God Meetings
It is telling that the primary concept behind the Hebrew word for intercession (paga) is for two or more entities to meet or connect. The Hebrew language is a pictorial language. Rather than being a technical language like Greek, a Hebrew word paints a picture. Regarding paga, the picture is of two or more things coming together, thus, it is “a meeting.”
This meeting can be between individuals, but includes anything coming together: people, sections of land (a boundary or border), the horizon (earth meeting sky) and any number of other things. Though paga is occasionally translated intercession, it is clear from the definition that it may have nothing whatsoever to do with prayer. It is also translated as meet, encounter, light or land upon, attack, fall upon (in battle), lay upon (a burden or load), strike (lightning), reaches to (a boundary), and more.
Do you find it fascinating that the word for intercession in scripture pictures a meeting? I do. I find it very telling that God chose a word for prayer that, at its most basic concept, means to meet with Him. Not just petition Him, which we must do. Not first and foremost to represent Him, though we absolutely do this, as well. Not attack the enemy and his plans, though we are also called to involve ourselves in spiritual warfare. Nope. God says, “I want you to know that intercession is connecting with Me.” Prayer meetings are aptly named.
On my journey of discovering what prayer and intercession are all about, the biggest breakthrough came when I realized it was first to be a time of connecting with God, communing with Him. A relationship first, a responsibility second. A friendship, not a job. God’s motive for creating us was to produce a family and friends, not workers. If more servants had been His motivation, He would have made more angels. Early in my prayer journey, I realized Abba was telling me, “Let’s visit, hang out. In the process, you can let Me know what you need/want; I’ll do the same. We’ll walk together, and work together. Co-laborers. You’ll work with Me, not for Me.”
As we connect with God, meeting with Him creates other meetings. Connecting with God creates God-connections. While communing with Him, we then ask Him to meet with a friend, connect with a loved one, visit a nation or encounter our enemy. Meetings. As you pray for America, commune/dialogue with God about our nation; allow Him to share His heart with you. When You agree in prayer with me regarding Ukraine, ask Holy Spirit to share with you what He may need you to add to the prayers. Yes, Give Him 15 along with myself and others - the prayer of agreement is powerful and important - but don’t stop with 15. Give your Father and Friend time throughout the day. Walk with Him. Talk with Him. Think with Him. He wants you to know Him.
At the end of his life, Paul, the apostle who wrote more of scripture than any other person, said he was endeavoring to “know” God (Philippians 3:10). One would think that if anyone knew Him, Paul definitely did. However, the Greek word he used in this verse (ginosko) has a threefold meeting, which explains fully what Paul was saying:
Ginosko is a relational knowledge. It is not a generic knowledge, as in knowing about a place or person.This word suggests there is an intimate relationship with the object known. It is actually used of a man “knowing” a woman sexually. Paul was saying, “Even after all these years and all of this revelation, I want an even more intimate relationship with God.”
Ginosko is a progressive knowledge. It does not start as a complete knowledge but grows as the relationship or learning progresses. Paul was stating, “Even though I know God, I want to know Him more.”
Ginosko is an impactful knowledge. This type of knowing changes the knower; it impacts, affects, transforms. Paul realized that although he had been conformed to the image of Christ, he could become even more like Him.
Get to know your Abba. If you will draw near to God, He will draw near to you (James 4:8). If you desire to meet with Him, He WILL meet with you. And through the connection, He will meet with other people and situations. He will.
Let’s do it now.
Pray with me:
Father, it is a great pleasure to be with and commune with You. Thank You for wanting to be with us. We are thrilled that You wanted more sons and daughters. Thank You for wanting friendship with us. We meet with You now to satisfy Your longing, and ours. We love to be with You and we want to know You more. Unveil Yourself to us more and more; show us Your heart and ways.
Reveal to us just how profound our partnership with You can be. Help us to understand that You want to meet/connect with people through us; that You want to invade situations through us; that You want to partner with us to change the world.
Even now, we ask You to meet with those who don’t know You. [You may want to pause the video or pause in your reading and call out the name/s of family members or friends.] We ask You to encounter them. Cause Your Holy Spirit to hover around them with His holy presence until they are saturated with You. Create hunger in them. Remove the veil from their eyes so they can see You clearly.
And Father, we pray regarding the Dobbs abortion case. Meet with the Supreme Court Justices, causing them to align their hearts and minds with Yours. Save those who do not know You. Break deception and darkness off of them. Encounter them, just as You did Saul when You transformed him into Paul. And reverse Roe versus Wade.
We pray these things in Christ’s name, Amen.
Our decree:
We decree that our meetings with God are creating many meetings between Him and others.
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