Give IT Up
November 19, 2017
"Give it up" is a phrase used in culture to initiate applause in celebration of a person or event. It is commonly used to welcome guests onto a stage in a show. It is also used to express appreciation or thanksgiving for a person or event.
We have just heard an amazing testimony of God's power to save Shannon & Vanessa's twin girls. We "gave it up" in celebration with them of God's grace & power.
I propose to you that Shannon & Vanessa gave "IT" up Before they saw the power of God save their baby girls!
When I say "IT", I mean "Intercession with Thanksgiving"!
1 Timothy 2:1
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people--
Philippians 4:6,7
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
There is a “Dynamic Duo” of power released when we couple together Prayer with Thanksgiving!
Prayer in this context is the act of appeal or petition to the Father for a specific outcome in a situation or provision for a need.
Thanksgiving is the response to the accomplishment of the desired outcome or provision received.
Giving thanks at the time of prayer is an act of faith acknowledging the answer is provided in the transaction of the prayer, not waiting for the future manifestation.
Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Intercession:
The activity of interceding. “To go between two parties. To act on behalf of another. To ‘fill a gap” in what is missing.”
To go between heaven & earth to obtain Heaven’s will for earth’s need!
Isaiah 59:16
He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.
No one can intercede alone. We can only intercede by entering His ministry of intercession.
Hebrews 7:24,25
but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
1793entygxánō (from 1722/en, "in," which intensifies 5177/tygxánō, "to obtain by hitting the mark") – properly, "light upon (meet with), obtain" (LS); "to go and meet a person to converse, consult," i.e. to intervene ("intersect with").
[J. Thayer documents how this meaning is consistently the same in ancient Greek writers.
The root of 5177 (tygxánō) means "to strike, hit the bulls-eye" ("spot on"). Accordingly, it is used in classical Greek as the antonym of harmartia ("to miss the mark, sin"), so Lucian, Xenophon, Homer, etc. (see Thayer, 5177/tygxánō).]
Jesus is in heaven,before the Throne, “hitting the mark”, qualifying us and our prayers to the Father!
(“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Cor. 1:20)
Romans 8
26In 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. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
The Spirit is with us “hitting the mark” on earth, praying through us the perfect will of God from heaven!
Thanksgiving:
Cognate: 2169euxaristía (from 2170/euxáristos, "thankful for God's grace") – properly, thankfulness (thanksgiving) – literally, "the giving of thanks for God's grace." (Good - Grace)
The “Eucharist”: celebration of communion where we remember the grace of God through Christ to qualify us and our prayers before God.
Because His Grace has provided all of the promises of God, I live in continual thanksgiving.