Pray First

Read Genesis 18:22-33

Have you ever listened to the prayers of a child? Their prayers are so sweet, innocent, audacious, and often quite funny. As I studied about the boldness of Abraham’s requests for God to spare Sodom, I came across some prayers of children recorded by Jesse Joyner, a children’s minister, and one stood out. At the time Jesse was in seminary and was struggling with the balance of homework and family time. Evidently Jesse had told the children in his ministry about this struggle. In response, one boy offered up a very heartfelt and practical prayer, “Dear Lord, please split Jesse into two people so one of him can do his homework and the other of him can spend time with his wife.” Now that was a bold child not at all limiting the power of God to mere mortal capability! 

Do we approach the throne of God as gallantly as this child did? Or are we timid, praying vaguely and in broad generalizations wondering if God will actually hear our prayers much less answer them? Do we seek God’s will first, and then pray for that? Or do we most often give him a laundry list of what we want? If I pray God bless my friend, what am I really expecting? Maybe there are better ways to pray than these. Abraham offers us a bold example of approaching God with his request. 

One hot dusty afternoon as Abraham sat in the shade of his tent, he saw three men coming to visit him and Sarah. He quickly rose up, ran to meet them, and bowed down to his honored guests. Then he and Sarah got busy being excellent hosts. While hospitality was common when visitors showed up at their house, they acted even more enthusiastically than normal. Notice how many times Abraham “ran” to prepare food and drink for his guests. He knew that he was entertaining not just any guest but the Lord almighty. He knew the One he was serving and wanted to honor Him. 

Abraham enjoyed a relationship with God. As the three men were leaving Abraham and Sarah’s home, Abraham walked along with them for a bit.  As guests in our home begin to leave, my husband and I often walk them to the door and out to the driveway. It’s sort of a sign that we have enjoyed our time together and the relationship we have with them. That’s what Abraham was doing with the Lord and the two angels. 

When the Lord told Abraham that he was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the area where his nephew Lot lived, Abraham grasped the gravity of the situation as well as the sovereignty of God. He presented a bold request to save the people while also honoring God as he spoke. 

First, he drew near to God (v 23). He spoke with Him about things that were close to God’s heart because he knew God. He understood God’s character as the judge of the earth and respectfully reminded God that He would not treat the righteous and innocent the same as the guilty. Abraham was concerned for his nephew Lot but also felt compassion for any righteous people in Sodom. He asked God specifically, by the numbers, how many righteous it would take for Him to spare the city of Sodom. He was persistent. Abraham pleaded with the Lord to spare the wicked city if there were only fifty righteous people, then forty-five, forty, thirty, and on down to only ten. We know that finally, God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness, but only after providing an escape for Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family. 

In this encounter between Abraham and God, we can learn some things about prayer. 

First, draw near to God and get to know Him. In walking with God and gladly serving Him, Abraham had grown to know God well. Before he asked God to spare the righteous in Sodom, he drew near to Him (Gen 18:23). We need to know God intimately, not just as a distant acquaintance, someone we might or might not recognize on the street. We need a relationship with him. We develop that kind of relationship with God by serving Him, reading His word, and praying. In other words, spend time with Him.

Secondly, honor Him for who He is. When Abraham saw the three visitors coming toward him, he ran to them, bowed low to the ground, and cried, “O Lord,” (Gen 18:3 ESV). The Lord’s Prayer starts with, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” (Matt 6:9 ESV). When praying this way we start by acknowledging God and honoring Him as our very own heavenly Father. This is an opportunity to recognize the authority of the Almighty and to thank him for his sovereignty. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” Be willing to submit your will to HIS will and allow HIS heart to become your heart. Then you can pray according to his will.  

Next, be bold and specific. Abraham was bold in asking God to spare the righteous in Sodom. Hebrews 4:16 says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (NLT). When you intercede on someone’s behalf, remember what that person means to you and to God. Pray as if what you are saying matters to you and to God because it does. And pray specifically. There’s a big difference if I pray God bless my husband today versus if I pray that God will give him wisdom to face a specific decision he has to make and that He will give him eyes to see that situation through God’s eyes and that God will give him ears to hear His voice and give him godly discernment to make the right decision.

Finally, be real, be you. When you pray, it doesn’t have to sound like you have spent 20 years in the seat of a priest or pastor or rabbi. It should sound like you, in your words and from your heart. Remember that God knows your heart and hears what you mean, not just what words you utter. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words,” (Rom 8:26 ESV). 

“Dear Lord, please split Jesse into two people so one of him can do his homework and the other of him can spend time with his wife.”  I’m pretty sure God knew just how to answer this child’s prayer! 

Worship Song: “Pray” by Sanctus Real