Many of you have probably heard the saying, “Think globally, act locally”. There is some dispute about the exact origins of the saying, but most seem to think it was first coined by David Ross Brower, a prominent environmentalist and founder of many environmental organisations. The saying, so folklore goes, was originally coined as a slogan for Friends of the Earth, but was later used by other prominent activists in the late seventies. According to Wikipedia, it was Canadian “futurist” Frank Feather (who chaired a conference called "Thinking Globally, Acting Locally" in 1979) who claimed the paternity of the expression. It doesn’t matter really. The phrase, “Think globally, act locally" urges people to consider the health of the entire planet and to take action in their own local communities and cities so that collectively, we all make a global difference.
I like the concept of “Think Globally, Act Locally” for a range of reasons. I think it is a great philosophy that encourages individuals and community groups to get involved and become part of a global effort rather than become dejected because we tend to think “my little effort won’t make much difference in my little back yard”. I get that. But it isn’t true – not biblically, anyway. It can be daunting to look at the sheer size of some of the world’s problems and issues, and be tempted to think, “What’s the point of even trying – I’m just one person?” It can feel like that, yes. But if we all default to that position because the problems are always so big, then nothing can ever be achieved.
William Wilberforce was a British parliamentarian – an independent, no less - in the 1700s who had a major conversion experience where his whole life changed. He found a small group of activists in 1787 – a very small group of Christians - who were anti-slavery. They began to pray and act locally and, well, the rest is history. The persistence of that little group with Wilberforce leading grew into an influential movement that eventually led to the abolition of slavery (which was a very, very widespread iniquitous crime against humanity around the world, considered normal in the day!). The point is, a small group of believers acted locally and slavery was not only abolished in Britain and its colonies, but in North America and Eastern Europe as well. I wonder, if Wilberforce had not acted locally, how long slavery would have continued globally? He faced a massive social and economic issue in his day, and by God’s grace and favour he and his little group prevailed.
Which brings me to my point this week. I have a hunch that many believers are so daunted by the sheer size of our state and national problems that they become so discouraged as to not even try to persevere in intercession. Unless you have the gift of intercession, if can be hard to persevere with it, because the task seems so big and our intercession efforts can seem so small as to be almost insignificant. But that’s just what the enemy wants us to think so that we don’t even try. I believe that this is one reason Jesus said …
Matthew 18:20 (NIV) “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Now, “two or three” sounds incredibly local to me! But with Jesus present, suddenly local goes global – and beyond. That is a stunning thought, don’t you think? I believe Jesus is saying to us here, “Think heavenly realm, pray locally, and I am in it with you!” – He is right there when we gather to pray locally. He is saying that our local prayers and intercession does have influence, and He ensures that is so. The apostle Paul told a bunch of other local believers a similar thing:
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
“For our struggle (locally) is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Now, principalities and powers in the heavenly realms is way past global. Yet, Paul urges us to pray locally and against these spiritual forces. Neither Jesus nor the apostle were just giving us a pep talk. They knew the power of intercession – even by just two of three believers– and they encouraged it.
We are, as a church right now, in this season of harvest. Right now we are still at the beginnings of it all – and we are running into opposition in several areas. The danger here is that we get discouraged into thinking, “my little intercession is of little consequence”. It isn’t! It IS NOT. Where two or three are gathered …
I am calling the whole church to intercession like never before, because we need to bring in the harvest and we need to get rid of any opposition trying to hinder us. And we can do this, if we are prepared to pray the price. We need to be thinking heavenly realm, and praying locally. Many different kinds of prayer movements around the world are springing up, and whilst we cannot effectively be part of all of them, we can be actively contributing to the global prayer effort – right from our own backyard. A new intercession push will commence this coming Sunday at 9:00 am and press through to the start of worship – and this will be ongoing, not a flash in the pan thing. We need to be doing this. Once we get some momentum going, new intercession initiatives will come on line with a new weekly Intercession Bulletin shared across the whole church. More on this really soon.
Intercession is not widely accepted as a spiritual gift and many churches therefore tend not to recognise it when it comes. But I am of the view that it is a spiritual gift (there’s heaps of evidence in the New Testament). However, this doesn’t mean only those with the gift intercede – we are all called to intercede.
Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) “And pray in [the] spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
The word here for pray/praying is “proseuchēs” and is the standard word for pray/praying in the New Testament for believers. But in Romans 8 for example a different word is used:
Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”
The word for “intercede” here is “hyperentugchanei” (‘uperentugcanei) which means, “to approach with a complaint or concern, or petition, with the determined intent of achieving an outcome, to achieve, or secure something.” This word comprises two other words, “huper” (‘uper) from which we get the English word “hyper” which means “to a much higher degree”; and “entugchanō” (entugcanw) which means “to throw one’s spiritual weight behind a righteous cause, to plead the case of another, make representation for another, to specifically address a concern.” Think spiritual battering ram! So, from the meaning of this compound word, (‘uperentugcanei), we get “intercede” in English – which is a very particular way of praying. It’s “hyper-praying” – because we are determined to achieve breakthrough. OK, so there is prayer, and then there is intercession. Intercession is not normal praying, but a hyper-prayer effort that God uses to achieve supernatural breakthrough in the heavenlies through the Church (the Bride!) that quickly show results on the ground.
When a church seriously intercedes there are serious results! The enemy’s work is undone big time. Thinking heavenly realm, praying locally. Let’s get started with hyper-praying this coming Sunday at 9:00 am.
Think on these things – start interceding!
Ps Milton