Genesis 18:20-32 PRAY, CHRISTIAN, PRAY
There once was a couple who went to visit a marriage counselor. The husband said, “We’ve been fighting a lot lately, and we can both see that our marriage is heading in the wrong direction.” And the wife chimed in, “We don’t understand why this is happening – our marriage should be fine. We both have very good jobs that keep us busy.” “Both of our kids are happy,” the husband added. “They keep us busy too.” “And we live in a nice neighborhood – we have lots and lots of friends that keep us busy.” “And we’re both healthy,” the husband added. “It’s probably because we both spend a lot of time working out.”
The marriage counselor listened and said, “Do you ever make time to talk with each other?” “Oh yes,” the husband said. “We have to talk. That’s how we figure out who’s picking up dinner on the way home from work, or who’s picking up the kids, or who’s going where and doing what. We talk all the time.”
The marriage counselor said, “That’s not what I mean. I think I see your problem. When was the last time you had a real conversation with your spouse, when you really took time to ask each other questions, real questions. When was the last time you actually spent time talking, and having real quality time together, like you did before you got married. That’s your problem,” the marriage counselor said. “You don’t take time to talk, to have real conversations with each other. That’s why your relationship is struggling.”
I think this happens to Christians in their relationships with God. If someone were to ask you, “How is your relationship with God?” Maybe you’d say, Fine, fine. “Do you ever talk to God? Do you ever pray?” Oh sure. In church. Before I eat, sometimes. And when I’m in trouble. That’s about it. That’s enough praying, right?
But God wants us to take time our of our lives to really talk to him, to have a conversation with him, to really and truly pray. How is your prayer-life with God? What is a prayer-life supposed to look like? Today we meet a man who had an interesting prayer life, and that man was Abraham. In Genesis chapter 18, we are told that God and two angels paid a surprise visit to Abraham. After spending some time with Abraham, God told him the situation. Verse 20: “Then the Lord said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.’” God told Abraham that he was getting ready to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, those two cities famous for their immorality. God told Abraham this because he was giving Abraham a chance to pray, to talk with him.
Abraham knew about those cities and the reputation they had. Abraham also knew that his nephew lived there. His nephew was a believer, and maybe there were other believers. Abraham didn’t want his nephew and those other believers to be swept away in God’s judgment, and so Abraham prayed to God. Do you see how gutsy his prayer is to God? He says to God, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? You’re not going to treat them the same, are you? What if there are 50 believers in those cities?” Quite a bold prayer on Abraham’s part, isn’t it? Abraham could have said to himself, “It won’t matter if I pray. It won’t matter what I say. Who am I to pray anyway? It won’t matter. God will do whatever he wants to do.” But Abraham is the opposite of that – he prays very very boldly.
And what’s even more amazing is that God listens to Abraham. God says to Abraham, “I’ll spare the whole place if I find 50 righteous people.” That’s the grace of God right there, that he’s listening to Abraham. God could have said, “Abraham, it doesn’t matter what you say – I’m going to do what I want to do. I’m God, and you have no idea what’s going on in the world, but I do, because I’m God. So just be quiet. Let me do my thing.” But that’s not what God does here. God wanted Abraham to pray to him. God wanted to listen. God wanted to change his plans, for the sake of Abraham’s prayer.
If the story ended there, that would be amazing enough. But the story goes on. In verse 27, Abraham admits that he knows he’s “pushing his luck.” “I’ve been bold to speak to the Lord, even though I am dust and ashes.” Abraham is bold, but he’s also very humble. Then he asks God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if only 45 believers are found there. Once again, God listens. Abraham talks God all the way down to 30, then to 20, and finally, after apologizing and asking God not to get angry, he talks God down to 10. I am always amazed when I read this story, amazed at how bold Abraham was as he prayed to God.
I’m also amazed at how God goes along with this. God condescends to Abraham. He plays Abraham’s game. He listens to Abraham. He agrees to Abraham’s requests. He doesn’t have to – he’s the almighty God. But this shows us how our God is filled with so much grace and mercy that he bends down and listens to bold prayers like this one, and not only listens, but responds.
When you read this story, don’t you think to yourself, “Why don’t I pray to God this way?” Often-times, this is not the way we pray, is it. Often-times, when we pray, we don’t have the boldness and confidence of Abraham. Often times, we have a “why-bother” approach to prayer. Isn’t that often the case? I have some family members that are sick, that are struggling. Some of them don’t believe in Jesus and are going to hell. I know I should pray for them, but really, why bother? It’s not going to make much of a difference anyway, right? God will do whatever he does, whether I pray or not. Why bother?
Our country seems to be promoting immorality, more and more – we’re becoming a technologically advanced version of Sodom and Gomorrah, if you think about it. I know I should pray about this to God, but why bother? It won’t make a difference. It’s very important for our church to grow, to find ways to reach out into the community and share the Gospel with unbelievers that live in LaPorte County. But why should I pray for this –it won’t matter, right? God will do whatever he chooses to do. Or what about you? If you have problems in your life that are related to health, or to finances, or to other personal things, maybe you pray to God a little about it, but really, why bother? It’s not really going to matter, is it? Whatever happens, happens, whether you pray or not. Is this your approach to prayer?
Do you know who whispers “why bother” into your ear, every time you think about praying? It’s the Devil. CS Lewis is a famous writer – maybe some of you have heard of him. He wrote a book called the “Screwtape Letters” – it’s a series of letters from one of Satan’s demons named “Screwtape.” The demon was writing to the other demons, and he wrote, “Prayer is lethal to our cause.” I can picture that demon saying, “We need to do everything we can to stop the Christians from praying. We need to tell them that it doesn’t matter if they pray or not.”
Often times, you and I are guilty of listening to that voice that says, “Why bother.” God tells us to be bold, to pray to him often. To never give up. And we say, “Why bother.” That’s is our sin. But what’s amazing, is that God forgives us of that sin. “I forgive you,” God says, “And now, I invite you to be bold, and to pray to me.” Just as God condescended to Abraham, God also condescends to us – he comes to us and speaks to us through his Word. He comes to us and speaks to us through his Sacraments – the Lord’s Supper and Baptism – and what does he say to us here? God says to you, “I forgive you for thinking, why bother. Now come to me, be bold, and pray to me. Pray, Christian, pray.”
Aren’t you amazed at the grace of God, that he forgives you of all of your sins, and that he invites you to come to him in prayer. Jesus was teaching his disciples this in our Gospel lesson for today, when he told them to “ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks, finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” God not only takes away your sins, he also promises you that everytime you pray to him, every time, he will listen to you, and he will answer you. This is his promise to you!
Do you know how God answered Abraham’s prayer? The next morning, we are told that Abraham got up very early – he probably couldn’t sleep after talking to God. He walked back to the spot where he had prayed so boldly. He looked out over the valley to see what would happen to Sodom and Gomorrah. And do you know what he saw? The Bible tells us that he looked, and he saw dense smoke, rising from where Sodom and Gomorrah used to be.
But God listened to Abraham’s prayer, because right before he destroyed the place, two angels rescued Abraham’s nephew and family. God listened to Abraham’s prayer, and modified his plans, rescuing Abraham’s relatives. God answered Abraham, just not the exact way Abraham was hoping for.
This is how God answers your prayers too. He listens to what you have to say. And he responds. Sometimes he changes his plans or modifies them, to take into account what you are asking him for. Usually, God answers in a way that’s not exactly what you were expecting – but God always answers, 100% of the time.
The story is told of a Scottish preacher who prayed in the morning service, while the sun was shining, that it would rain in the afternoon for the farmers. As he went to church in the afternoon, his little daughter said, “Here is your umbrella, Papa.” “What do we need that for,” he asked. “You prayed for rain this morning, his daughter said. “Don’t you expect God to send it?” And so they carried the umbrella on that sun-shiny afternoon to church, and when they came home they were glad they had it, because a storm popped up out of nowhere and drenched the area with a hard rain.
The point is, God is listening to you, and God promises to answer you. I pray that God will give you the boldness of Abraham, to pray, boldly, that God would change your life and change the world, according to your prayer. And I pray that God will give you the faith of that little child, the faith that expects that God will always answer every prayer. I would encourage you, this morning, that if you haven’t yet gotten into the habit of praying, then start today. God says to you in his Word, pray, Christian, pray. It DOES matter. God IS listening. And God will modify or change his plans, all because of your prayers. He does this because he is a gracious God who loves to honor the prayers of his people. He is a God who loves to wow you with the way he answers your prayers.
Someone once said, and I think it’s true, that “the church has many organizers, but few agonizers, many who pay, but few who pray, many resters, but few wrestlers, many who are enterprising, but few who are interceding.” Let us be bold. Let us be confident. Pray, Christian, pray. Amen.
