Standing in the gap intrigues me – it is an awesome revelation of God’s will for us to extend grace and help to others in times of need. The dictionary defines standing in the gap as “to expose one’s self for the protection of something; to make defense against any assailing danger; to take the place of a fallen defender or supporter”. Satan will try look for any vulnerability to prey on, so standing in a person’s gap by praying and interceding helps lift them up out of that vulnerability.
The most remarkable story on standing in the gap was from one of my favourite Christian authors. She had a patient in hospital who was suffering from excruciating back pain and increasing his medication dose would not have been wise due to the dose he was already on. Her compassion made her pray to God and asked if she could stand in the gap for him so that he could have some relief in his back. She forgot about the prayer. The following day, as she stood up from her chair, she pulled her back out. In her agony she asked the Lord, “Lord, what just happened to my back?” He responded, “You asked Me to allow you to stand in the gap for your patient. This is it.” And He showed her Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” In addition to prayer, God allowed her to take on some of the pain so that her patient would experience some relief and his healing could come quicker! She still stressed the importance of not accepting the illness but praying against it while standing in the gap. Intercede is from the Latin word ‘to come between.’ So as you intercede, you are standing between God and man and intervening by praying. Ezekiel 22:30 said that God actively looks throughout the earth for those who will stand in the gap. We are not to demand from God that you stand in the gap this way, but to ask if it is His will first.
Looking at Exodus 4:24-26, we see how the Lord was about to kill Moses. However, Zipporah interceded for Moses by circumcising their son and touching Moses’ feet with the blood saying, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” And the Lord let him go.
My daughter suffers from allergies. The wind just blows and she gets runny noses and coughs. As she is a TOFS child, they are prone to be chesty kids, so any allergy she gets runs the risk of turning into a respiratory chest infection, which then runs the risk of hospitalisation! This happens on a monthly basis. It is excruciatingly worrying to see so much medication passing through that tiny little body.
I have never suffered from allergies in my entire life.
In March I prayed and asked the Lord for mercy – to allow me stand in the gap for Jordan that I may take on some of her illness and allergy attacks to lessen the burden on her body and so that it would not develop into a chest infection, if it was His will. I left it in His hands.
I kid you not – since March I have developed strong allergies that have turned into chest infections twice! Jordan on the other hand, has only had a slight runny nose and small cough. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
During this time of affliction, I have prayed against the illnesses and taken authority over them in Jesus name, refusing to accept them in my body. I have also taken communion during this time for Jordan’s healing.
Does this not fit in with the dictionary definition above of to take the place of a fallen defender; exposing myself for the protection of something; defending her against danger?
For mercy triumphs over judgment, does it not? (James 2:13). Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us shows us clearly that He places the value of mercy over judgment.
Dear Reader, do you think this is something you will ask the Holy Spirit for direction on, to use for your family and friends?
kingintraining 