Intimacy with God Births a Breakthrough in Prayer

²² So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. ²³ Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵ Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” ²⁶ And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” ²⁷ Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. ²⁸ Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” ²⁹ Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” ³⁰ Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” ³¹ He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” ³² Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” ³³ And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. – Genesis 18:22-33, English Standard Version

God’s promotion in Kingdom authority comes with it a Kingdom responsibility. So now Abraham is privy to what God is about to do in Sodom as God’s “confidante”. That status carries with it the responsibility to intercede for Sodom, especially for the righteous resident in it. Hence God’s revelation comes about so that we can do something redemptive about that situation. This saga reminds us that God wants to be approached in prayer, that God is the Judge to whom all the earth must give account, and that God is just and merciful; it also reminds us that we be bold to approach the willing God who has chosen to work with us in bringing about His purposes in the earth, that we should have a passion for those that are lost, that we should be humble in prayer before God, and that we should not weary in intercession.

May you have a passion for those you know that are still in the Sodom of sin and need God’s rescuing! May you boldly intercede for them to come to a saving knowledge of Christ! May you persistently cry out to God for the salvation!

Intimacy With God Brings Promotion in God

⁶ Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. ¹⁷ The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, ¹⁸ seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ¹⁹ For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” ²⁰ Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, ²¹ I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.” – Genesis 18:6-21, English Standard Version

Such was Abraham’s encounter with God that God promoted him in Kingdom authority by revealing to Abraham what He was about to do. Abraham had proved himself obedient by staying in the promised land even when he didn’t hear God’s voice for 14 years. Here was a man that God could reveal what He was about to do in the earth. It was essentially because of Abraham’s destiny – “For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him” – that God “confided” in Abraham. In other words, God had chosen that He would do things in the earth through His covenant person who had proved himself as one totally committed to God’s covenant purposes in the earth. Hence God shared His purposes with the man through whom God’s purposes would unfold. In effect, Abraham had been promoted to a greater Kingdom responsibility and authority.

May God find you trustworthy! May you be responsible in your Kingdom assignment wherever your sphere of influence is! May God reveal the mysteries going on around you so you may wage the good war for His Kingdom!

Intimacy with God Births a Breakthrough in His Promises

Genesis 18:9-15: ⁹They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” ¹⁰ The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. ¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. ¹² So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” ¹³ The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” ¹⁵ But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” - Holy Bible, English Standard Version

God’s promises to Abraham prior to this encounter where somewhat general, without much details. However, in this season of God’s greater manifestation to Abraham, the promises become very specific to the point that He tells Abraham the particular time of their fulfilment. The promises of God over your life get more specific as His appointed time of their fulfilment draws near. May you keep on keeping on today knowing that sooner than later His promises will get more specific and your direction clearer as your appointed time approaches!