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Cry Intercession & the Blessing of God
Jeremiah 33:1-3 (Pastor Park)
33 1:While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: 2 “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it-the Lord is his name: 3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
Mark 10:52 – Prayer of Barthemeous (blind beggar)
When he heard Jesus passing by, he really cried out, “Son of David! Have mercy on me!” Today, I want to share how important cry intercession is. This is not to pray for yourself, but to pray for others.
Jesus died not for himself but for you and me. His intercessory ministry is not his problem, but other people’s problem.
We read Jeremiah 33:1-3
The blessing of God is the bonus of God.
Jeremiah 33:1
“While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time:”
Wherever you are, the most important thing is whether you receive the Word of God or not. Jeremiah was in prison – he didn’t know if he would be hanged tomorrow, or how long he would be there. But he received the Word of God which came to him a second time.
In any situation, the most important thing is to receive the Word of God.
Jeremiah 33:2
“2”This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it-the Lord is his name:”
God does everything in his time, and can do all things. No one knows what will happen tomorrow, nor even in 5 minutes. But we know who holds the future (Jesus!) – God holds our future and our tomorrows.
He is the one who formed and established and does everything according to his will.
Jeremiah 33:3
“3 ‘Call [cry] to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'”
Cry and call are totally different.
- “Call” is like “hello!~~~~” like a phone call.
- But “cry” is putting our whole being into the CRY out to God.
So, in the English, this translation is not very good. But the original version is very good.
Exodus 2:23
“During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.”
You know this story – after 400 years, the Israelites were in slavery in Egypt. Originally, with Joseph and Jacob and the brothers, they were happy, living with their brother. But after 400 years, the Pharaoh(s) died and they became slaves. So, they CRIED out for help. This is the same CRY.
Exodus 2:24-25
“God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.”
God’s covenant was to take them into the Promised Land. But here they are NOT there. But at this time, God remembered his promise and plan for them.
Likewise, God has a plan for each one of us. Each person has a different speciality and different guidance from God. God has his plan for all of us, but when he starts to work for you is WHEN YOU CRY OUT TO THE LORD. God had a plan for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but he remembered it when they cried out to him.
Psalm 86:5
“You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call [cry] to you.”
Psalm 86:6
“Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.”
Psalm 86:7
“In the day of my trouble I will call [cry] to you, for you will answer me.”
Unfortunately, these days many English translations reduce this powerful word “CRY” down to “call”. Even Korean people have forgotten loud voices in their prayers.
A few weeks ago, I went to Japan with my wife. After I retire, I plan to start a ministry in Nagoya, Japan.
video
Some people wonder why Japanese church is so slow to grow, but Korean church is so fast to grow.
My opinion (not theological) is that Japanese people don’t know how to pray. Japanese people are so quiet when they pray, but Korean pray so LOUDLY with one heart – CRYING out to Jesus.
The Bible says, “Cry out to me” not “whisper unto me.”
When our Uganda brothers pray so loudly, I love them so much. I think the Ugandan church will grow very quickly.
But Japanese people are so formal and quiet and don’t want to disturb other people. But the Bible says, “Cry out to God!”
Psalm 102:1
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, let my cry for help come to you.”
LOUD voice in your prayer. God wants to hear that.
Psalm 102:2
“Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call [cry], answer me quickly.”
- CRY out to God = 10 points
- “call” = 1 or 2 points
Luke 18:7 (Parable of the Unjust Judge – looked down on poor people)
“And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?”
Even an unjust judge, who looks down on poor people – he will not overlook people who cry out to him day and night, forever. Even he says, “I guess I should answer.”
However, our loving God wants to listen to people who cry out to him day and night.
Luke 18:8
“I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Why does Jesus talk about a loud voice with prayer first and then, “will he find faith on the earth”? Why did Jesus compare / contrast these? The person who CRIES out to the Lord HAS FAITH.
Jeremiah 33:3
“Cry unto me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Here you can see this as one sentence. But it’s two sentences in one.
- “Cry unto me and I will answer you.”
- “I’ll tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
The AND is like a bridge.
There is a promise. The Bible always has a promise.
- “If you believe in Jesus, you will become children of God.”
- There is an optional step on your part, and THEN a result on God’s part.
- “Come to me, all you who are burdened and heavy laden and you will have rest for your souls.”
- IF you come, THEN you will have rest.
- “Ask and knock, then I will answer you.”
- God always answers us.
- “Cry unto me!” THEN God will show great and mighty things which you do not know.
- IF you cry out to God, THEN God will answer you.
Testimony from Mei Lin in Singapore
I conducted a Prayer Meeting with many different people. At one time, a lady attended the meeting and I asked, “What is your prayer item?” She wrote it, “Get married.” I thought, “Is this the first? Remarried?” She was a large lady, so I thought she must have already been married. So, I asked her (not her age) but I found out she was 40 at that time. (I also was 40). At that time, I was uneasy in my heart. Who else could propose to her? In my view, she didn’t look like a normal lady. So, I prayed for her, “Lord, sister Mei Lin wants to get married, so where is her husband now?” Suddenly I had some thought in my mind that this would be impossible. I had a negative mindset. The thought disturbed my prayer – and eventually I gave up the prayer.
After one week, I went back and she asked me, “Hi pastor! Have you prayed for me?” Uhhhh… I’m sorry. I could not. She told me, “If a Korean pastor intercedes for me, I WILL get married!~” But this was very difficult in my heart.
I tried to pray for her the following day – she checked every day.
I prayed, “Lord, if it’s your will, let her meet somebody.” I just prayed simply and quickly. At that time, I still had doubt in my mind. I thought, “Wow, who can propose to her? She seems not single. She’s big and looks already married.”
Around one month I prayed in that way, very simply.
One day when I prayed, the HS touched my heart. He said, “I don’t look outward – I look at the heart.” (1 Sam 17). I was really surprised. “God, you are God, so you always look at the heart. But I’m just a man, we always see the outside first.” God said, “Yes, but you are a SERVANT of God, you also must see as I see.”
“But God, in my heart, I have great doubt. How can I pray for her?”
“CRY unto me for her!”
Cry? Why I should cry for her? This is not my problem. This is her problem.
But God touched my heart. So I searched the Bible – where is this word “cry”?
I saw Moses, Jeremiah, David, Jesus CRY unto God.
They prayed for the people.
The people fell unto idols and worshiped idols.
- Moses: “Lord, if you kill them all, people will say, ‘You have no power to lead the people into the Promised Land.’ Lord, PLEASE forgive them!”
- God: “As you have prayed, so I will forgive them.”
This is intercessory prayer. The Israelites were forgiven.
So this word touched my heart very much. So, I tried to cry unto God for her. “Lord, even though she looks like she has no pair, let her find someone to marry!” I really cried out to God for her.
At that time, I realized new things from the Lord. When I cried out to God, in my thoughts, Mei Lin was big, heavy, not pretty. But when I cried out to God, that kind of negativity and human thinking just came out. One by one, everything just came out. Then after about one month, I realized there was no longer any doubt in my heart. “God WILL let her DEFINITELY see the RIGHT person that HE has prepared!” I had confidence in my heart.
Brothers and sisters, why does God ask you to cry unto him?
When you do so, all the negative things, the dark mind, comes out to him.
So, after one month, I now have confidence that God has someone for her. So I asked her. Later she came back from Canada and a few days later she brought me a love letter. (Well, not really.) It was just a greeting letter (from a man who had no hair) – 10 years age difference. The letter said, “Mei Lin, how are you? When you have time, come again.” (This is just a greeting letter, not a love letter.)
We prayed for another one.
Later one young man came to our prayer meeting and asked me to pray for his future wife (he looked 25, but was 35). Hmm, Mei Lin was 40. 5 years age difference.
So I asked him, “What kind of lady do you want? Tall, short, beautiful?”
He replied, “Pastor, I can’t see the outward appearance.” WOW! FAITH!
He said, “when the lady talks and shows her activity in church, we know whether she has faith or not.”
I also prayed for him.
Long story short, 8 months later, the two of them came to my office. Eric said, “Pastor, I decided to get married with Mei Lin.” At that time, I was SO happy! Wow Eric! You have real faith!
“Pastor, we are going to be married because of your prayer, so you should officiate.” They asked me to pray for 1 hour. (No, no, no, it should be only 10 minutes.) “No, we have 700 people coming, non-Christians – so you may share evangelistically! Reveal the demon possession of our relative that came out, the Lazarus story, etc.” They knew my preaching and my style, so they chose some, edited them, and brought them.
On that day, I preached 1 hour.
Then the wedding march. The people clapped.
I thought, “I CRIED unto God and God answered me!” I was very content because they were married.
The Bible says, “Cry unto me and I will answer you!”
But it doesn’t stop there, “And I will show you great and mighty things!”
So, I was so happy.
At that time, the senior pastor (60, I was 40), came to me and said, “Pastor Park, would you please come to our Revival Message as a guest speaker in 2 months?” I was so embarrassed because my message had been in broken (not very good) English.
Then the senior pastor said, “You must come to my church as an English speaking preacher.” I was so shocked. From that day, God used me as an English preacher. I NEVER thought this – I never asked God for this. This was a “great and mighty thing” which I didn’t know.
Later, after this couple’s one month honeymoon, they brought back a present and said, “Mei Lin’s sister could not sleep because of your preaching – she thought she would go to hell because of the rich man and Lazarus story. So, she asked you to bring the Bible to her house and teach her.” After 6 months, we baptized her.
A few days later, she sent me a letter with a $3000 check there. “Linda, how can you send this big check?” She said, “Pastor, I’m a business woman, after I was baptized, God touched my heart. The pastor is your spiritual father, and takes care of your spiritual life, so you must take care of his pocket money.” WOW! Hallelujah! I never asked God for this, but he took care of me nonetheless.
The Bible says,
“Cry unto me and I will answer you and will show you GREAT and MIGHTY things which you do not know!” This is the power of crying out to God.
Even though you didn’t ask, you didn’t pray specifically for this, God provides and knows better than you what you need.
During that time, for 20 years, I received $3000 every month. When I came to Antioch Church, I told her I didn’t need that any longer.
The story: God said in John 10:10 “Life with abundant blessings” (abundant life)
God promised us abundant life, but why do we always feel it’s “not enough”? Many people are here as foreigners (also, my wife and I are American citizens). The keys that Jesus spoke to us “will I find faith when I return”? FAITH is CRYING OUT to Jesus.
So, I’m going away after this month. This is a very important message. This is God’s promise if we cry unto him.
Photo of Mei Lin
God prepared Mei Lin’s husband according to his will.
- God is ABOVE.
- You are HERE.
- You need someone to INTERCEDE for.
- When you intercede for someone else, God answers for them, and gives a bonus blessing to you.
God gives the blessing – the great and mighty things – the bonus when you intercede for others.
If you pray for your brother and sister as intercessory prayer – CRYING out – he will answer, and he will show you the blessing that you never prayed for.
Many Christians feel they have NOT ENOUGH of everything. This is because they do not pray for others. They do not intercede for others. My mother always carries a note to get prayer requests from others and intercedes for them.
Jeremiah 33:3 (BBE 1964)
“Let your cry (*clama* in Latin) come to me, and I will give you an answer, and let you see great things and secret things of which you had no knowledge.”
Jeremiah 33:3 (Latin Volgate 405)
“clama ad me et exaudiam te et adnuntiabo tibi grandia et firma quae nescis”
Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV 1611)
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and might things, which thou knowest not.”
My missionary life was very content, with abundant blessings from the Lord.
Finally,
Jeremiah 33:3 (BBE 1964)
“Let your CRY come to me, and I will give you an answer, and let you see great things and secret things of which you had no knowledge.”
You never knew, never thought, but you will receive great and mighty things from the Lord if you CRY out to God for others.
May God bless you richly.
Please stand up.
Romans 8:26
“26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
What is our weakness?
- We don’t know how to pray to God.
- The Spirit intercedes for us through wordless groans.
- This is the cry unto the Lord. Then God listens and answers.
- Then the bonus of blessing, the great and mighty things will come to you.
Let’s try Abba Prayer (“Father Prayer”) maybe 10 seconds.
Let’s pray.