I don’t think I have ever felt a burden for the lost like I do right now!! My heart feels so heavy to think that there are people out there that have never accepted Jesus Christ in their hearts. There are people who will not spend eternity in heaven, but in hell. I don’t want to ever pass up an opportunity to help someone learn the truth and the love of Jesus Christ. Do you know that God expects us to stand in the gap for lost family, friends, nations, and etc.? The definition for standing in the gap is to expose oneself for the protection of something; to take the place of a fallen defender or supporter.

Ezekiel 22:30 says,” I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” In biblical times walls were built around the cities to protect them from enemies. When there was a breach in the wall, defenders would go to it and stand and protect it until it could be repaired, but in this case there was no one and it was destroyed. Verse 31… “ So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”How sad that God was searching and could not find one person to stand in the gap.

There are however several other instances in the bible where people did obey God by standing the gap. Psalm 106:23 says, “Therefore He said He would destroy them … had not Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach (gap) before Him, to turn away His wrath from destroying them.” In Acts 7:60 as Stephen is being stoned, accused of blasphemy, he cries out with a loud voice, “Lord do not charge them with this sin” and when he had said this he fell asleep.” In Romans 10:1 Paul prays for Israel’s salvation,”Brethren my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” One last example and the most important is Jesus Christ as He stood in the gap for us and all of our sins on the cross. Luke 23:34 Jesus said,”Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

I know times are different, but as I said before, God still expects us to stand in the gap. Our time on earth is running out! We don’t want to leave anyone behind. So what can we do? Most importantly we can start with praying for the lost. We can pray specific prayers for our family members,friends, people in our workplaces, and communities. We can also pray in a larger spectrum for people all over the world. Pray for the missionaries who are trying to reach them. Pray, pray, pray!!! God listens to our prayer and He desires for all to come to repentance and be saved, but He is a holy sovereign God and nothing can change that. It does require accepting Jesus Christ as God’s Son and believing He died on the cross to save us from our sins. We have to be ready to talk about the gospel to anyone we meet. We are servants of a true living God who expects us to spread His word. We should be shouting it wherever we go. Now, we will come across those who absolutely refuse to hear it. God just wants us to plant the seed and the Holy Spirit will do the rest. As we continue to pray for them He will work on their hearts and minds God uses us to open that door and then it is totally up to Him. Our goal is to love the lost just as much as our fellow christians. Love is the most important attribute that a christian can have.

God has placed us on earth for such a time as this and it is time we stand in the gap. He is giving us time,to pray, to seek His Will, and to be the servants He wants us to be, but time will run out for each and every person on this earth.God does not want to see anyone go to hell. Let’s do all we can to fill up our eternal home. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”