A. How Closer Are We?
Christians entering a New Year are hopeful it will be “one year closer” to the Coming of Our Lord!’ ‘Maranatha’ or ‘Come Lord Jesus’ is the wish and prayer of many.
But how close are we?
a. 2025 – A Milepost or a Signpost?
Each passing year can be either a milepost or a signpost of life!
The first reveals how far we have moved, and the other shows how far we need to go and a destination.
The question of ‘how closer’ to His Coming is not determined by the passing of time alone. It requires engagement in the Task that can press us on to the destination and to “speed His coming!”
“As you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” (2 Peter 3:12)
b. Wait or Speed ‘His Coming?’
Jesus linked the timeline of His coming directly to accomplishing the Great Commission:
‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.’
Matthew 24:14
The question ‘how close’ it is to the Coming is related to ‘how far’ we are from finishing the Task. Therefore, we can not just only wait in expectation but also must be engaged in the Task.
c. How far are we in 2025 from finishing the Task?
To understand this, we begin this year again with a view of the ‘big picture’ of where the Great Commission stands today. This helps to understand how effective intercession is and where it should be focused.
In the past year, we highlighted ‘Focus on the Remaining Task’, and this year on ‘The State of the Great Commission’ from various sources, like the Lausanne Movement, Operation World, and the Joshua Project, to give you the big picture of how far we are from finishing.
But before that, we want to lay a foundation for intercession and provide guidance for you to engage in effective intercession in this new year.
Prayer:
Lord, Show me the direction of intercession toward finishing the Great Commission and help me to turn my mileposts into signposts in 2025. Open my eyes to see the big picture of your plans in 2025.
Pray the Word for Revelation and vision:
‘I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. ‘
Habakkuk 2:1-3
‘Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. ‘
B. Finishing The Task of the Harvest.
Jesus spoke about finishing the task in relation to the Harvest.
“Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
a. God’s will is to Finish the Task.
- Therefore it must take priority over maintenance and all other plans.
- We must be resolved, committed, persisting, and persevering in this.
b. Finishing must be considered as food.
- It must be given regular attention.
- Must develop an appetite and a deep desire for it.
- Food is for sustenance and the means of existence.
- Every Church must find its purpose in relation to finishing the task.
- “Without Missions, a church ceases its right to exist!”
c. Finishing is directly linked to the Harvest.
The key to finishing the task is having a burden and vision for lost souls.
Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
John 4:34-38
‘Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”’
Matthew 9:37-38
While we praise God for what has been accomplished in 2024, we must press on in 2025 toward finishing the Great Commission!
Prayer:
Take a moment to pray with Paul for a passion to finish the task:
Ask the Holy Spirit to create this sense of urgency in every church to prioritize Missions to ‘Finish the Task’ in their plans for 2025.
‘However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Acts 20:22,24
“You don’t measure yourself by your success, but you measure yourself against the unfinished task.”
Loren Triplett, former AGWM Executive Director.
C. Moving from Prayer to Intercession.
There is no shortage of prayer in the Church since millions of Christians pray daily for various needs.
But God is looking for Intercessors who can fulfill His purposes on earth.
“He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor;”
Isaiah 59:16
a. Why Intercession is different from Prayer.
Prayer and Intercession are not the same because they are mentioned distinctly as having differing functions:
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.
1 Timothy 2: 1
While all Intercession may involve prayer, not all prayer is Intercession.
Intercession involves standing on behalf of others, which also means standing before God for His purposes to be fulfilled on earth.
- Prayer meets needs – Intercession fulfills God’s purposes.
- Prayer is about human plans –Intercession is about God’s plans.
- Prayer connects with current conditions. Intercession connects to God’s agenda.
- Prayer wishes things to happen on earth – Intercession enforces Heaven’s will on earth.
- Prayer involves temporary matters – Intercession focuses on eternal issues.
- Prayer is about the visible – Intercession is about the invisible.
- Prayer grows a ministry – Intercession advances the Kingdom.
b. The Watch or the Calendar?
The functions of a watch and a calendar can illustrate the distinct roles of prayer and Intercession. Although both are time-related, how they manage and influence differ significantly.
A watch micro-manages a person’s daily accomplishments through seconds, minutes, and hours like prayer. However, Intercession is like a calendar, has a broader scope and determines the outcomes from days to months and years, having a long-term influence on life.
Intercession can move you from ‘prayer for daily bread’ to declaring ‘Your Kingdom come’ – to a sphere where Heaven’s decisions are enforced on earth. It connects you to God’s calendar and aligns you with His purposes and promises to be fulfilled in nations through the ages.
c. Two Great Intercessors.
In preparing for the ‘First Coming of Christ,’ Simeon and Anna were prophetic Intercessors who aligned with God’s timetable and plans.
Simeon was “waiting for the Consolation of Israel… and it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”
Anna the prophetess: “did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”
They let intercession shape their lives, which eventually led both to come “by the Spirit into the temple… when the parents brought in the Child Jesus.” Their intercession was rewarded and ‘exceeded their expectations!‘
“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation. (See Luke 2:25-38)
God can arbitrarily and speedily accomplish the ‘Second Coming of Christ’ and the ‘Great Commission’ without your help or mine. Yet, He has chosen Intercessors as His instrument to partner with Him like Simeon and Anna to ‘Speed His Coming.’
A Prayer of Commitment to Intercession in 2025.
“Father, I commit myself to being an Intercessor and partnering with You to fulfill Your purposes on earth.
And, as I read about the ‘State of the Great Commission,’ help me to effectively intercede so that you will redeem people from “every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9).
Give me wisdom and revelation to understand that my intercession will cause me to ‘exceed expectations’ because:
“That in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:7,10)
AMEN!
Next Week: THE STATE OF THE GREAT COMMISSION.