I Prayed have prayed
Father, we want to be more like the heroes of the faith. Teach us how to intercede and pray.
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The following is an excerpt from our daily devotional series Pray Like an Intercessor!

Abraham trusted the Lord and lived as one who had completely relied on Him, even if that meant living his life on earth as if he were a temporary resident. Though he did make occasional mistakes, his faith earned him the title of the friend of God (see James 2:23). It’s a beautiful picture of the relationship God desires to have with His people. Abraham knew the Lord and His character intimately, and when the Lord revealed to His friend that judgment was soon to fall upon Sodom and Gomorrah (see Genesis 18:16–33), Abraham stood in the gap. He could have been selfish for the sake of his own family, but he wasn’t. Instead, he pleaded with God, asking that if as many as 50 or as few as 10 righteous people could be found in those cities, God might be willing to withhold His judgment for their sake. And Abraham prayed this way even though he knew that Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked cities.

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What is more amazing about this story is the way the Lord responded: He wasn’t upset with Abraham for interceding; He allowed and even welcomed it. The Lord agreed not to destroy those evil cities, provided He could find as few as 10 righteous people within them. Wow! This is a great place to start praying for our own cities and nation.

Lord, our nation, like Sodom and Gomorrah, contains a lot of rampant evil. If Your righteous judgment were to fall on us right now, it would certainly be what we deserve. We appeal to Your lovingkindness and tender mercies, knowing that even though evil is increasing, people can still be found here who are righteous, not in themselves or in their works, but in the finished work of the cross — in Christ alone. So we approach Your throne of grace with boldness and confidence, and we plead for Your mercy upon America. We have strayed so far from our roots. We have not kept Your commandments; even Your Church has left her first love. But we recall Your words: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). You have been patient with us, far more than we deserve. Lord, let it not be too late for this nation to turn back to You! Bring our nation to a place of humility and of deep repentance, so that people might not perish, but rather come into Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” (Genesis 18:25 NLT).

In your Bible time, read and reflect on God’s conversation with Abraham in Genesis 18.

Ask the Lord for a fresh revelation of this story.

Abraham was God’s friend. Intercessors, too, are friends of God. A real friend can be trusted. God saw this quality in Abraham: Then the LORD said, “ShaIl I hide from Abraham what I am I about to do?” (Genesis 18:17 NIV). God reveals secrets to those He trusts. If you desire this friendship with God, it’s as simple as spending time with Him and prioritizing His presence.

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IFA contributing writer Gloria Robles is a passionate intercessor with a prophetic voice for today. For more from Gloria, go to Spotify or Anchor and listen to her podcast, Something To Share. Photo Credit: Olivia Snow on Unsplash.

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bobhuseby
December 29, 2024

What a wonderful reminder Ms Gloria !! If anyone is like me you may have tried too hard to help God as Abraham did. Praise Him for forgiveness through Jesus’s blood !!
Our creator DOES want the intimacies of friendship . However mundane or complicated our lives have become HIS desire is for us to remain by his side and go through each day WITH our best friend!!!
Hallelujah !!!

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