Praying for people who don't deserve to be prayed for
God had not said he would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah; he had only said he would visit them and know. Abraham interpreted that to mean that he would destroy the city, why did he think that? Because Abraham knew what continual and destructive evil was being practiced in those cities. But now God was visiting those cities to ‘know’ what they were doing. It was C.S Lewis who first made me aware that although it is important for people to know God it is much more important to be known by God. What God would know about the two cities would cause him to end the cruelty and corruption that was breading there. What God knows about those who have trusted in him for salvation is that they are his.
Abraham begins to negotiate with God. Earlier Abraham had prayed for Ishmael and God had accepted and granted that prayer. (Are today’s Christians praying for the descendents of Ishmael or are we just hoping for their defeat?) Now Abraham begins to intercede for the wicked cities. God actually encourages him by agreeing to every request Abraham makes. This encouragement signifies that God is willing to be entreated on behalf of others, we call it intercessory prayer; it is what Jesus did and is doing for us. Abraham’s prayer for Ishmael was the first recorded prayer of intercession.
I want to ask you why Abraham didn’t want the city destroyed. Our practice has been to remove anything that could spoil or destroy, we kill rats, remove rotten fruit from baskets of good food, we lock away the people who may hurt society, and kill our enemies. Why didn’t Abraham think the world would be better off without the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah who had broken the honored code of protection of guests and hospitality to travelers, intended mob rape and determined to kill Lot when he tried to prevent them? I ask you, what was Abraham thinking of? Didn’t he want to purge out the evil in order to preserve society?
Did Abraham have the notion that if there were fifty righteous people in those two cities then the presence and lives of those people would rescue the city from the evil of the rest of their society? It’s preposterous but I think it is true. It only took one prophet to convince Nineveh to change. Daniel’s one action convinced King Nebuchadnezzar that God is truly the greatest of gods, the Lord-Over-Kings. Daniel’s three friends convinced the king that their God should be honored throughout the nation. Jesus said that his followers were the salt of the earth, meaning people who stop the spread of decay
If this is true, then our goal should not be to destroy the people who threaten society but to work together with God for their transformation.
Abraham is called ‘The friend of God’ I think it is because his prayer coincided with the great purpose of God. God is not willing that any one should perish but he is willing that everyone should come to him to receive light, and transformation.
Our grandchildren echo this prayer: God bless Granddad and Grandma, they lisp as they say their prayers before they go to sleep. God hears the prayers of children, and grants them. That’s one reason why you and I are so blessed today.
I look back and wonder what I did to deserve all the happiness I have had, and then I remember that I didn’t deserve it. God granted it to me because other people prayed for me. There was an army of relatives, pastors and teachers daily praying for God’s blessing on my life. How well their prayers have been answered.
What a great work this is, to pray for other people and to unite with God in his intentions and purposes, to ask for the gift he wants to give, to call down his blessings on other people. The wonderful thing about prayer is that long after we have left this life, God will still remember those prayers. The work of changing society through prayer has been entrusted to the friends of God. Particularly it is available to older people because they have time to pray. The ability to pray is not hindered by lack of energy, inability to drive, shortage of funds. Intercessory prayer, the greatest work of all is wide open to all who wish to participate in it.
One of the pastors in our presbytery once amused me by telling me the many ways he was able to augment his legal salary whilst managing a Nine-Eleven store. Listening to him I thought that it must have taken an unusual miracle to change him from a man without much of a conscience into a dedicated pastor. I asked him how he came into an obedient relationship with God; I expected a dramatic story, but he simply answered, “A praying mother, one day I acknowledged that what I was doing was wrong, and asked God to change me.” So simple. So sublime.
Genesis chapter 18 verses 20 – 33
2 Peter chapter 3 verse 9
Matthew chapter 7 verse 21
Abraham begins to negotiate with God. Earlier Abraham had prayed for Ishmael and God had accepted and granted that prayer. (Are today’s Christians praying for the descendents of Ishmael or are we just hoping for their defeat?) Now Abraham begins to intercede for the wicked cities. God actually encourages him by agreeing to every request Abraham makes. This encouragement signifies that God is willing to be entreated on behalf of others, we call it intercessory prayer; it is what Jesus did and is doing for us. Abraham’s prayer for Ishmael was the first recorded prayer of intercession.
I want to ask you why Abraham didn’t want the city destroyed. Our practice has been to remove anything that could spoil or destroy, we kill rats, remove rotten fruit from baskets of good food, we lock away the people who may hurt society, and kill our enemies. Why didn’t Abraham think the world would be better off without the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah who had broken the honored code of protection of guests and hospitality to travelers, intended mob rape and determined to kill Lot when he tried to prevent them? I ask you, what was Abraham thinking of? Didn’t he want to purge out the evil in order to preserve society?
Did Abraham have the notion that if there were fifty righteous people in those two cities then the presence and lives of those people would rescue the city from the evil of the rest of their society? It’s preposterous but I think it is true. It only took one prophet to convince Nineveh to change. Daniel’s one action convinced King Nebuchadnezzar that God is truly the greatest of gods, the Lord-Over-Kings. Daniel’s three friends convinced the king that their God should be honored throughout the nation. Jesus said that his followers were the salt of the earth, meaning people who stop the spread of decay
If this is true, then our goal should not be to destroy the people who threaten society but to work together with God for their transformation.
Abraham is called ‘The friend of God’ I think it is because his prayer coincided with the great purpose of God. God is not willing that any one should perish but he is willing that everyone should come to him to receive light, and transformation.
Our grandchildren echo this prayer: God bless Granddad and Grandma, they lisp as they say their prayers before they go to sleep. God hears the prayers of children, and grants them. That’s one reason why you and I are so blessed today.
I look back and wonder what I did to deserve all the happiness I have had, and then I remember that I didn’t deserve it. God granted it to me because other people prayed for me. There was an army of relatives, pastors and teachers daily praying for God’s blessing on my life. How well their prayers have been answered.
What a great work this is, to pray for other people and to unite with God in his intentions and purposes, to ask for the gift he wants to give, to call down his blessings on other people. The wonderful thing about prayer is that long after we have left this life, God will still remember those prayers. The work of changing society through prayer has been entrusted to the friends of God. Particularly it is available to older people because they have time to pray. The ability to pray is not hindered by lack of energy, inability to drive, shortage of funds. Intercessory prayer, the greatest work of all is wide open to all who wish to participate in it.
One of the pastors in our presbytery once amused me by telling me the many ways he was able to augment his legal salary whilst managing a Nine-Eleven store. Listening to him I thought that it must have taken an unusual miracle to change him from a man without much of a conscience into a dedicated pastor. I asked him how he came into an obedient relationship with God; I expected a dramatic story, but he simply answered, “A praying mother, one day I acknowledged that what I was doing was wrong, and asked God to change me.” So simple. So sublime.
Genesis chapter 18 verses 20 – 33
2 Peter chapter 3 verse 9
Matthew chapter 7 verse 21
posted by Jessie Coates at 11:51 PM
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