Scripture

“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap on the wall so that I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.”

Observation

The Lord asks Ezekiel if he is ready to speak judgment against Jerusalem. It is a city of murderers and adulterers. Every leader who lives within its walls is bent on murder. Now the Lord will scatter the people among the nations.

The people of Israel are like the worthless slag that remains when silver is smelted. The Lord is going to pour out the fire of his wrath on them.

The leaders of Israel disregard the Sabbath. They do not teach the people what is clean and what is unclean. The prophets cover over the leaders’ sins instead of exposing them.

The Lord looked for someone to stand in the gap in the wall of righteousness but he could find no one. So he will pour out the full force of his fury on them,

Application

Just one person who was willing to stand in the gap and intercede for Israel would have saved them. Moses pleaded with the Lord not to destroy the people, and He relented. Abraham bargained with the Lord to save Sodom and Gomorrah if just 10 righteous people were there.

The Lord is looking for faithful intercessors who will change the course of a nation, a city, a state. If you ever receive that call from the Lord – an urge, a thought, a feeling that you need to pray – then obey it. You might be the person who God uses to change the destiny of many people.

Reese Howell was a Welsh man who was called by the Lord to a unique ministry of intercession. During the Second World War the battle of Britain was a turning point. Howell was credited by many as winning the victory for the RAF by virtue of his prayer ministry. Witnesses described planes flying after their pilots were dead and angels in the cockpit of other planes.

One man or woman who stands in the gap changes everything.

Listen

Lord, what would you say about the calling to stand in the gap.

Keith, I am constantly looking for those who will pray or act on my behalf to establish righteousness in their land. Many people miss the cue to pray urgently or to act on a vision or idea that I planted in their heart.

I have hundreds of people in Australia in every state right now committing their lives to serving me through intercessory prayer. Their faithfulness is holding back disasters over this nation.

Pray for those gap-standers and intercessors that their faith will not falter.