He's Ever Interceding

Ever felt unworthy of God’s love, salvation, healing? In I Kings Chapter 13 we read the story of an unnamed prophet chosen by God to deliver a very strong message to the wicked king Jeroboam. The message said that God would destroy the altars to the king’s false gods and idols, and that the human ashes on top of the altar would be poured out in front of Jeroboam as a sign of the authenticity of the prophecy.

The king became so angry that he stuck out his arm and shouted to his soldiers to seize the prophet, and when he did, God sent judgment and withered his hand and froze his arm in the outstretched position.

The king had the audacity to ask the prophet, whom he was just about to have killed, to intercede in prayer to his God on his behalf and ask him to restore his hand and arm…and God chose to answer the prophet’s prayer on behalf of Jeroboam. Sometimes, even saints do wrong or make bad choices. We have a God who set up a system of intercession—we as saints intercede for the lost, the Holy Spirit intercedes with groanings for us, and Jesus intercedes for all to the Father.