Like Moses, we can argue our case before God in prayer.
But, like Moses, we must be sure of our grounds before we make our case. If we make a convincing case, based on God's word, we can be confident he will say "Yes".
In Exodus 32, God was furious with the children of Israel after they created a golden calf to worship, implicitly rejecting the Lord who had brought them out of captivity in Egypt.
In verse 9, God threatens to destroy the people of Israel because of their actions.
In the following verses, Moses:
Does this mean God's plan can be altered? On the surface, it seems so.
My own interpretation, though, is that God wanted to get across to Moses how seriously he viewed this act of disobedience. And he wanted to see how Moses would respond. Moses grew enormously as an intercessor and champion of his people through this exchange.
How does this apply to me and you?
A.T. Pierson, author of George Muller of Bristol And His Witness to a Prayer-Hearing God, says that Muller noted this example of Moses and used this approach when he prayed for the thousands of orphans under his care.
He would search the scriptures for the promises God has made that could be linked to the needs of the orphans. Then, he would assemble arguments - based on scripture - to present his case to the Lord.
Pierson says that Muller developed this method during a particularly bad time when the future of the orphanages was in doubt. He noted that God said he was "the Father of the fatherless" and prayed in faith that God would provide for the orphans, supporting his plea with 11 arguments.
The need was met without a public appeal for money. And Muller was to repeat this again and again throughout his life.
This tells me that I need to look through the scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit for the promises of God that relate to the dreams God has given me.
Once I find them, I can pray with assurance that God will welcome my prayers and move in response.
But, like Moses, we must be sure of our grounds before we make our case. If we make a convincing case, based on God's word, we can be confident he will say "Yes".
In Exodus 32, God was furious with the children of Israel after they created a golden calf to worship, implicitly rejecting the Lord who had brought them out of captivity in Egypt.
In verse 9, God threatens to destroy the people of Israel because of their actions.
In the following verses, Moses:
- Suggests God's reputation will be battered because people will say that he delivered the children of Israel from Egypt only to wipe them out at Mount Sinai (verse 12);
- Reminds God that he promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would inherit the land of Canaan and be a great nation (verse 13); and
- Calls on God to change his mind and allow the children of Israel to live (verse 12).
Does this mean God's plan can be altered? On the surface, it seems so.
My own interpretation, though, is that God wanted to get across to Moses how seriously he viewed this act of disobedience. And he wanted to see how Moses would respond. Moses grew enormously as an intercessor and champion of his people through this exchange.
How does this apply to me and you?
A.T. Pierson, author of George Muller of Bristol And His Witness to a Prayer-Hearing God, says that Muller noted this example of Moses and used this approach when he prayed for the thousands of orphans under his care.
He would search the scriptures for the promises God has made that could be linked to the needs of the orphans. Then, he would assemble arguments - based on scripture - to present his case to the Lord.
Pierson says that Muller developed this method during a particularly bad time when the future of the orphanages was in doubt. He noted that God said he was "the Father of the fatherless" and prayed in faith that God would provide for the orphans, supporting his plea with 11 arguments.
The need was met without a public appeal for money. And Muller was to repeat this again and again throughout his life.
This tells me that I need to look through the scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit for the promises of God that relate to the dreams God has given me.
Once I find them, I can pray with assurance that God will welcome my prayers and move in response.
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