The Bible App is completely free, with no advertising and no in-app purchases. Get the app
Grace Baptist Church
The Informed Prayer
Our weekly Sunday School, Adult Bible Study, and Life Groups theme.
Locations & Times
Grace Baptist Church
4546 Almond St, Philadelphia, PA 19137, USA
Sunday 12:00 AM
The Informed Prayer
Genesis 18:16-33
This is one of the classic prayers of the Bible. Abraham prayed that God would spare the city of Sodom from God’s pending judgment. At first he asked that if 50 righteous souls were in the city, would God spare them? To this question, God answered yes. Unsettled still, Abraham kept “negotiating” with God as he reduced his requisite number from 50 all the way to 10. If there were 10 righteous souls in Sodom, God said He would spare the city.
At first you may think Abraham to be a bit brash to do such a thing. But as you examine the story, you discover that God was actually encouraging Abraham in this venture of prayer. God took the initiative by revealing His purpose to Abraham, His friend, who was moved to pray, based on what he knew of God’s character, for a city that teetered on the brink of judgment. From this encounter, we learn:
Abraham’s prayer was founded on a knowledge of God’s purpose. Prayer is not to get our will done, but God’s will done. Selah! To be effective, prayer must be in accordance with God’s will…and to be successful in prayer, we must grow in our knowledge of God’s purpose. This Divine purpose is not something that God keeps hidden from us. No. To the contrary, God wants to share with us His heart and His mind! He shares His purpose with His friends! (John 15:15)
Abraham’s prayer was founded on a knowledge of God’s person. Being the friend of God, Abraham knew God, including His character and attributes. This knowledge drew him in to this prayer, to the point where he was bold enough to bargain with God. The understanding of God’s grace encourages us to draw near in prayer. But on the other hand, God is holy and just and must deal with the sin of man. It is the mercy and justice of God that brings balance to our prayers. Effective prayer is rooted in WHO God is!
Abraham’s prayer was founded on a knowledge of God’s passion. God loves us. He loved Sodom. Back in Genesis 14, God used Abraham to rescue his nephew Lot and the inhabitants of his city. Abraham must have reasoned that God would be willing, once again, to spare them. He had seen, first hand, how God’s willingness and compassion. Even without II Peter 3:9, Abraham knew that God was unwilling that any should perish but that all would come to repentance. When we pray, it would do us well to know that God loves us and the ones we are praying for.
Pray this way!
Genesis 18:16-33
This is one of the classic prayers of the Bible. Abraham prayed that God would spare the city of Sodom from God’s pending judgment. At first he asked that if 50 righteous souls were in the city, would God spare them? To this question, God answered yes. Unsettled still, Abraham kept “negotiating” with God as he reduced his requisite number from 50 all the way to 10. If there were 10 righteous souls in Sodom, God said He would spare the city.
At first you may think Abraham to be a bit brash to do such a thing. But as you examine the story, you discover that God was actually encouraging Abraham in this venture of prayer. God took the initiative by revealing His purpose to Abraham, His friend, who was moved to pray, based on what he knew of God’s character, for a city that teetered on the brink of judgment. From this encounter, we learn:
Abraham’s prayer was founded on a knowledge of God’s purpose. Prayer is not to get our will done, but God’s will done. Selah! To be effective, prayer must be in accordance with God’s will…and to be successful in prayer, we must grow in our knowledge of God’s purpose. This Divine purpose is not something that God keeps hidden from us. No. To the contrary, God wants to share with us His heart and His mind! He shares His purpose with His friends! (John 15:15)
Abraham’s prayer was founded on a knowledge of God’s person. Being the friend of God, Abraham knew God, including His character and attributes. This knowledge drew him in to this prayer, to the point where he was bold enough to bargain with God. The understanding of God’s grace encourages us to draw near in prayer. But on the other hand, God is holy and just and must deal with the sin of man. It is the mercy and justice of God that brings balance to our prayers. Effective prayer is rooted in WHO God is!
Abraham’s prayer was founded on a knowledge of God’s passion. God loves us. He loved Sodom. Back in Genesis 14, God used Abraham to rescue his nephew Lot and the inhabitants of his city. Abraham must have reasoned that God would be willing, once again, to spare them. He had seen, first hand, how God’s willingness and compassion. Even without II Peter 3:9, Abraham knew that God was unwilling that any should perish but that all would come to repentance. When we pray, it would do us well to know that God loves us and the ones we are praying for.
Pray this way!