Hope Lies In The Prayer Of The Saints

Scripture: Genesis 18:32, "Then [Abraham] said, 'Suppose ten should be found [in Sodom]'. And [the LORD] said, 'I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.' "

Observation: This is perhaps the third punishment or display of wrath by God thus far in Genesis: (1) the flood, (2) Eden, (3) Sodom. I wouldn't count Babel because there was little wrath displayed; God just intervened to direct mankind the way He willed.

In Eden all (both) persons were guilty. In the flood, all persons except Noah were guilty (and perhaps his family). Technically Scripture doesn't declare Noah innocent; it simply states that he found grace in the LORD's sight.

Here we know that only Lot (and perhaps his family) feared and loved God in the whole city of Sodom, because Sodom was destroyed once they left.

Abraham was doing far more than praying for God to save his nephew. This was intercession for the whole city and he was basing his entreaty with God on God's character as a Righteous Judge.

Application: A fear has come on many people in America that the end of all things is approaching because of the immorality that is being established in law by our lawmakers and reaffirmed by our judges. The velocity of this degradation in righteous laws appears to be increasing exponentially now.

Two questions must be asked and answered by me: (1) Have we gotten to the "less than 10 righteous" point? No. (2) Am I loving enough to entreat God for mercy and grace on our nation despite America's stubborn, rebellious, self-seeking, God-blaspheming, idolatrous, greedy, violence-loving, righteousness-hating, Scripture-despising hearts and actions? I pray for God's grace to be.

Prayer: God, I am a sinful man. My heart is prone to wander. I turn from You so often. Forgive me. Change me.

Our nation refuses to enforce our laws on murders, molesters, rapists, thieves, and on and on; but we ensure our people have the right to murder babies by the millions! We've even given it a nice sounding name so satiate our consciences. We're condoning role-reversal and destroying Your designed covenantal purpose for marriage. We've despised Your Holy Scriptures and driven You out of the public life. Our government leaders are motivated by greed and personal agendas.

And we wink at it all. Forgive us. For Your names' sake, do as David cried in the Psalms: "Save the humble people and bring down haughty looks!"

You see the hearts of all men and women. You know of the rebellion within us. You see the pain and hurt that we've inflicted on ourselves because we refuse to submit to You. Have mercy.

We are responsible for it all. We have ceased teaching our children Your ways. I don't teach them to love You. We have turned aside to instead teach them to love pleasure, leisure, entertainment, personally-glorifying pursuits and materialism.

Work in the lives and hearts of every person in our nation to bring greater glory to Your name. I know that may mean that You bring us down to the dust to demonstrate You wrath, and yet I pray it. You are God and we are the creation. You have that prerogative.

But my prayer is that You heal our land! Chasten us into repentance. Draw us by Your mercy and goodness! And we will praise Your holy and worthy name!

I love you. Amen.