Your friend or family member is in real trouble, and your not sure where they are with God, or even if they care, however you do, and so you are down on your kneels seeking the Lord’s intervention even though you do not know what His will is for them. Whether you consider it desperate intercession or nagging God – the Bible would reveals it works.
Your audacity is not lost on you, here you are desperate to turn the heart of the creator and ruler of the universe for someone who may not even care that’s he exists, or has given up believing due to pains of the past…that continue to gnaw away at their soul. And yet, you do so, perhaps encouraged by the teaching you have heard, saying, you can ask anything in the name of Jesus.
Consider Abraham, the ancient father of the Hebrews, and his prayers of his nephew Lot (see below the passage from Genesis 18). Here is an apparently brave intercessors, who long before God revealed Himself as ‘God-with-us’ Immanuel, He was willing to effectively negotiate with the Lord, Almighty God.
Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”
So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.” And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?” So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”
Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”
Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place. (Genesis 18:16-33)
This story also reminds us of how Moses argued with God a number of times to spare the lives of those stiffed necked Israelites, despite the Lord’s apparent desire to start all over. Are both audacious? Maybe, but Abraham concerned for his family, and even knowing the depravity of the city, he still contended with God for Lot and his family – for he knew God was a God of mercy. Moses to, understood the heart of God.
Consider the Syro-Phonecian woman – a gentile (foreigner) willing to interrupt the apparent schedule of God (Jesus) for the sake of her child. Knowing His ability, she was audacious enough to insist on His will to heal despite Christ telling her He must first minister to the Hebrews (i.e had other priorities). And yet she too knew His mercy. (Mark 7:24-29)
What about the father of the demon possessed son. This desperate father, not put off by the followers of Jesus and their apparent ‘failures’ he pursued the Lord for he knew He could help, and despite his wavering belief, seems to insist on Jesus’ help. (Mark 9:14-29)
And then there is the persistent widow – aka the nagging woman – she knows that justice is in the heart of God, and pleads for it with fear. Jesus applauding her persistence. (Luke 18:1-8)
And then what about the persistent four men and the paraplegic. Will to interrupting God (Jesus) and others as He preached and ministered to the whole village. Helping their friend to come into the presence of God, regardless of the impact on others or even themselves, dropping him right in to the presence of God regardless of what else was going on.. These friends had the belief for healing even when the one who needed healing may not have had that. (Mark 2:3-12)
Note the interesting insight provided in this one verse (vs. 5), When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
It was the faith of the four men that Jesus admired, and it was this faith that brought the forgiveness of another’s sin…and healing. Contrast this with the people of Nazareth (See Mark 6), where Jesus marvelled at their collective lack of faith (because of familiarity and contempt)(, that resulted in only a few being healed.
Interceding with audacity, or simply desperate, God sees the heart, and when we do so with aligning with the character and name of God, He responds. He is the God who heals, the God of justice, the God of mercy, the Intercessors, and Redeemer, and looks for those who pursue that in Him despite the obstacles that come our way.
Perhaps we think it is impolite to do so, or why focus on me when others have a need, or I am not good enough, or I am not sure I really believe for that, or does God care for me given the thing I have done or who I am? None of these are an obstacle for God’s grace, and in fact He seems to challenge us to look beyond our own self and perceive out-workings to interrupt His apparent will to find His true will.
So know the heart of God, who sent His Son to pay the price for our sins, to redeems to Himself, so we could freely enter into His presence. It is that heart that responds to prayers that pursue Him, perhaps despite of our circumstances, or our views of ourselves or others, for He treasures faith, and those who pursue Him, and He loves so dearly those who you pray for.
Our challenge is to pray these audacious prayers, and then to trust God in His answers.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7,8)
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