Would you be willing to volunteer for whatever assignment the Lord has for you? Are you prepared to step up and obey? Will you say YES to the Lord, no matter the task?
In these challenging times, God is looking for people who will stand in the gap for Him. He needs you and me to work for Him and with Him in the fulfillment of His plans. This letter will be an encouragement for us to volunteer to stand in the gap.
A Prophetic Reminder
Dick’s comments: A few days ago, as I was checking some notes in my daily planner, I came upon a prophetic word the Lord had given me a while back. Somehow, I had totally lost track of it. But as I re-read the message, I realized how important it is.
Here is the essence of the word: “It is a time for you and many others to stand in the gap and to repair the breach. For, this is a time of division and polarity—a time of disunity in vision and purpose among My people. There are many gaps, many gaps.”
The passage of Scripture I had written beside the prophetic word was from Isaiah 59:16: “He [God] saw that there was no man [or woman], and wondered that there was no intercessor.” The same thought is expressed in God’s own words in Isaiah 63:5: “I looked, but there was no one to help, and I wondered that there was no one to uphold.” In both cases, it says that the Lord was astonished (not in a good way) at the situation.
The Lord shouldn’t be left wondering when He looks for us to stand in the gap.
Looking for Someone
Philip’s comments: When I reflect upon the prophecy Dick described, Nehemiah’s words from Neh. 4:19 come to my mind: “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall.” It does seem to be a period of unprecedented division in the world around us. The issue in Isaiah 59 was a lack of justice and truth. Isn’t it apparent that those two deficiencies are rampant in our modern times as well?
Usually, when the Lord asks us to step up to one of His assignments, our minds are filled with excuses. “I’m not qualified for this task. I’m not a biblical expert. I’m not a perfect Christian.” What we need to realize about the passages from Isaiah is that He is simply looking for someone. (It helps to realize that the term “man” used in Isaiah 59:16 means “person.” The Hebrew term here encompasses both male and female genders.)
What does that tell us about who the Lord is seeking? He is looking for you and me. We may not feel capable, but the Lord simply needs someone to plug the hole and fill the gap. It’s okay if we are unskilled labor. Can we pray? Can we cry out? Then we qualify!
Unexpected Assignments
Philip and Dick together: What kinds of tasks may the Lord ask us to perform? We simply don’t know until He asks us. He is certainly looking for intercessors—and that may apply to international situations, problems in our country’s government, or local situations as well. The Lord will let us know the assignment. We just stand in the gap.
Recently, we had a conversation with a woman who lives in the Washington, D.C. area, the capital of our nation. It would almost be a foregone conclusion that the Lord might call her primarily to intercede for the American government. (Like other nations of the world, America certainly stands in desperate need of our prayer and intercession.)
Interestingly, the Lord directed her instead to focus prayer on the neighborhood in which she lived. She obeyed, and eventually began to see some noticeable improvements in her community. At the start of her prayer journey, she resisted, wondering if she was the right one for the assignment. Even so, in obedience to the Lord, she stood in the gap.
Is there an assignment the Lord has given you? Maybe you don’t feel qualified to take it on. But all the Lord is asking is for you to step up and obey, standing in the gap.
The Holy Spirit Helps Us
Derek Prince addresses the inadequacy we all feel when God calls us to a task— especially intercessory prayer. In his radio series, he cites the elements of successful praying, one of which is being directed by the Holy Spirit. In “How to Pray and Get What You Pray For, Part 2,” Derek talks about dealing with the inbuilt weaknesses we face. His insight on Romans 8:26 is a great encouragement for us as we stand in the gap.
Paul says that we have a weakness. We all have a weakness. It’s not a physical sickness; it’s not even a mental sickness; it’s just part of our old, carnal nature. And the weakness is this: we don’t know how to pray as we should.
There are different versions of this verse. Some say we don’t know what to pray for; others say we don’t know how to pray. I believe both are true. We don’t know what to pray for; we don’t know how to pray. Sometimes we think we know what to pray for, but we still don’t know how to pray about it. At other times, we don’t know either what to pray for or how to pray. We’re at a loss.
God’s remedy for this is to send us the Holy Spirit to help us. He is the Comforter, the Helper, the One who comes to help us pray the kind of prayers that we need. Paul says that when the Holy Spirit comes, in a certain sense, He takes over for us. As we yield to Him, He does the praying that we need through us.
Paul’s language is very personal here. He says, “The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Again, in the next verse, “He [the Spirit] intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” In essence, the secret of successful praying is turning yourself over to the Holy Spirit, yielding intelligently but voluntarily to Him, and letting Him pray through you the kind of prayer that really needs to be prayed.
Responding to His Call
Let’s go back to the questions we asked at the beginning of this letter. Are we willing to take on the assignment God is giving us? Let’s give Him our response now.
Dear Lord, I present myself to you now as Your servant, whom You have called to be alive and active for just such a time as this. I don’t want You to have to wonder about my willingness to obey You. I offer myself freely as Your volunteer.
In presenting myself to You, I affirm that You have called me to make a difference in this world, be it great or small. My answer to Your calling on my life is an unwavering YES! Thank You for giving me the confidence I will need to obey.
Lord, I am willing to take my place on the wall and stand in the gap. I am willing to tackle any intercessory assignment You give me. Even though I may not feel fully capable, I am thankful that—with Your help—I can make a difference.
Lord, I am Yours completely. I offer myself now to stand in the gap. Amen.
We Are Here for You
Saying YES is a simple matter. The challenges come later in the process. We have just offered ourselves to the Lord in obedience—a life-changing step. From this point forward, we will face the demands that inevitably arise as we stand in the gap for Him.
All of us at Derek Prince Ministries want to support you and strengthen you in the commitment you have just made to the Lord. There may be times when you wonder whether you may have bitten off more than you can chew. We will be here for you in those times, with a wide array of Derek Prince materials to encourage you.
Probably a good starting point would be the full message from which we extracted Derek’s quote: “How to Pray and Get What You Pray For, Part. 2.” It is yours, free of charge, as our way of saying that we want to be of service to you in any way we can. (Just use the download link below.)
On that note, we send our deepest thanks for your prayers and your support.
The Reward for Obedience
What results can we expect as we volunteer to stand in the gap? The answer to that question should encourage you greatly. The promises we will cite also come from the book of Isaiah, from which we have already quoted extensively in this article.
Isaiah 58 is a demanding but inspiring chapter of the Bible. It describes what happens when we lay down our agenda to devote ourselves to the Lord’s plans. Here are some of the amazing promises for that obedience. Verses 8 and 9a: “Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer. You shall cry and He will say, ‘Here I am.’”
That’s not the end of it. There are additional promises, such as verse 11: “The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought…” making every one of us “like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
But the promise that best applies to our willingness to stand in the gap for the Lord is this one, in verse 12: “And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” That will be our name—if you and I step up to stand in the gap.
Sincerely in Christ,
Philip Wyns
President, DPM-USA
All the best,
Dick Leggatt
Executive Consultant/Senior Editor
