The Power of Prayer
“The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham approached him and said: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?’” - Genesis 18:22-23
Gospel recording artist Helen Baylor had a hit song back in the early 1990s that became popular because of the testimony she told about navigating the challenges of addiction, promiscuity, and suicidal thoughts. In the song, Baylor says that despite all of the struggles she faced, she was able to survive because of one key factor, and that factor was that she had a praying grandmother.
She is not alone in the conviction and awareness that we are who we are, and we are where we are because as the song says, “somebody prayed for me, had me on their mind, they took a little time and prayed for me. I’m so glad they prayed. I’m so glad they prayed. I’m so glad they prayed for me.”
Prayer is so powerful that things change, not just because of our own prayers, but also because of the effectual, fervent, and intercessory prayers of others as well. In Genesis 18, we see not just the significance of Abraham’s promise, but also the strength of Abraham’s prayer. Of the 650 prayers recorded in the Bible, there can be no question that this prayer stands in a category all by itself.
It is a dialogue between a desperate man and a determined God concerning the fate of a community that departed from God’s will and God’s way. God revealed His plans to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham is concerned because his nephew Lot and his family are living in that city.
Rather than conceding his family’s fate to the circumstance and the situation around him, Abraham prays looking for a way to save him. The news of God’s intentions arrests this 99-year-old man and brings him to his knees before God. It is a marvelous picture of what happens when believers go to God in prayer.
What do you need to pray for? If you are like most people, something quickly comes to mind. Maybe it is something you have been worrying about, obsessing over, or wondering about. Whatever it might be, there is power in prayer. Abraham’s prayer quite literally saved his nephew’s life. Your prayer can activate an all-powerful God who can change everything. What do you need to pray for today?
Gospel recording artist Helen Baylor had a hit song back in the early 1990s that became popular because of the testimony she told about navigating the challenges of addiction, promiscuity, and suicidal thoughts. In the song, Baylor says that despite all of the struggles she faced, she was able to survive because of one key factor, and that factor was that she had a praying grandmother.
She is not alone in the conviction and awareness that we are who we are, and we are where we are because as the song says, “somebody prayed for me, had me on their mind, they took a little time and prayed for me. I’m so glad they prayed. I’m so glad they prayed. I’m so glad they prayed for me.”
Prayer is so powerful that things change, not just because of our own prayers, but also because of the effectual, fervent, and intercessory prayers of others as well. In Genesis 18, we see not just the significance of Abraham’s promise, but also the strength of Abraham’s prayer. Of the 650 prayers recorded in the Bible, there can be no question that this prayer stands in a category all by itself.
It is a dialogue between a desperate man and a determined God concerning the fate of a community that departed from God’s will and God’s way. God revealed His plans to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham is concerned because his nephew Lot and his family are living in that city.
Rather than conceding his family’s fate to the circumstance and the situation around him, Abraham prays looking for a way to save him. The news of God’s intentions arrests this 99-year-old man and brings him to his knees before God. It is a marvelous picture of what happens when believers go to God in prayer.
What do you need to pray for? If you are like most people, something quickly comes to mind. Maybe it is something you have been worrying about, obsessing over, or wondering about. Whatever it might be, there is power in prayer. Abraham’s prayer quite literally saved his nephew’s life. Your prayer can activate an all-powerful God who can change everything. What do you need to pray for today?
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