When I left you yesterday, I promised this week we'd get into some powerful prayers that actually changed the mind of God. I m not a Biblical scholar, nor am I trained in how to explain it all and break it down by the prayer, BUT I am going to point you in the direction of these stories, and then you can spend some time with God diving in and maybe looking up some commentary.
Well, you hopefully know who Moses is if you're reading the Bible or have heard some stories from within it. Well, after being called to lead the people to the promised land, the people rebelled. They decided to do their own thing, and they lost sight of the One who had made the promise to deliver them out of Egypt. You can imagine that God was a bit angry, right? OK...more than a bit. He. Was. Angry. He was so angry, in fact, that he was ready to wipe out the Israelites. Enter Moses'power with words and their effect on the Almighty...
Look in Numbers 14. Around vs. 10 we see the people start grumbling and more rebelling getting ready to go down. In verse 11 God basically says he has had it! Let's face it! The people to whom God had proved to be faithful time and time again were in utter despair because they figured they were doomed. The spies they'd sent out from the 12 tribes had just come back with reports of literal giants on the horizon, and they are ready to throw in the towel. God is right there with them...
But Moses...the babe delivered out of Pharoah's hands via a basket on a dangerous river...all grown up and wise seemingly calms God down. (Really?!) He says is vs. 13, "'what will the Egyptians think when they hear about it?"' He is referring to the fact that God would be going against his word to the Israelites, and the Egyptians might assume that God simply was not able to fulfill his end of the deal. He then he lays it all out there and reminds God who he says He is. He reminds him that the people are going to fail...that's what we do without God. He pleads with God to reconsider. Check out his prayer, or better yet conversation, with God. (Oh how I wish I could have such with God!) Look at verses 17-25...
17 "Now, please, let the power of the Master expand, enlarge itself greatly, along the lines you have laid out earlier when you said,
18 God, slow to get angry and huge in loyal love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion and sin; Still, never just whitewashing sin. But extending the fallout of parents' sins to children into the third, even the fourth generation.
19 "Please forgive the wrongdoing of this people out of the extravagance of your loyal love just as all along, from the time they left Egypt, you have been forgiving this people."
20 God said, "I forgive them, honoring your words.21 But as I live and as the Glory of God fills the whole Earth -22 not a single person of those who saw my Glory, saw the miracle signs I did in Egypt and the wilderness, and who have tested me over and over and over again, turning a deaf ear to me -23 not one of them will set eyes on the land I so solemnly promised to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with such repeated contempt will see it.
God changes his mind about killing the people. He does deliver a consequence, and tells them not one of the original Israelites will enter into the promised land, but he will not be killing them.
Can you imagine the look on Moses face? I wonder if it was one of amazement and surprised shock?But more likely, it was one of satisfaction and confidence and relief that he had prayed such a prayer. He knew how to pray and he knew how to approach God. The people were still learning, but Moses? Moses knew!
I pray today that you will seek Him today in your prayers. Remember that he WANTS to hear from us. He longs for it. Pray to Him because he is able. He knows your heart's desires before you even ask, but you have to ask...
I hope you have a fantastic Tuesday!
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