How bold are my prayers? Do I pray for what I think God would be willing to give? Or do I go out on a limb with a ridiculous prayer for grace and mercy? Will I go to bat for someone undeserving of anything but his wrath? Am I willing to ask for something I don’t — and never could — deserve?
Abraham prays with boldness and humility in Genesis 18.
Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” (Genesis 18:27,28)
From a place of extreme humility, Abraham isn’t shy about challenging God’s plan to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. His bold prayer originates from the dust and ashes of someone just as sinful, just as deserving of God’s wrath. He is not afraid to confront God, negotiate with God, and call God out on matters of justice.
“Maybe there are a few good people there.” Sure, keep dreaming Abraham. I know you care about your nephew Lot. He chose to live in Sin City, remember? His wife will look back and be turned into a pillar of salt. His daughters will use him to bear children who will torment God’s people for generations to come.
50? 45? 30? 20? 10 righteous people? If you can find that many, God will step back. He doesn’t. There wasn’t. God’s judgment is perfect, just, righteous, and appropriate. He knows what’s going on. He knows what he’s doing.
Abraham’s humble yet bold prayers remind me of something Paul wrote in Romans 8:34. There we read that Christ “is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” The one who humbled himself and became a servant boldly goes to bat for us, as deserving of God’s wrath as any sinner in scripture. Forget about fifty righteous or even ten. “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). We’re only spared because he took the full wrath of God on our behalf, “wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5).
Both Abraham and Christ remind me that humility and boldness in prayer go hand in hand.
Waite for it... 