Who will intercede Part 3

Do you face times of crisis and desperation with prayer?

Or do you invite fear and anxiety into your life? In times of spiritual crisis, and we surely are in one right now, in times of great urgencies, in times of desperate need, God's people must do two things. Number one, there has to be an intercession. There has to be prayer. There has to be bridging of the gap in prayer. But also there has to be standing in the battle and fighting in the battle.

It's always that way. Thank you for joining Dr. Michael Youssef for this episode of Leading the Way. Some years back, Moses guided the army of Israel into and through an epic battle that wasn't just physically challenging, it was also spiritually challenging. You see, the incredible part of the battle is that as long as Moses prayed, lifting hands toward heaven, the battle leaned in Israel's favor. But when he lowered his arms, slowing his prayers, the enemy advanced toward victory. So what does this have to do with you and the challenges of 2025? Well, a lot. Today on Leading the Way, Dr. Youssef reminds you of the importance of praying through the trials in life.

Let's listen as Dr. Youssef begins. You know, in the sports arena, there is a winning team and there is a losing team. And even in individualized sports, somebody has to win and somebody has to lose. There is a winner and there is a loser. In the battlefield, the same thing.

And you know, the spiritual life, it is exactly the same. There are winners and there are losers. It depends on who is your coach, which coach you play for. If you play on Satan's team and he is your coach, then you are a loser. You are on the losing team. If you play on Jesus' team, then you are on the winning team. You are always going to be on the winning team. No matter what it looks like at halftime. No matter what the scoreboard says at halftime.

No matter how things appear in the middle of the game. If you are on Jesus' team, you are a winner. And you will always be a winner.

Why? Because in the spiritual arena, we know the final score. We read the last chapter of the book and we know we win. In the spiritual realm, we know who is the final winner and who is the final loser.

And that is why, as long as those of us who are on Jesus' team, as long as we have a breath, as long as we can talk, we are to intercede. We are to plead. We are to contend for the souls of those who are on the losing team. We are to plead with them to change direction. We are to plead with them to follow the right coach. We are to plead with them to join the winning team. We are to cry out to them and ask them to wise up while they can.

We are to contend with them to reverse course. Why? Because in the spiritual realm, it is more than just a game. It is not just a matter of a few hours of playing in the game and then it's all over. But rather, the consequences of winning or losing will continue throughout eternity. The game results will decide whether you'll spend eternity with God in heaven or in hell, whether you spend eternity with the God of the universe reigning and ruling with him, or whether you spend eternity in that terrible dark place that the Bible talks about, that lonely place, that bottomless pit of pain and torment. The choice is yours. You can come to the right team right now.

Listen to me. In the spiritual battle, you are either a victor or a victim. In the spiritual battle, in the spiritual arena, which coach you listen to, which coach you obey, will make a difference for all of eternity, not just for those few years in which we live on this earth.

And so I want to give you an example of winning, a model of winning. In Exodus 17, beginning of verse 8, I want you to turn to it because there you're going to find two teams, two antagonists, two powers that locked up in a struggle from all outward appearances. The Amalekites, that's one team, and there were the Israelites. And from all appearances, outward appearances, the Amalekites should have eaten the Israelites' lunch. The Amalekites should have devastated the Israelites. From outward appearance, they were powerful, they were strong, they were well-equipped, they were possessed with physical strength.

From the outside, everyone would have thought this team, the Amalekites, are undefeatable, they are unbeatable, they are unconquerable. And that is why I said, oh, be careful about the scores in half-time. Be careful about outward appearances. Be careful about judging an early score. Be careful about judging what you can only see with your physical eyes.

Because in the spiritual arena, what you cannot see is what really is true. From pure appearances, the Israelite team was weak, it was tired, it was exhausted, it was ill-equipped, and yet, a few years later, you read about the press report. There was a press report about that battle, there was a press report about that context. And that press report is actually found in Deuteronomy chapter 25, verses 17 and 18. There, Moses was holding a press conference, and all were there with their microphones. And God told him, you need to tell the people what had happened. He needs to report on that battle. And there, the press report, which came a few years later, was delineating the facts about that battle. And here's what Moses said in his press report. He was telling the Israelites, he said, remember what the Amalekites did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt. How they attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, underline those in your Bible.

Those are two key words. They were faint and they were weary. It was a rag-tag army.

They could not beat anybody. They were faint and they were weary. And they were cut off from the rear, all those who lagged behind.

And Moses said they did not fear God. From outward appearance, the Amalekites should have demolished the Israelites. They should have completely destroyed them. But they couldn't.

You know why? Because the Israelites played on the right team. The Israelites had the right coach.

They followed the right owner. No wonder the apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 7, that the secret of victory is not what you do, but on whom you depend. That the secret of victory is not how clever you are, but how obedient you are. That the secret of victory is not how much you have accomplished in your life, but how much you have surrendered to the Lord. The secret of victory is not dependent on your great ability, but on your willing availability. That's what the apostle Paul said to the Romans in chapter 7.

Please hear me out on this one. In times of spiritual crisis, and we surely are in one right now. In times of great urgencies, in a time of desperate need, God's people must do two things.

Mark them down, write them down, print them on your heart and on your mind. Two things must take place. Number one, there has to be an intercession. There has to be prayer. There has to be bridging of the gap in prayer. But also there has to be standing in the battle and fighting in the battle. When Nehemiah was building the wall, he called upon his people to build with one hand and hold the weapon on the other hand. When Moses went up to the mountain in obedience to God and held his hand up in prayer, in surrender to God.

He sent Joshua and his army to the battlefield to fight the Amalekites. They could have done one or the other and God said both. It's always both end. It's always, it's never been either or. It's always watch and pray. It is always fight and pray. It is always working and interceding. It's always walking and praying.

It's always that way. It is not either or. We must do both. I want to give you three things here. Three things about Moses' model for winning.

Three things. Number one, you cannot win without kneeling. Secondly, you cannot win without standing together. And thirdly, you cannot win without the flag.

Let me explain each one of those. You cannot win without kneeling. What do I mean by kneeling? Do I mean physical kneeling?

It's a great discipline and it's good if you can do it. But you can kneel physically but on the inside you're standing up and not kneeling. When the Bible talks about kneeling, it's not just the outward appearance. It's not just the physical thing. Well, it's great if you can do it.

That's fine. But when the Bible talks about kneeling, the Bible means you are publicly declaring your dependence on God. That you are publicly submitting to God.

That you are publicly acknowledging that your victory is impossible without God. You are saying publicly that willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to obey God. For example, for some people money is not a sacrifice. Ah, but risking their reputation is. Humbling themselves is. For some people time is not a sacrifice.

But inconvenience is. And so only you know and only I know what God is asking you and me to sacrifice in order to be obedient to Him. Only you and God know what God is calling you to do. And here God is saying to Moses. He says, Moses, the secret for Joshua's victory in the battle was keeping your hands, Moses, up in the air carrying that staff.

But I have performed many miracles with it before. It is keeping up your hand in the air. It is your way of expressing public surrender to me. It is a secret for your victory to stay surrendered. The secret to victory is praying in faith and not doubting. And I'm convinced in my own heart.

Probably Moses as he got so tired and his hands began to shake and then two people had to come and hold him. He was saying, God, surely there's some other way. Surely, well look, there could have been a better way, but God chose that way. That's all he's asking you to do. You do it His way.

God's way. He's saying, there is no victory without kneeling. Secondly, there is no victory without standing together. The Bible makes it very clear that prayer with one accord is of uttermost importance.

Three words, with one accord. And those three words are used in the book of Acts twelve times. Twenty-six times in the entire New Testament. And every time they prayed with one accord, God moved and God answered their prayers and God acted. Don't ask me why God does it that way.

It's not my business and I'm not interested in knowing why. As with the way He said it and I won't obey it. What does this say to us?

Listen to me beloved, listen to me. I pray that God will print it in the cortex of every one of our brains and in the walls of our hearts. That says to us that if we want to see the glory of God, that if we truly want to experience spiritual power in life. If we want to experience victory in the battles. If we want to win the lost.

If we want to see God honored once again in this country. The Bible said the secret is what? With one accord. You notice He didn't say in one accord. If the words were in one accord, it means uniformity. Everybody is like a cookie cutter. That we all have to agree on everything.

That's not what He's saying here. We might not agree on a single blessed thing. But when we come together in agreement on one purpose. For the glory of God and the saving of the lost. If we come in agreement on that one issue. And cry to God on that one matter.

God will answer our prayers. And here in Exodus 17. When they sent Joshua into that battle. They were sending down the entire future leadership of Israel. If Joshua and his key men are wiped out, the future leadership of Israel was wiped out.

But there was no such doubt in their minds. When they sent Joshua there, they were making the biggest sacrifice. But they believed God is going to honor that sacrifice.

And He's going to give them victory. None of this talk about giving God the crumbs. Giving God the leftovers. Or give God second best. Or give God what's inferior. Or give God that which is weak. Or give God that which is unwanted. Faith says, give God your best in obedience. And when Moses went up to the mountain with his brother Aaron. And his brother-in-law Her.

Her actually is Miriam's husband according to Jewish tradition. And so they went up to the mountain in obedience. When God told Moses, lift up your hands in prayer and intercession. Moses did so in obedience. You could have asked God for some other method.

But that's the way God said it. When he physically got so tired and his hands began to shake. And then hands will lower down.

Israel loses and the Amalekites win. Every time he forces himself, he forces his hands up in the air. And he will stand and his hands will shake once again. But as long as they're up in the air in surrender.

As long as they're up in the air in obedience. The Israelites were winning. And finally they got a stone and they set him on it.

And then came Aaron on one side and Her on the other. And they began to uphold his weak arms. They began to buttress his failing strength.

They began to strengthen his shaking body. And they too did that in obedience. And when Moses stood alone, his hands got tired. And Israel was defeated. But when Aaron and Her stood with him in unity. Israel was victorious. We need the hands of Moses. We need the support of Aaron and Her. We need the valiance and the courage of Joshua and the foot soldiers. There is no winning without kneeling. There is no winning without standing together.

There is no winning without the flag. I want you to look at verse 15 please of Exodus 17. It says Moses built an altar. And gave it the name Yahweh-Nessi.

Jehovah-Nessi. God is my banner. As an adopted son of this great country. I have never been able to salute the flag of the United States of America.

Without having goosebumps all over my body. Why? Because as a person who had experienced first hand the tyranny of socialist dictatorships. That flag represents to me the cost that others have paid for the freedom that I enjoy. This flag represents to me those who have generously given their all. Even the life so that we can live in a free nation.

And that is why. And here Moses was lifting up another flag. A flag that represents greater freedom. A flag that says Yahweh is the one who gave us our freedom. A flag that says Yahweh is the one who gave us the strength. Yahweh is the one who guides our steps. Yahweh is the one who gave us our power. Yahweh is the one who gave us victory in the battle.

And they have never forgotten that. And I thought about this story that I have read a long long time ago. It took place October 20th 1968. It was in the Mexico City stadium during the Olympics. There were few thousand people left in the stadium. It was almost dark. And the last of the marathon runners were straggling across the finish line. And when it sort of they all felt it's all over. They heard the wailing siren of a police car. And all stood in their seat in their place. And their eyes looked at the gate. And there they saw this lone runner.

Who was dressed in the uniform of the country of Tanzania. Just coming at the end. When John Stephen Akwari struggled into the stadium. To have this last run around the stadium.

At the end of a 26 mile marathon. His legs were injured in a fall that he had experienced earlier. His legs were all bloodied.

They were crudely bandaged. And as he hobbled to the final finishing line. The crowd greeted him as if he was the number one winner. They greeted him with applause. And they greeted him with joy. And as soon as he got to that finish line. The press pushed the microphone in his face.

And one sports press said to him. Why did you not quit? Why did you not quit?

Here's what John Stephen said. He said, my country did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race. But to finish it.

They did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race but to finish it. And my precious beloved friends. When you and I stand under the flag of Yahweh Nessie. We will have the courage to believe. That God did not commission us to start the race. And quit half way. That God did not just ask us to begin the game of the Christian life. And then give it up. God did not just ask us to commence the spiritual battles.

And then lose heart. He called us to finish it and finish it strong. And when you and I are committed to finishing the race. We're going to hear the voice of Yahweh Nessie. Saying to every one of us, don't be afraid. When you fall, I will pick you up. When you fail and repent and turn to me, I'll forgive you. When you are weak, I will strengthen you. When you are afraid, I will be your courage.

When you stumble, I'll pick you up. When you are hurt, I'll heal you. When you are blindsided by others, I will lead you and guide you. When you face trials, I will be with you. And when you face problems in life, I will give you the solutions. And then when you face death, I'm going to carry you all the way home. Will you respond to the call of God?

Will you stand in the gap? Will you say, here I am, send me coach? Dr. Michael Yusef, with a plea to finish the race that's set before you. Thank you for making time for Leading the Way audio. And if you'd like to speak with someone about how to begin the race by beginning a relationship with Jesus, just fill out a short contact form at ltw.org slash jesus. Now, the race set before Dr. Yusef in Leading the Way is to reach as many lost people as possible with the gospel. Through your support, Leading the Way is proclaiming the truth, discipling Christians, and standing with believers around the world, guiding them into a deeper walk, some even in the face of extreme difficulty.

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