Genesis 18:16-33
God now tells Abraham what is in His heart in regard to the city of Sodom, and its neighbouring city of Gomorrah. Sodom was the place where Abraham’s nephew Lot had settled and he could not have chosen a more godless place in which to live. The sins of its people were blatant and outrageous and the suffering of those who had been murdered, injured and abused by them moved God’s heart and called for justice. Verses 17-18 show God reasoning within Himself and coming to the conclusion that He should tell Abraham what He was thinking because of the influential nation he would become and the example he was called to be. He and Abraham were covenant partners and their intimacy demanded openness and accountability. God wants His people to know His will and His purposes.
Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”
Abraham responded by interceding for those people in Sodom who were living godly lives. Uppermost in his mind must have been his concern for Lot and his household whom he feared would die if God destroyed the city, but he was sure there must also be others. So he pleaded, on the basis of God’s just and righteous character, that the innocent should not be punished along with the guilty. After a series of negotiations they came to the agreement that if the Lord found just ten righteous persons in the city He would not destroy it.
This episode demonstrates some key points about intercession. Abraham prayed from a position of humble reverence, recognising the enormity of coming into God’s presence and challenging what He had said. Yet at the same time he was bold before the Lord. He dared to speak His mind and was persistent in pressing his case. What made his prayer effective is that he was not praying according to his own desires and thoughts. His starting point was what God had revealed to him, and his argument was based on God’s just and righteous character. That gave him a solid basis for debating with the Lord. We see Moses operating in the same way when he interceded for the Israelites after they had made the golden calf (Exodus 32:11-13). The prayers of these men were effective because they knew their God and wanted others to see how good He is.
Many Christians today get frustrated because they do not see answers to their prayers. Often they come to the conclusion that God does not hear, or that He does not care, or that maybe for reasons of His own He does not choose to answer them. However, the real problem does not lie with God; the truth is that most prayers are unanswered because the person praying has not learned how to intercede effectively. They pray from a place of natural understanding based on what they think God should do in the situation, rather than understanding the principles which should undergird our prayers.
Billy Graham once said: “Prayer is more than a wish; it is the voice of faith directed to God.” If we are going to pray effectively we need to ask ourselves three questions:
- What is God’s will? (What does God say in His word that applies here? What has He said directly to me by His Holy Spirit?)
- What is God’s character? (We can expect Him to operate according to His love, His justice, His goodness, His faithfulness etc.)
- What will bring God glory? (Is what I want going to make people see God in a good light?)
When we are sure that we are praying in line with God’s heart for this world, we can prayer with confidence and expectation.
James 5:16b (NIV) “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
Prayer
Almighty God,
I know that You have called me to the work of prayer, so that Your purposes may be accomplished through me. Help me to learn to pray effectively so that I might might partner with You to bring your kingdom to the earth in those areas where You have given me influence.
Amen.
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