Stand in the Gap
Ezekiel 22:30
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”
Standing in the gap is committed intercession, committed prayer. “I sought for a man who would…stand…before Me on behalf of…” Envision with me a wall being repaired that has been damaged by an enemy. One person has to do the work of the repair while another person stands on guard, watching on the look out for the enemy. It’s enough that the wall was damaged, now it has to be repaired no matter how long and what effort has to be made. How is someone expected to do the repair, and still be on guard, standing watch against the enemy and any more attack that may come? Another person is needed to stand in the gap, or plug up that breach against the enemy throughout the building process. A “gap” was a break in the protective thorny hedge or wall of stones that surrounded a vineyard and invited trouble. To bar intruders, someone had to stand guard until the gap could be repaired. Therefore, the Word employs this figure of speech to describe God’s search for an intercessor among Judah’s priest, prophets, and princes or people—for those who would stand in the gap, linking God’s mercy with man’s need. In the day we are living in, the protective hedge about families, churches, and nations is often in a state of terrible disrepair. God is still searching and looking for intercessors to stand “in the gap” and by prayer to help repair the breaches. When a family is under attack, the parents must expend a lot of their energy on processing and working through the challenges to resolutions. How wonderful it would be if there were close intercessors that would stand in the gap where, say, a parent has to spend extra time and effort to repair the breach, the gap the enemy has done against their family. Wouldn’t it be powerful to see how an intercessor(s) stepped up and began warfare prayer for them, standing guard and binding the attacks of the enemy and believing the Lord for the wisdom and way the Lord has for their family challenge to be resolved. This same concept and principle stand the same for marriages, sickness, finances, etc. It even stands for one nation of believers standing in the gap for other nations that may be under attack of the enemy who are focusing on the internal issues and challenges, that the believers in other nations take their place of intercession filling in the gap and breach the attacking nation has caused. The sad epithet of our verse said that when God looked for that intercessor, He could not find one! How sad is that! Oh, may we be found faithful to be one who will stand and fill in the gap, the breach created by attacks of the enemy for others. Help us Lord to do our part!
What about you? Are you willing to stand in the gap for someone else besides yourself and your own problems? We need each other. We need the prayer covering and intercession that we can afford to help others in times of need. Be one of those who will willingly fight for God’s answers and hinder the enemy from further attack and believe for total repair of the wall around our brothers and sisters. Blessings on your day.
