Prayers of that Great Cloud of Witnesses
Abraham's Intercessory Prayer: A Compendium Entry
Then Jesus said to them, ‘Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.” And suppose the one inside answers, “Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
‘So I say to you: 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; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. -Luke 11:6-10
Persistent prayer for provision presumes a real depth of relationship with God; confidence, for example, that God will hear, will care and will respond. The “shameless audacity” Jesus encourages following his presentation of the Lord’s Prayer, even more so. The story of Abraham’s most ancient intercession with God represents a critical step in this direction.
The Bible consistently says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This initial step in our relationship with God is less the fear we feel when watching a horror film, and more the feeling of wonder and caution we experience when we light a bonfire to roast marshmallows. An essential starting point of our relationship with God is that of making a connection with a Being who can both create and destroy life.
God initiated the relationship with Abraham in Genesis 12 and Abraham responded. But in the very next story, Abraham showed the shallow understanding he had of his new God. He left the land that he knew for a land that God would show him and, on his way, ended up in Egypt. He knew that the land of the powerful Pharoah was dangerous for he and his beautiful wife and he came up with his own shortsighted plan for their protection (vs. 10-20). When this plan landed them in trouble, God took action to save Abraham from his predicament and, by the end of the story, showed himself to be their powerful savior and provider.
In chapter after chapter, we see growth in Abraham’s trust in God as he escapes challenge after challenge by God’s intervention and provision. Then, in chapter 18 we find the story of God’s visit to Abraham which results in our ancient, intercessory prayer:
“Lord, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are good? Wouldn’t you spare the city if there are only 50 good people in it? You surely wouldn’t let them be killed when you destroy the evil ones. You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right.”
The Lord replied, “If I find 50 good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed.”
Abraham answered, “I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, Lord, for daring to speak to you like this. But suppose there are only 45 good people in Sodom. Would you still wipe out the whole city?”
“If I find 45 good people,” the Lord replied, “I won’t destroy the city.”
“Suppose there are just 40 good people?” Abraham asked.
“Even for them,” the Lord replied, “I won’t destroy the city.”
Abraham said, “Please don’t be angry, Lord, if I ask you what you will do if there are only 30 good people in the city.”
“If I find 30,” the Lord replied, “I still won’t destroy it.”
Then Abraham said, “I don’t have any right to ask you, Lord, but what would you do if you find only 20?”
“Because of them, I won’t destroy the city,” was the Lord’s answer.
Finally, Abraham said, “Please don’t get angry, Lord, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only 10 good people there.”
“For the sake of 10 good people,” the Lord told him, “I still won’t destroy the city.”
After speaking with Abraham, the Lord left, and Abraham went back home.
-Genesis 18:16-33
Throughout the prayer, the fear of the Lord is evident in Abraham’s relationship with God:
Abraham answered, “I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, Lord, for daring to speak to you like this.
“Please don’t be angry, Lord, if I ask you what you will do if there are only 30 good people in the city.”
“I don’t have any right to ask you, Lord, but what would you do if you find only 20?”
“Please don’t get angry, Lord, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only 10 good people there.”
This intercessory prayer also makes it clear that he has come to understand something essential to the nature of the Almighty God:
You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right.
This prayer represents a further step in his relationship with God. His question, represented through the repetition of the story, is whether God’s judgment is determined solely by the wickedness of the many or if the guiltless minority is also regarded in God’s justice. Further, he is asking if that good minority might even have a preserving effect upon the community as a whole. These questions are represented in the affirmative multiple times, for the final time when the Lord says to Abraham: “For the sake of 10 good people,” the Lord told him, “I still won’t destroy the city.”
Surely Abraham showed the beginning of Jesus’ “shameless audacity” in his prayers. We see God respond not with the irritation we might expect but with abundant love, patience, and mercy.
I suggest keeping a list of prayers in your devotional book. Write out each request specifically, put the date you began to pray for them, and decide how frequently you will pray for them until they are answered. Leave a space to put the date the prayer is answered and a line beneath it to write out what you learned about God during your “shamelessly audacious” prayers.
Enjoy this wonderful aspect of our relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ!
