In The Midst Of A Darkened World Somebody Prayed For You.

First Church of God in Harvey

Sunday Morning – October 28th, 2012

Let us Pray

Welcome..

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the Lord's Day, a good day to be alive, and so we will rejoice and be glad in it.

In our Bible Class last Wednesday night we were told that “one of the most foremost rules of warfare is: know your enemy.,” and we were reminded that Satan is our enemy, and he is around as a roaring lion with the intent to steal, kill and to destroy. We were told that he is deceptive, powerful, secretive, and can act swiftly if given an opportunity to attack. We were told to be on our guard, because he does not care who we are, or who we think we are, he will try his attack, and so we have to keep our minds focus on the Lord. As a child of God, do not forget it, Satan does not like you, he does not care about you, and he will try to destroy you.

As we come here today, let us allow the Word of God to speak to our hearts, and as God speaks let us leave here today challenged to be the best we can for the Lord. Our text today is one that we might have heard many times, but it is good to know that God’s Word never grows old.

Our scripture reading for today will be taken from Genesis 18 verses 23 through 33.

My to-pic for today is, “Somebody prayed for you. ”In the midst of a darkened world. In the midst of a world of sin and destruction. Somebody took the time and prayed for you. I remember as a young boy in Jamaica, at night time, I would hear my mother praying for me. My mother spent a long time on her knees praying for her children, and I am so glad that my mother took the time and prayed for me. My father was not saved, but my mother took the time and prayed for me. I believe most of you here can say, that somebody prayed for you. It might have been your mother, or father, or brother, or sister, pastor or a friend, but somehow, somewhere somebody prayed for you.

In our text for today, we find God’s man praying, interceding with God for an ungodly nation. The nation was about to be destroyed because of their wickedness, and Abraham took the time and intercede for them. Jesus took the time and prayed for us, the saints. In St. John 17 verse 11 we can hear Jesus praying, “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”

I am here today because of the mercy of God. I am here today because of the goodness of God. I am here today because somebody took the time and prayed for me. You are here today not because you are so good, but because of God’s goodness. The Bible says in Isaiah 64 verse 6a, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags..”

Can God count on you? Can God depend on you? Can God trust you? "God is looking for people to stand before Him to intercede for the sins of the nation." In Ezekiel 22 verse 30 we read these words, "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." "Ezekiel 22 has a sad ending. God was searching for an intercessor to stand before Him but found none.. So God's judgment was poured out because there was no intercessor." It is said that an intercessor has the ability to delay or stop the judgment of God when he stands in the gap.

Abraham was a friend of God, and one who God could count on. In our text for today we find Abraham going before God, pleading with God; negotiating with God in "the first solemn prayer upon record in the Bible; and it is a prayer for the sparing of Sodom." Abraham, a friend of God, prayed earnestly that Sodom would be spared, if a few righteous persons were found it it. Abraham had a heart of compassion for sinners, the same compassion we should have, and earnestly pray for them. Our prayers does make a difference, and the Word of God does say in James 5 verse 16b, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (that includes a righteous woman, a righteous boy, a righteous girl) that prayer avails much. That is why I am constantly asking God’s people to pray, because prayer does make a difference. So often we look at statistics to make a point, but prayer will change statistics. Based on statistics some of you should not be here, but because of prayer you are here, thank God, somebody prayed for you.