“And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt” (Genesis 19:29).
TEXT — Genesis 19:27-29
Message
Often, Christians fail to see the incredible power at their disposal through the prayer of intercession. This is captured in the words of Basilea Schlink, a Lutheran German religious leader, when she said, “How different the world would look, how different the state of our nation would be if there were more sanctified priestly souls! These are souls who have the power to bless, for they intercede with sanctified hearts.”
Abraham was one such sanctified priestly souls. Our text records the testimony of God’s answer to his intercessory prayer for Lot and his family. In the preceding verses, God had told Abraham of His intention to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham engaged God in a prolonged plea for mercy because he was concerned for his nephew, Lot and his family dwelling in Sodom. God answered and rescued Lot from the destruction.
The problem with many Christians today is that we do not pray like Abraham. Instead, we spend the whole time commenting and criticising on social media platforms. Most Christians fall short of the sanctified priestly status that can genuinely bless their societies like Abraham. If only we can pray the right way and about the right things, we will move heaven to act on our behalf.
Can we turn the focus of our prayers away from just “me” and plead for the souls and well-being of others? Look around; don’t we have “Lots” – spouses, children, family members, friends, associates, etc. – about to go up in the flames of divine judgment? Let us get robed in the priestly garments of righteousness, and daily stand before God’s holy altar and plead for the souls of others. If we do, we too can return as Abraham did and discover that though Sodom and Gomorrah may have gone up in flames, our “Lots” are safely out of their ruins!
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
The Bible reading for the day should have been separated from the message of the day to enable one pray and meditate on the message before reading the Bible. My candid suggestion. Thanks and remain blessed.
The Bible reading for the day should have been separated from the message of the day to enable one pray and meditate on the message before reading the Bible. My candid suggestion. Thanks and remain blessed.