A Sense of Burden
“Then Abraham approached him and said: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” - Genesis 18:23
It is possible for you and me to pray prayers like Abraham did in Genesis 18 and move the heart of God. If we are going to do this though, we need to pay close attention to the ingredients within Abraham’s prayer.
The first thing we discover is that if you want to pray a prayer that moves God, you must have a sense of burden. From the outset, we get a clear sense of Abraham’s burden for his family. The prospect of losing the son of Abraham’s brother Haran who died back in Genesis 11 disturbs Abraham so much so that it brought him to his proverbial knees before the God of heaven.
He did not want to go forward to possess his promise if it meant leaving those he loved behind. What we see is that what gets God’s attention is the burden of a man who wants to save his people. Over the past 24 years of his journey with God, the one thing Abraham has learned is that God is a faithful and a just God.
Abraham appeals to God based on what he knows about God’s character. He says to God in verse 23, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” God’s decision to destroy the city without regard for those who have been trying to do right and live right was inconsistent with His nature. While good people may suffer due to tragedy, disaster, or the diabolical deeds of others, God will not Himself punish those who are unworthy of such a penalty.
That would be inconsistent with His character. It is not the will of God that any man shall perish, and so Abraham raises his hand and lifts his voice to speak on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves.
What makes prayers powerful is not the length of the prayer, the eloquence of our voice, or the type of words we use. It is not about how loud we speak, but it is the conviction of our prayers that gives prayer its power. If you want to pray in a way that moves the God of heaven, you must pray with a sense of burden!
It is possible for you and me to pray prayers like Abraham did in Genesis 18 and move the heart of God. If we are going to do this though, we need to pay close attention to the ingredients within Abraham’s prayer.
The first thing we discover is that if you want to pray a prayer that moves God, you must have a sense of burden. From the outset, we get a clear sense of Abraham’s burden for his family. The prospect of losing the son of Abraham’s brother Haran who died back in Genesis 11 disturbs Abraham so much so that it brought him to his proverbial knees before the God of heaven.
He did not want to go forward to possess his promise if it meant leaving those he loved behind. What we see is that what gets God’s attention is the burden of a man who wants to save his people. Over the past 24 years of his journey with God, the one thing Abraham has learned is that God is a faithful and a just God.
Abraham appeals to God based on what he knows about God’s character. He says to God in verse 23, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” God’s decision to destroy the city without regard for those who have been trying to do right and live right was inconsistent with His nature. While good people may suffer due to tragedy, disaster, or the diabolical deeds of others, God will not Himself punish those who are unworthy of such a penalty.
That would be inconsistent with His character. It is not the will of God that any man shall perish, and so Abraham raises his hand and lifts his voice to speak on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves.
What makes prayers powerful is not the length of the prayer, the eloquence of our voice, or the type of words we use. It is not about how loud we speak, but it is the conviction of our prayers that gives prayer its power. If you want to pray in a way that moves the God of heaven, you must pray with a sense of burden!
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