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KNOCKING ON CLOSED DOORS 3/26/08
TEACHING: What is Importunity?
The following scripture is importunity:
Luke 18:1-8 NLT
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to
illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show
them that they must never give up. 2 "There was a judge
in a certain city," he said, "who was a godless man with
great contempt for everyone. 3 A widow of that city came
to him repeatedly, appealing for justice against someone
who had harmed her. 4 The judge ignored her for a while,
but eventually she wore him out. 'I fear neither God nor
man,' he said to himself, 5'but this woman is driving me
crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because
she is wearing me out with her constant requests!' " 6
Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this evil
judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so
don't you think God will surely give justice to his
chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he
keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant
justice to them quickly! But when I, the Son of Man,
return, how many will I find who have faith?"
The past few years we were in a season of importunity,
which was incessant knocking. This was a 2 way
reciprocation where God was incessantly knocking upon
our doors, calling, wooing, challenging, desperate and
intense for us to wake up and become prepared for the
days ahead. He has been so insistent that in His
unfathomable love He bypassed our tolerances and
boundaries in order to wake us up and get our attention.
It was like shaking someone awake who has been in a long
slumber.
This incessant knocking has not been only one way, for
we too have been persistently knocking on His doors,
trying and testing His tolerance by our same repeated
prayers, the same desires, the same heart for Him to
answer us with His YES and NOW. We have been like Jacob,
wrestling with God to move Him past His boundaries and
bring us the blessing. We were saying, You have
something I want and you are not giving it to me! And
God was saying, You have something I want and you are
not giving it to Me either!
The word “intercessor” in the Old Testament means
to make intercession through impinging importunity.
IMPINGE SYNONYMS: Impose, invade, to fall
against; to strike; to dash against; to clash upon.
Trespass,
affect,
bear upon,
disturb,
encroach,
influence,
infringe,
intrude,
invade,
make inroads,
obtrude,
pry,
touch,
violate.
importunity
SYNONYMS: coaxing, dunning, insistence,
nagging, persistence, pestering, plaguing, plying,
pressing, urgency, urging.
Isa 59:16 KJV
And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that
there was no intercessor: {# 6293}
This Hebrew word is translated:
paga`
OT:6293 paga` (paw-gah'); a primitive root; to
impinge, by accident or violence, or (figuratively) by
importunity:
KJV - come (betwixt), cause to entreat, fall (upon),
make intercession, intercessor, intreat, lay, light
[upon], meet (together), pray, reach, run.
Sometimes the Lord asks His intercessors to be an
advocate and knock on doors on behalf of others. It can
be a very humbling and non glorious job. The Lord will
use the process to cleanse ones own soul through
difficult circumstances and mistakes made. However,
true to God’s amazing way to using weak instruments, He
will use it all as intercession through importunity. In
the places where one dies to self will in place of His
will, He would multiply all efforts of knocking on
closed doors, to advance His kingdom on earth.
WORD TO PONDER: KNOCKING ON CLOSED DOORS 3/26/08
Yes precious ones, knocking on doors is a difficult
job. You have walked through shame, and cast down your
pride, embracing humility. You have walked through
rejection and cast down ambition, embracing My passion.
You have walked through innocent trust and
disappointment in man‘s promises and cast down idolatry,
embracing Me as your Source. You have walked through
angry retorts and cast down fear of man, embracing
forgiveness. You have walked through intimidation and
cast down judgment, embracing holy boldness. You have
walked through misunderstanding and cast down self
defense, embracing your Just Judge. You have walked
through an advocacy as a fool without dignity. You
embraced considering yourself of no reputation. You
have walked through the crushings of hopelessness,
despair, loss of fellowship, abandonment, betrayal and
much more. You have cast down your body, soul and
spirit at My feet to embrace death to self over and over
again. In all that you have walked out, you chose to
lovingly forgive and be the sacrifice for My call to
knock until your job was done.
Even as you were willing to humble yourself to be used
as a vessel of dishonor, I will grant you honor where
honor is due. I know you did not seek honor, you sought
My will above all else and were obedient to the faith I
planted within you. Thank you beloved intercessors who
have walked the road of importunity.
You have moved the depths of this Papa’s heart, that
inspite of everything, you still choose to love above
all else. Through a multitude of knockings My door is
opened and you have yet to fully realize that impact
upon earth. Well done, beloved intercessors, enter in
to the joy of your Lord.
2 Tim 2:20 KJV
But in a great house there are not only vessels of
gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and
some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2 Sam 6:22 NKJV
And I will be even more undignified than this, and
will be humble in my own sight.
1 Cor 13:7 NKJV
Love bears all things, love believes all things, love
hopes all things, love endures all things. |
