. The cross of Christ stands as God’s
means in making man a praying man. It produces priestliness, it makes
you a priest unto God.
The power of the cross
to execute change, its power to eliminate sin, its indisputable ability
to bring life finds application wherever man begins to pray. The cross
puts the nature of God on display – the Creator defends his creation
and guards the fulfilment of the purposes of its existence. Prayer never
has to turn his mind around. God is always before, the singer states.
God is the instigator of all good works. The agreement between the Father
and the Son which governs the walk of the cross stands firm and shows
forth its absoluteness through all times. Prayer stands safe and secure
on this foundation. The work of the cross creates a priestly mindset
acceptable before the throne of God.
A life in prayer under
the cross of Christ is brought to clarity, it gathers momentum through
its proper perspective. It realises and confirms its dependence and
confidence in God. It is brought to awareness of the limitations of
man, of man’s smallness and learns with diligence the lessons of humility.
Strenuous efforts according to law and regulations as well as goodness
and openness according to humanistic initiative fall short, fall devastatingly
short, never producing anything like prayer does. These two, the law
and goodness according to man, have come to an end, are confirmed to
be of no use by the existence of the Saviour’s cross.
The atoning death of Jesus
Christ on that old, rugged cross divides for ever between Heaven and
Earth. This cross introduces Heaven on Earth. The priestly ministry,
condensed and encapsulated in the work of prayer, which lies before
us all, opens the way to Heaven. The work of prayer under the cross
opens the way for Heaven to you, to each and every little sector in
which you engage in. Heaven travels along the paths of prayer in the
same way and to the same degree that the Christian travels along these
paths. Prayer which takes form with the help of the cross gives room
to all goodness, all kindness, all things beautiful, all things holy.
The cross is the tool of
discipleship, followers of Christ immediately come under its influence.
The rule of the cross is the rule of priestliness and of prayer according
to Christ. Its prayer is set to spending, it cannot but give. This kind
of prayer never demands. It never sets out for personal vindication.
It waits on the Lord, it abides his vindication, it rests in his just
rulings. Prayer awaits help from the sanctuary, and strength out of
Zion. Its pattern is set by the throne, its attitude is royal – Davidic.
Its approach and its conduct are governed by royal measure. It grows
in minds which welcome instruction by the Spirit of God to be able to
stand in perilous times. The cross marks a man for discipleship. The
mind marked by the cross of Christ follows after goodness and purity.
A praying of this category seeks after correspondence – the preciousness
of Heaven found as goodness and kindness on Earth.
Prayer and praying men
are attracted to and apprehended by amiable and compassionate words
and wordings. The cross disqualifies rudeness as well as shallowness,
it is the overt enemy of covetousness and self-gratification, it puts
to death fleshly initiative and ambition. "Have this mind in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus." "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things
are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things"
(Philippians. 2:4, 4:8).
Reach out in exploration
for the good words, words which represent goodness and holiness. These
words do not lend themselves to values other than of the heavenly category.
They are therefore easily identified. The cross makes us fit to use
them properly. The cross makes us fit to use them in prayer. Lay hold
of the good words, blend them into your prayer life, take them to your
heart and make use of them in your prayers. Put the good words into
your prayers, prepare godly speech, allow them to mirror the very best
to be apprehended along the paths of the cross. Prayer of this kind
will be heard in Heaven.
The cross at work will
bring you to the point of becoming an intercessor. The cross at work
will throw doors open for you to a seeing of the world around you. The
cross at work will produce an understanding of your role in the purposes
of God. The cross at work will give you perspectives and proportions
other than ordinary man’s. The cross at work invites to prayer. The
cross arranges for us a stumbling stone, it confronts our seeing, it
draws a line of demarcation, it differentiates and divides. It sets
before us a stumbling stone, the name of which is "only on this ground".
. . Only through the work of the cross in our inner beings is the peculiar
kind of prayer formed which gathers real prayer answers.
Let us pray in this direction,
opening our inner man for the work of the cross, praying for intercessors
to be brought forth in this hour of greatest need. . .
Source:
European Prophetic College - Email: EPC@Comhem.se
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