Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Genesis chapter 18 verse 22.

So the men turned from there and went towards Sodom.

But Abraham still stood before the Lord.

This begins the last part. Lord.

This begins the last part of Genesis 18 where Abraham intercedes for Sodom.

The whole picture is Sodom and Gomorah and just rampant evil in these cities and the judgment of God coming upon them.

But this picture in Genesis 1822 is so strong because Abraham knowing that God is just and right, which he says later

and in verse 25, shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just he

stands in the gap for Sodom and Gomor and he intercedes for these cities he prays for them he prays for God to not show

his judgment if there are 50 righteous people will you sweep them away Abraham and says and God says no I won't and then

Abraham presses then even more and says okay what about what about 45 or 40 and and Abraham just keeps pressing in like God

please show your grace and show your mercy in this place.

Genesis 18 is a powerful picture of the privilege of intercession.

How God calls us to stand still before him and to plead on behalf of those are in need,

to pray on behalf of those who may be facing his judgment to come to intercede for them and pray for God to have mercy.

We see this at all kinds of different points through scripture.

God is ordained prayer as a means by which he acts.

He responds to our praying.

We see this all over scripture.

And so I just want to encourage you today even to my own life

today to realize in a fresh way the privilege we have of intercession and to pray like it matters to stand still before

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