Ask and Ask Again

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read: Genesis 18:20-33

TO CHEW ON: "Abraham said, 'Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?'
He said, 'For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.'
Then he said, 'May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?'
He answered, 'For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.'” Genesis 18:31,32

One day three men came to visit Abraham. He welcomed them, washed their dusty feet and fed them a hot dinner. As they talked, Abraham realized that these visitors weren’t ordinary men. Two of them were angels and one was God Himself, in human form.

After their visit, as Abraham walked down the road with them God turned to him and said, “I’m going to tell you what I’m planning to do.” Then He explained how He had heard that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were sinful and violent. He said if the angels found that to be true, He would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.

Immediately Abraham thought of Lot. He had moved near Sodom. So Abraham begged God to spare the city if there were good people found in it. Abraham asked God, would He please spare the city if there were fifty good people left in it?

God answered, “Yes.”

Abraham asked again, “What about forty-five?”

“Yes.”

“Forty? Thirty? Twenty?"

Three more times God said,“Yes.”

Still Abraham was worried. But should he test God's patience by asking still another time? He would ask just once more.

Abraham was persistent and determined when he talked to God. We too can pray for others (intercede) like Abraham did.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help and protect and bless my family, my friends, my coach, my teachers, my pastor, my mayor, my member of parliament or senator, my prime minister or president. Amen


MORE: Never-give-up prayers

Abraham didn’t easily give up in his praying. He kept asking and asking and asking.

Who is someone you’ve been praying for for a long time?

Learn from Abraham’s example, and don’t give up praying for that person!

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.