THE PLACE OF REPENTANCE IN INTERCESSION

INTRODUCTION

The Word Repentance

What is it

THE MEANING OF THE WORD

In the Hebrew of the Old Covenant two words are used in the concept of repentance, they are

1. NACHAM - to lament, to grieve. This word is describing the emotions that are
aroused when motivated to take a different course of action.
2. SHUV - This word expresses a radical change of mind toward sin and implies a
conscious moral separation from sin and a decision to forsake it and agree with God.

In the Greek of the New Covenant, there are also two words used which parallel the Hebrew
usage.

1. METAMELOMAI - to have feeling or care, concern or regret which is akin to

remorse.
2. METANOEO - to have another mind, which describes that radical change whereby a
sinner turns from the idols of sin and of self to God.

Repentance is the informing and changing of the MIND stirring and directing the
EMOTIONS to urge the required change, and the action of the yielded WILL in turning away
from sin and to God.

In the New Testament, the key term for repentance is metanoia [metavnoia]. It has two usual
senses: a "change of mind" and "regret/remorse."

We STOP and think, we ask our self where we are, are going in the right way? Are you sure
what you are doing? Do you have some guilt feelings?

Make 180 degrees turn to the opposite direction. Confess and repent and turn to doing the
right thing or going to the right direction.

Repentance was an important call or theme in the OT and NT. GOD called his people to
confess and repent their sins and their father’s sins as we will see later. Repentance brings
forgiveness, healing or restoration to individuals and to nation.

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My
face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin
and heal their land. 2 Ch 7:14

This is the most quoted verse about praying or repenting the sins of the nation. God
gave this promise to a people who had a covenant with Him. People who knew Him. We
can use this verse too because we have our covenant with Yeshua. We have been
included in the commonwealth of Israel. (Eph 2:12)

In this verse, God is requiring us to do 4 things and He will do three things.

1. Humble themselves
2. Pray
3. Seek my face
4. And turn from their wicked ways

God will

1. Hear from heaven

2. Will forgive
3. Heal their land.

We often want God to do his part without us doing our part, intercession, confessing and
repentance become hard, dry and unfruitful. We are discouraged, and we may stop
interceding for people and situations

Repentance is the first alphabet in the kingdom of God.

 John the Baptist began his ministry by proclaiming, ‘repent for the kingdom of
God is at hand. Mt 3:2
 Jesus began his ministry by calling people to repent for the kingdom of God is
near. (Mt 4:17) To enter the kingdom of God, one must repent.

Revelation chapters 2, 3 Jesus calls the Church to repent.

1. Repent and do what you did at first. (Rev 2:4-5)
2. To repent of Balaam’s teaching, eating food sacrificed to idols, sexual immorality,
and Nicolaitan’s teaching. (Rev. 2:14-16)
3. To repent of tolerating Jezebel, the so-called prophetess, who leads God’s people
to idolatry and sexual immorality? (Rev 2:20-22)
4. To repent of slumber, disobedience, and bad reputation. (3:1-3)
5. To repent of lukewarm state Rev 3:19-20
6. Note that Godly sorrow brings repentance. 2 Co 7:9-11

Repentance is a change of mind leading to a change of action.

1. It involves sincere turning from sin to serve God
2. Includes godly sorrow and confession of sin.
3. Restitution which ends in restoration
4. I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against
heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me
like one of your hired servants.” ’ (Luke 15:18-19)
 5. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9)
Scriptures stress the necessity of repentance from sin if individuals and communities are to
have full fellowship with God. Repentance touches the heart of God and he relents from
sending judgement to people.

There Are Three Types of Repentance. Could be more but here we look at the three
namely:

 Individual repentance
 Corporate Repentance
 Identification repentance which our topic today.

i) Individual Repentance is very important because of these reasons.

 Repentance is important because we are separated with God because of our
sins. (Isa 59:1-3ff).
 A repentance - a turning away from sin and to God is necessary, because
Yahweh's law says "the soul that sins, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18: 4,20)
 Adam broke the law Genesis 2:16-17)
Death in all its aspects is now upon Adam's race - Romans 5:12 As by one man
sin entered in, death passed unto all men.
 14-21 Death reigned and through that state of spiritual death sin reigned, until
Grace to repent was extended through the Messiah. (Roman 14-21)
 The wages/penalty of sin is spiritual and eternal (as well as ultimate physical
death). (Romans 6:23, 2: 6-12)

God Commands that men ought to repent.

1. God commands it "God now commands all men everywhere to repent" Acts 17:30
He said that He has 'winked' at our previous ignorance - He has turned a blind eye to
it, but now there is no excuse.
2. Yeshua said, "Except you repent you shall all likewise perish " (Luke 13:3). There is
no qualification - it means ALL. It is the God- appointed way of salvation - "for
godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation" 2 Corinthians 7:10. No repentance
no salvation.
3. "You shall call his name Y'shua for he shall save his people from their sins" Matthew
1:21
4. He Himself said, "I am come to seek and to save that which was lost" Luke 19:10 "I
am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance"
5. John the Baptist preached the same message Matthew 3: 2 & Isaiah 40: 3
6. Luke 5:32 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" Matthew 4:17
7. The commission of His people It was the original commission of the descendants of
Abraham which is now conferred also upon all believers in the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob.
8. Speaking to Israel, "And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation"
on the condition that they kept His covenant and obeyed His laws (Exodus 19: 5).
9. "This gospel of the kingdom (i.e. repentance and remission of sins) should be
preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, " Matthew 24:14
 10. That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all
nations" Luke 24:47
11. "Repent and be baptised" - the execution of the commission by the apostles Acts
2:38

We are called to “Turn from what to what?”

1. "to turn from evil, and to turn to the good."

2. We turn away from our father’s iniquity.
3. Three times Ezekiel included God's call to the people of Israel: "Repent! Turn from
your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!" (Eze 14:6 );
4. "Repent! Turn away from all your offenses" ( 18:30 );
5. "Turn! Turn from your evil ways" (Eze 33:11). Such a call was characteristic of the
prophets (see, e.g., Isa 45:22 ; 55:7 ; Joel 2:12-13 ). (to turn about, or to turn away
from).
6. "Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek
justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of
the widow." (Isaiah 1:16-17)
7. Repentance is what Jeremiah speaks about in Jer. 6:16 going back to the
crossroads to ask of ancient way.

Confession And Repentance Of Sins Not Only Commanded And It Is Frequently

Mentioned In The Bible.

David is a good example in many areas even in confessing and repenting.

1. For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin. (Psalms 38:18) 

2. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will
confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Selah (Psalms 32:5)
3. Ps. 25 and 51. When one is guilty of various sins, "he must confess in what way he
has sinned" in order to receive atonement and forgiveness
4. If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear (Psalms 66:18)
5. This can be individual, corporate or identification repentance (Lev 5:5 ; 26:40-42 ).
6. Thus, confession belongs to repentance, and is needed for divine forgiveness (cf. 1
John 1:9 ).
7. Promise is given in the Book of Isaiah: "The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those
in Jacob who repent of their sins" ( 59:20 ).
8. 2 Peter 3:9, describing the Lord's patience in waiting for all who will repent.

Example of Men who Humbled Themselves and Repented.

Repenting is humbling oneself.” A broken spirit and a contrite heart, O God you will not
despise. Ps 51:17. Have a look at these men who humbled themselves.
1. King Ahab humbled himself after God judged him. God noted and acted. 1 Ki
21:27-29.
2. King Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah humbled themselves before God, and
they were delivered from Shishak king of Egypt. God is just, was their response. 2
Ch 12:6-8.
 3. When King Manasseh, humbled himself in Babylon, God heard him and brought
him back to Jerusalem 2 Ch 33:12-13.
4. King David repented after taking the census 1 Ch 21:8.
5. After David committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed her husband Uriah, he
repented and God heard Ps 51:1-17.
6. There was reformation in the land, when king Josiah and the people repented. 2 Ki
23:1-25
7. Job repented at the end of his suffering. Job 42:6
8. The prodigal son when he returned home Lk 15:21
9. The tax collector in the temple. Lk 18:13-14
Do you have a cause to confess and repent? Once again take a look at the above men
and list why they humbled themselves and make your own list of what to confess and to
repent.

ii) Corporate Repentance:

Just as there is individual prayer, there is corporate prayer. Just as there is individual
confession and repentance there is corporate confession and repentance too. Confession and
repentance go together with prayers. Here are examples of corporate confession and
repentance.
 Nu 21:7-9. “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you, pray that
the Lord will take the snakes away from us”. Moses prayed for the people
 Jdg 10:15-16 Israelites said to the Lord “we have sinned, do with us whatever
you think best, but rescue us.
 1 Sa 7:2-6 When the ark was in Kiriath-Jearim, the Israelites confessed and said,
“we have sinned against the Lord
Corporate repentance was led by leaders
1. King Josiah led Judah to repent before the God of their Fathers. 2Ki 23:1-
7
2. Joshua led the Israelites in repentance after Achan’s sin. Jos 7:6
3. Asa leads Judah in repentance. 2Ch15: 4-15
4. Hezekiah leads Judah and Israel in repentance. 2Ch 30:6-9
5. Ezra led those who returned from exile. Ezra 10:10-12
6. The king of Nineveh led the people in repentance. Jonah 3:6-8.
7. Nehemiah led people in Scripture reading for 6 hours, and confession for 6
hours. Ne 9:1-38.
Believers who are in leadership in the church, community or in their governments can pray
and ask God how to speak to their seniors about corporate repentance for their
church/denominations or nations.
iii) Identification Repentance:
Definition of Identity: Merriam Webster Dictionary says, that Identification is,
i. Distinguishing character or personality of an individual: individuality
ii. The condition of being the same with something with something described or
asserted established the identity of stolen goods.
There are different identities such as race/ethnicity, gender, nationality, denomination
Jew or Gentile, social status and religion or religious beliefs. There many identities. But
our identity is with God, through His son Jesus.
1. When we pray identification prayers many times it is because we identify with one of
these identities or any other. Mostly is our family, church or congregation we
belong to.
2. Synagogue, a community we live in.
3. Depending of what level of authority in intercession you are in, you may identify with
your city or your nation.
4. God may call you specifically to intercede or “to stand in the gap” (Eze 22:30) or you
have grown in intercession then you are burdened with what you identify with.
5. We say the identification Repentance is taking the sins of others and confessing them
as if they were your own. Read these Scriptures and note these men.
6. Identification is standing in the gap that 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,
Let us remember that an intercessor has to stand between God and those you are interceding
for. This what standing in the gaps means.
Language changes from I, me, my/mine to our, us and we since you are part of what you
confessing on their behave.
Have you been interceding did you hear something you had not hear before or you
know everything? Take a pen and paper and writing touched and what you want to do
from.

CONFESSING THE SINS/INIQUITY OF OUR FATHERS

Iniquity in Hebrew means crooked or twisted we it is sin. There are sins from previous
generation that were not repented. Sins that follow us makes to crooked and twisted. We are a
people that is corrupt, crooked and twisted.

Bible Example men who prayed identification repentance

1. ‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their
unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked
contrary to Me, and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them
into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they
accept their guilt— then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant
 with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the
land. (Leviticus 26:40-42) this prophetic word from God to them.)
2. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and
awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and
with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity,
we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and
Your judgments. Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in
Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.
O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to
the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and
those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the
unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. (Daniel 9:4-7)
3. “please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of
Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel
Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned
against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned”. (Nehemiah 1:6)

4. We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness And the iniquity of our fathers, For we
have sinned against You. (Jeremiah 14:20)

5. I will return again to My place Till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will
seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” (Hosea 5:15)
 
6. Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding
Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’
says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against the Lord your God, And have scattered your
charms To alien deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’
says the Lord. “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; “for I am married to
you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to
Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with
knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3:12-15)

7. Mt 3:13. Jesus did this for us by being baptised by John the Baptist and He died on
our behalf. The greatest and most wonderful identification repentance happened on
the cross and we are forever grateful.

Spiritual research must be done since in intercession we don’t only listen to the Lord but we
pray with information. The information most is in history which can be found in public
library. Or in books. One may need to go and look for the information. Without this research
our intercession will be very limited. After the research is done, then action follows and you
begin to confess and to repent.

In Spiritual Mapping or research, we look at the History of the family, church, city or nation.
Whatever you are interceding for even if it is an individual, it good to know the history. The
foundation in which someone was born and brought up.

1. Idolatry
2. Sexual immorality
 3. Bloodshed
4. Broken covenants or agreements
5. Oppression
6. Curses in family. city or nation
7. Reception of the gospel when it was first preached in a city or nation. We want to
know the gospel was welcomed well or it was resisted. Some missionaries were killed
in the process of preaching the gospel.
8. And today we want to research on how Jews people were treated in the nations,
because we need to confess and repent of this sin.
9. We must repent of Replacement theology, supperssessionism as well as antisemitism
against the Jews people.

There many others and for further study on Spiritual Mapping see the end notes.

Answer these questions, they will help you to move forward in intercession.

 Have you done Spiritual Mapping or research in your life, family, church, city,
nation?
 Write down the people you intercede for and ask God to show how to intercede for
them.
 Think through today’s message and see whether there is some way you can add to
your intercession.
 What was your take home in today’s teaching?
 Repentance and identification repentance?

Repentance may not remove the consequences of sin.

 Nu 14:39-45 The Israelites repentance could not prevent the wandering in the
desert that resulted from their refusal to enter the Promised Land.
 1Sa 15:24-26 King Saul’s repentance was too late for him to escape God’s
judgment on his kingdom.
 2Sa 12:13-14 David’s repentance could not save the child of his adulterous
relationship with Bathsheba.
 Hebrew 12:16-17 Esau’s repentance could not bring back the birth- right he had
sold to Jacob.
How can we escape judgment if we refuse to return to God?
The call to repent
 Lk 5:32 sinners are called to repent.
 Jer. 25:4-5 turn from your evil ways.
 Eze 33:7-9 Ezekiel, God’s watchman, called the people to turn to God.
 Mk 1:4, Lk 3:3 call to repentance for the forgiveness of sin.
 Joel 2:15-17 is a call for the whole nation to repent.

Consequence of refusing to repent

 Jer. 35:15 there was a hardness of heart. The people of God could not repent even when
God sent his prophets to them. Jer. 5:3, 7:25-26; 2 Ki 17:13-17.
 Mt 11:20-24 Jesus denounced the cities that refused to repent during his ministry. Mt
21:28-32f.
Conclusion
Confession and repentance come first. Find out if there is someone to be forgiven or to be
asked for forgiveness. Find out if there is something to be resituated or repaid. Note the three
R words. The application of these words opens the door for grace. It puts us right with God.
1. Repentance opens a door to the throne room of God where we can negotiate with
God and do battle with the devil.
2. Restitution is making right the wrong that was done, for example, returning stolen
goods etc.
3. Restoration: God restores us to our right state or to a better state. Sometimes there
may be things that need to be destroyed before restoration takes place. If so, do a
thorough job of destroying whatever.
Confession and repentance should be frequent in our prayers always – may the Lord help
us give and give us a heart that will be quick to confess and repent.

SUMMARY
 Repentance therefore is God’s second chance.
 It prepares the way for God’s kingdom.
 It opens doors of grace for people.
 True repentance gives no excuse; it is like standing naked before God.
 Touches the heart of God and makes him change his mind therefore, it must be
sincere.
 Gives us sovereign authority to operate in the spiritual realm.
 It is a platform for us to negotiate with God and to do spiritual warfare.
 Displaces Satan, he loses his legal rights.
 Connects us with the Holy Spirit who leads us in spiritual warfare.
 Enables us to deal with strongholds.

We need to bring quality and quantity repentance. Repentance and confession is best
done with understanding therefore do not be in a hurry. Do not use tongues. Do not do gross
or wholesale confession or repentance

Endnotes:
 1. Brian Mills and Roger Mitchell, Sins of The Fathers.
(Tonbridge, Kent, England: Sovereign Word International
Book)
2. John Dawson, Healing “The Wounds of America.” (Ventura
3. Jon Dawson, Taking our Cities for God. (Lake Mary, Fl:
Creation House, 1989)
4. Breaking Strongholds in your City, Peter Wagner, Regal books
Ventura.
5. Defeating the Enemy with the Help of Spiritual Mapping, by
Harold Caballeros
6. An Overview of Spiritual Mapping, George Otis Junior
Scripture are from NKJV and NIV 1984

Elizabeth Utugi Kamau

TJCII Kenya, East Africa.