16 But Jesus would withdraw to deserted places for prayer.
Reflection
Have you ever prayed an audacious prayer? Jesus did. Many times. Maybe every time.
I’m talking about a prayer you had no business praying. A prayer you really didn’t think you would get an answer to. The Bible gives us several examples of such prayers, where something prompted the person praying to pray the prayer—and God answered—yes.
I’m talking about the time Abraham interceded for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The sins of those living in those cities were so great that God was going to destroy the cities with burning sulfur.
Abraham said, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?”
Lot, Abraham’s nephew lived in Sodom. So, he asked the Lord to spare the city if he could find 50 virtuous people living there.
I have to imagine he was just a little bit scared. I would be. So, he appeals to God’s character.
“Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike,” he said. “Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
I can’t imagine talking to God like that. But the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
You might be thinking, “Wow, I just convinced God to spare the city.”
Abraham must have been feeling kind of pleased with himself. He might have been pleased but he also wasn’t satisfied. What if they couldn’t find 50 righteous folks living there? After all, it was a very sinful place.
So, Abraham approaches God one more time and said: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”
Abraham realizes he has been bold, but he also asked God to spare the place if He could find 45 righteous people there. Abraham was on a roll and asked God what He would do if He found 40, 30, 20 and even 10 people living there. God answered each time He wouldn’t destroy it.
Audacious!
The Bible doesn’t tell us why Abraham stopped at 10. If he had asked to spare the cities if they could find five people, who knows? But Abraham must have thought enough was enough.
So, Lot was told to take his two daughters, his wife, and two men pledged to his daughters. The two men thought Abraham was joking and didn’t leave. But I wonder if God would have spared the city for the five. And maybe Abraham was wondering if being audacious had its limits.
I wonder what would happen if I could pray really audacious prayers like Abraham, like Jesus?
by Rick Reed
For Pondering and Prayer
This passage reminds us of how Jesus prioritized prayer. Shouldn’t we be praying the same way?
Prayer: Dear Lord, oh that I could pray the way Jesus did. Oh that I could pray audacious prayers. Father, please help me to pray that way. In Jesus name, Amen.
