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Prayer: Irritating to God or Requirement for change
18 Comments | Posted by Brian Foulks in Genesis, Matthew, New Testament, Old Testament, Prayer
In the OT (Genesis 18) reading today, we find three angels coming to get their grub on with Abraham. During the intimate fellowship, they begin to divulge many plans that would change the outcome of Abraham’s life as well as many others. They also shared that they would destroy the city of Sodom in part due to the fact that he had great plans for Abraham. This places Abraham in the midst of a “query of posterior faith.” What I mean by that is that his questioning well lead to future generations developing into great people and nations of God.
As the story continues, we begin to see Abraham starts to intercede on behalf of Sodom. He begins to initiate a conversation with God which at the time was a unique action. (Exo 33:20) As he begins to bombard God, he starts to intercede that God would change his mind if there were 50 righteous men. He continues almost in an irritating mode until he gets God to proclaim that if there are ten righteous men he will not destroy Sodom. It brings one to wonder what would have happen if he continued on with the interceding; could he have gotten God to actually forgo the entire destruction of Sodom through his intercession.
We find in Gen. 19 that God in fact destroys Sodom but Lot is saved which proved to be the main reason for Abraham’s questioning. Amazing as it may seem there were not ten righteous men in Sodom before God destroyed it. God displays his mercy by removing Lot from the destruction but displays his justice as well due to Sodom’s sin.
As we muse through Matt. 6, we see a New Testament infomercial on the process of asking, giving and receiving. Matthew lays out precise instructions about giving, fasting and asking. He is extremely keen about being humble with your giving as well as private. Within this chapter you have the Lord’s Prayer that sets a precedent for prayer. Jesus explains to the disciple how they should pray and later how they should fast. As the chapter closes out we see Jesus flipping the script on the disciples. He goes from giving the process of prayer, to telling them not to be so consumed with the very things you receive. He concludes with making your primary focus the seeking of the Kingdom of God. Nestled within that seeking you find that God will address your personal needs.
As we look at the passage together we can conclude that there is such an innate need for prayer whether in supplication form or intercession. Prayer has the potential to be an irritating presence to God from the believer when taking out of context. We can’t get away from the fact that God is impacted by prayer. But prayer has predications that are laced together with righteousness. Righteousness places you in direct harmony with God which constrains one’s prayer to be centered on Christ. At the end of the day, I would have to side that prayer is not an irritation to God but requirement. Within prayer is the lifeline for intercession and supplication that we cannot find in anything else. When we understand that God wants to help us and meet our needs we start to see that our prayers are not irritating or bothersome to God. (Matt.6:25-33)
18 Comments for Prayer: Irritating to God or Requirement for change
Author comment by Lionel Woods | January 7, 2010 at 8:42 am
Author comment by Lionel Woods | January 7, 2010 at 8:47 am
Hey Brian,
Also we see the incense smoke always rising into the nostils of God, but I am getting ahead of myself and very, very excited!!!!
Brian | January 7, 2010 at 9:44 am
LW,
Can we really separate prayer from worship? I had a pastor ask me why do I pray during worship.I replied that my prayer is my worship. In my thoughts the two are interconnected.
But as much as Jesus prayed it is amazing that he takes the approach to prayer in teaching the disciples as he does. He is very matter of fact with them as he starts with the Lord’s Prayer as it relates to the High Priestly Prayer.In the latter he relates with such a passion and personal approach that appears to be missing in the Lord’s prayer.
Brian | January 7, 2010 at 9:46 am
Brother this was a beast of an idea. Thanks for the stirring man, more than you can ever know.
Author comment by Lionel Woods | January 7, 2010 at 10:00 am
Nope Worship is the grid line and prayer falls along the grid line.
chas pike | January 7, 2010 at 10:15 am
the coupling of these two stories seems to exemplify “deliver us from evil”. i am constantly questioning why abraham so often went out of his way to save lot. he goes to war for him, he bargains with the lord for him, yet he is very cavalier about the fate of ishmael and isaac.
other questions arise about the nc depiction of lot as a suffering righteous man, painfully subjected to the sin of sodom. one must realize that lot is in that city to exploit there financial resources. he is there for the money, pure and simple. when the angels find him, he is sitting at the city gate, the place of the respected elders of a city. so he is an active elder in this city, he has married to gain position in this city, and, of course, as exemplified by the very journey out of ur, he is not a prisoner of sodom, and can leave at any time he chooses. what would keep him there? greed!
it is perhaps not without a certain irony that when lot is defending the angels from the rapacious townsmen, that the angels allow a certain amount of sexual abuse to be inflicted upon lot before the rescue him, and bring him (rather symbolically) inside the door to safety.
other problems for us: the destruction of all who are in the city. earlier abraham has rescued many slaves and citizens taken from sodom during the capture of lot, and in a show of “piety” returns them to the king of sodom, and as a result they all perish in the destruction of the city. pity.
our next encounter with lot, after the destruction of sodom, is the scene with his daughters in the cave, where the drunken lot fecundates his daughters. after this we hear of lot no more. what is the importance of lot, and why do we hear from him no more? because we are to examine lot’s bloodline. question where he came from, why it is important that we know this, and why the pregnancies are important, yet not mentioned again. the answer is jesus. aside from the possible levirite connection of lot to abram, the copulatory act committed in the cave is important because it is this act which ultimately brings us ruth, and through her, and her grandson david, ultimately, the Christ.
God is able to work his will through even the most sordid and heinous acts.
Brian | January 7, 2010 at 10:30 am
Chas,
You bring an interesting point that I would have to agree with as well. We see God many times taking something that is obviously out of order and bringing it to be a positive; Sampson marrying Delilah , David sleeping with Bathsheba and many other are examples of him performing a Romans 8:28.
Javetta | January 7, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Brian-
You said,”Nestled within that seeking you find that God will address your personal needs.” THIS IS POWERFUL, BROTHER!!!!
Often times, I am SOOOOOO guilty of forgetting this passage because what I’m praying for at the moment seems to be the more urgent factor (at least in my finite mind); Yet, Jesus comes through and SMASHES all that simply saying, “Seek first the kingdom…” The URGENT FACTOR is ALWAYS seeking the kingdom. Point well taken. Point well understood. Point has FULLY encouraged! I’m excited =)
chas pike | January 7, 2010 at 12:34 pm
on the topic of prayer intercession: does this inform us that God favors the one who prays over the one who suffers? when God answers an intercessionary prayer, is it done out of the desire to relieve suffering, or to reward the one who prays? is the prayer of one who is suffering less than the prayer of one who prays for one who is suffering? can one who is not suffering “supplicate” themselves more than one who is suffering?
Hutch | January 7, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Brian-
Thank you for this post.
I really liked this: He goes from giving the process of prayer, to telling them not to be so consumed with the very things you receive. He concludes with making your primary focus the seeking of the Kingdom of God. Nestled within that seeking you find that God will address your personal needs.
I struggle with prayer. I recently read a book called The Power of Praying Together, Experiencing Christ Obviously Present and Actively in Charge. I long to see that premise become a reality in my life and the life of those I fellowship and share Christ with.
Author comment by Lionel Woods | January 7, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Pike,
I think “favors” would be too strong of a word; however, I do believe that God moves on the behalf of those who come to Him more quickly and more often than those who don’t. We have to agree that humans are innately self-sufficient. This is why both the Jews and the Greeks (as Paul categorizes them) see the cross as foolishness. The Jew has the law the Greek his wisdom thus why do they need anybody to do anything for them? We even see this in the prayer of the Tax Collector and Pharissee.
Because of this self-sufficiency often times man will not turn to God as a child with humble depency and because of this they try to “pull themselves up by their boot straps” and miss the “favor” of God. This is where prayer becomes critical.
As it relates to supplication I think it could be a little of both for the ultimate purpose of God being worshipped. I pray for someone, God hears and moves, that person finds out what God has done he/she worships God and so do I, I get the reward of being used by God that person gets the reward of having their suffering relieved and God is worshipped.
Brian | January 7, 2010 at 1:44 pm
I think this is where the sovereignty of God comes in to play with a boom. At the end of the day the true intent of the prayer is only known by God. Though I believe that many use intercession to feed their “God complex.”
Brian | January 7, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Javetta and Hutch,
I remember wrting somethinf on facebook that reflected the point that if we prayed on a everyday basis like we do when we are in need what a difference it would make.
chas pike | January 7, 2010 at 2:04 pm
hot chocolate, i do appreciate the response, the model of the jews and the greeks, and the hypothetical about he who feels he is self sufficient. i don’t exactly think that i was speaking of the ones who feel they do not need Christ, although they are suffering to be sure. as far as “… God moves on the behalf of those who come to Him more quickly and more often than those who don’t.” i have to then wonder about the travails of job, who surely sought God. i also have to consider this quote from the super apostle: “Rom 9:15 (NIV) …”I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
what of Jesus? “Who also makes intercession for us.” –Romans 8:34″. does not Christ already intercede on our behalf?
is the purpose of intercessory prayer to petition the lord on behalf of those he chooses not to hear? are the healing acts of God done to solicit worship? are prayer and worship done for the benefit of God, or for the benefit of the one who prays?
when abram intercedes, he bargains and reasons with God. are we to then assume that God is one who will be bargained and reasoned with in prayer?
is prayer a tool or a blessing?
thank you for your consideration, and i love your platform and forum.
Author comment by Lionel Woods | January 7, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Charles,
You are a stimulating brother 
I don’t know if my answers will be correct, but I will give them a shot and we can dialogue more about them.
1. I think Job is to be a picture of a suffering servant, much like our Savior who is suffering in Gethsatame but that could be an enitrely different post 
) (we see Job interceding, bearing the falsehoods of his unfaithfulness, being rejected by his kinsmen….) Also please note, I said most often, many of the saints cried out with no physical avial and sometimes Jesus and the other writers tells us that God has not moved because we have not asked. Javetta has a good post over on her blog about the tension of the persistent wife.
2. Yes I think the Spirit intercedes on our behalf, especially in prayer, this again is why we need not worry “how” we pray but that we should worry “if” we pray. Based of of Romans 8. However that still does not negate the fact that we are to pray and that sometimes we do not receive because we ask with wrong motives or with a lack of trust.(James)
3. I think the mercy scripture is a salvific one but again that could be a different arguement.
4. I will try to group some of your last questions and sorry if they are rhetorical. I believe intercession can be done for those God has called us to pray for (so it isn’t that He has chosen not to hear, but that He wants us to serve one another in prayer, much like James and Peter, did God choose not to hear James? And hear Peter? I think God was glorified in the killing of James and answering the saints prayers in reference to Peter).
Prayer is for both not either or. God is worshipped and our prayers are like a sweet aroma unto Him and prayer benefits us because we get our needs met (or our hearts transformed) by a loving Father. I think it is both.
5. Yes I believe God is to be reasoned with in prayer. We see it with Abraham, Moses and many of the OT prophets. They interceded for the people of God. Much of that is reasoning about God’s glory.
6. Prayer is both. A tool to plug into our heavenly resouces and a blessing that we have the privellage to do so with a Holy God who shouldn’t allow humans to even speak of Him.
chas pike | January 7, 2010 at 3:34 pm
hot chocolate, number 4 is a very good answer. ” I believe intercession can be done for those God has called us to pray for (so it isn’t that He has chosen not to hear, but that He wants us to serve one another in prayer…” . yes in this divine relationship, we heed God’s call, His invitation to pray.
yes.
and number 2, “… However that still does not negate the fact that we are to pray and that sometimes we do not receive because we ask with wrong motives or with a lack of trust.(James)” some seem think that if you end a request to God with the caveat “i ask this in the name of Jesus Christ” that their prayers will be answered, or will come true. like this is the mustard that makes the hot dog magic. yes, Christ tells us that what we ask for in his name will be given to us, but…what does “in his name” really mean?
Author comment by Lionel Woods | January 7, 2010 at 3:44 pm
@ Charles,
I believe that means the authority (purpose, will, mission) of Jesus, much like I do with Matthew 28 and the Great Commission. I don’t believe that is a literal “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” (you recite this as you are baptizing) but the authority of the Trinity. I think Acts shows us that baptism is into Jesus’death, burial and ressurection and I also see prayer throughout the NT never mentioning “in Jesus name”. But that is my opinion and I am stiking with it.
chas pike | January 7, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Yes! Praise Him!
my thanks to all of you for playing today.
chas.
Brian,
When talking on prayer, very little is taught on intercession. However as you pointed Abraham intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah (mostly Lot which is a Gospel Picture we can elaborate on). Next we see Moses interceding and I don’t know if I intercede enough in my prayers. I am quick to pray for supplication and request but sometimes slow to intercede. The greatest picture of intercession may be John 17:1-26. Where Jesus is performing His High Priestly intercession on behalf of His present and future disciples. You have given me much to ponder homeboy!!!!
What is also not mentioned about prayer is worship. I think Jesus is speaking of a worshipful prayer. What you think?