November 02, 2023 | Pastor Robert Lee
Passage: Genesis 18:22-33
Prayer is the nucleus, the engine, the hub of our relationship with God; it's how we talk, laugh, cry, and wrestle with God. There's not much more important than our prayer lives. In this message titled, Prayer That God Answers, Abraham's example of prayer provides us a model to strengthen this all-important part of our own spiritual lives.
►Genesis 18:22–33 ESV
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.
Discussion Questions
- What were some of the highlights and lowlights of your week? Everyone needs to get a chance to answer!
- What does your prayer life look like right now? Have you set a time and a place to pray and spend time with God? And when you do, what do you usually pray about?
- The disciples of Jesus asked Him to teach them “how to pray.” This implies that prayer is something that we learn how to do. Who has taught you how to pray? And what did they teach you?
- When Abraham went to pray, it says that he “drew near” to God. Prayer allows us to get close to God: to ask questions, talk, laugh, and cry with God. How might drawing near to God in prayer change your life? Do you want that change?
- Abraham prayed with confidence based on God’s character and purposes. What might it look like for you to pray with “hands out and palms up”? Any specific promise given by God that you want to hold onto?
- Abraham prayed with persistence. What are some ways we can avoid the temptation to give up in our prayer lives?
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