PROPHETIC INTERCESSORY PRAYER 20.10.2016 PRAYER TO REVOKE THE PLAGUE OF LEPROSY

3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT LEPROSY

1st information: According to the law a leper was unclean and condemned to dwell outside the village because leprosy was dangerously contagious.

Leviticus 13:46 states, “He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” 

Read Leviticus 13:45-46; Numbers 5:2-3; Numbers 15; 2 Kings 7:3

2nd information: The people had the idea that sickness came as a result of the sin of pride and rebellion. And leprosy, of all things, so horrific, was viewed as a divine judgment.

Biblical cases of notorious lepers

- Mary the sister of Moses was punished with leper for criticizing her leader (Numbers 12:14)

- Uzaiah was a leper by divine punishment for confronting the authority and the leadership of the high priest Azariah (2 Chronicles 26:20-21)

- Gehazi was a leper by divine punishment for cheating on his leader (2 Kings 5 : 27)

3rd information: Leprosy is caused by a bacterium that attacks the nerves and the skin. It anesthetizes the body and the limbs so that feeling is lost.

LESSON: When the heart is affected with leprosy man becomes heartless, feelingless, insensitive, hardhearted, incapable of being moved to pity or tenderness; unfeeling, cold, hard, callous, unsympathetic, uncaring, unloving, unconcerned, indifferent, unmoved, unkind, uncharitable, unemotional, cold-hearted, cold-blooded, mean-spirited, stony-hearted, having a heart of stone, as hard as nails, cruel

Leprosy in Scriptures is a plague and a curse mostly rooted in rebellion in the heart. What is rebellion? 

"Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, [so] ye shall observe to do." ◄Deuteronomy 24:8►

From scriptures, we learn that rebellion is a sin compared with witchcraft. As a matter of fact, it is a sin specifically manifested by pride, stubbornness, idolatry, rejection of the Word of the Lord, refusal to submit to the authority,  tendency to oppose divine instructions, ungratefulness ...

"Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord , he hath also rejected thee from being king". ◄1 Samuel 15:23►

We discover in Scriptures 3 instances confirming the relationship between leprosy and rebellion.

I.             God cursed Miriam with leprosy for speaking against Moses

“Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman). So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous.” ◄Numbers 12:1, 9-15► 

II.           GOD CURSED GEHAZI WITH LEPROSY BECAUSE OF GREED AND DISLOYALTY TO HIS MASTER

After Naaman was healed, Elisha refused to get anything from him. Instead of keeping the likeness of spirit with his master, Gehazi the servant of Elisha went after Naaman, lied in the name of the prophet and got money from him. As a matter of fact, he was cursed with the  leprosy  Naaman was healed from. 

“The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And HE WENT OUT FROM HIS PRESENCE A LEPER as white as snow.” ◄2 Kings 5:27►

III.          GOD CURSED UZZIAH WITH LEPROSY BECAUSE OF HIS PRIDE AND HIS OPPOSITION AGAINST THE PRIESTS

The king Uzziah trespassed the limit of his kingship office by stepping into the priesthood office violating therefore the divine ordinance of the temple. Azariah the  priest  withstood him and compelled him to step out but he resisted. While he was wroth with the priests, he became immediately leprous.

 “Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and WHILE HE WAS WROTH WITH THE PRIESTS, THE LEPROSY EVEN ROSE UP IN HIS FOREHEAD before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.” ◄2 Chronicles 26:16-20►

LET US PRAY TO REPENT BEFORE THE LORD FOR ANY INSTANCE OF REBELLION AND REVOKE THE PLAGUE OF LEPROSY :

1) Ask God to forgive and have mercy over you anytime you have criticized your spiritual authorities

2) Ask God to forgive and have mercy over you because of your pride

3)   Ask God to forgive and have mercy over you because of your greed

4) Ask God to forgive and have mercy over you because of your stubbornness which causes you to oppose your spiritual authorities