Abraham and prayer

                                Abraham's Character and Prayer

I think it's safe to assume that Abraham was a man of prayer.  How do we know this?  We see it first when Abraham afraid of Abimelech claims his wife Sarah is his sister.  Sarah is, in fact, Abraham's half-sister, but she had become his wife years before.  Even in her older years, Sarah was a woman of great beauty and Abimelech liked what he saw.  

Thankfully, God warned Abimelech not to touch Sarah in a dream, we see this in Genesis 20: 1- 7.  

"From there Abraham traveled to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar, 2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”[a]

4 Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent? 5 Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience[b] and clean[c] hands.”

6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience.[d] I have also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.'" (CSB)   

Abimelech is upset - and rightly so.  Sarah had been added to his wives and had he touched the wife of a man who God favored, the consequences could have been terrible for his family.  But God spared Abimelech and Abraham explained his fear.  After leaving we know Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his household (Genesis 20: 17)

While this is only the one example we see of prayer, we know Abraham often prayed because his servant knows to pray to God while seeking a wife for Isaac.  In fact, he prays for guidance in Genesis 24: 12-14.  God answers his prayers quickly and the servant even shares with Rebekah's family once he is seated with them later in verse 42.  Even Isaac prays, although we only see this once in the Bible, I doubt that Isaac slacked in praying after being taught by his father to pray.  Isaac prayed for Rebekah to conceive a child in Genesis 25:21.  Not only does God answer Isaac's prayer, but He also gives them twin sons. 

What do all of these prayers have in common?  Each man who prays believes that God will hear and answer his prayer.  That fact should stand out to us.  Not only were Abraham, the servant, and Isaac men who loved God, they were men who believe that God would do what He promised and what they asked of Him.  

What then do we know about Abraham?  First, Abraham was a man of prayer.  He prayed before sending Hagar and Ishmael away into the desert and God gave him peace that He, God would watch out for them.  Abraham was not afraid to go where God led him even when it didn't make sense to others.  Abraham was firmly established in Ur with his family.  When God called Abram and Sarai to come away from the idol worship and leave their lives behind, Abram was willing to go, even though others thought him mad.  That is a radical faith!  Go when God says go, and trust that God will take care of you?  How many of us have the faith to do that?  We know Abraham was willing to obey God, even if it meant his heart would break.  When God called Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, there were several things at play here.  First, God needed to know that after years of Abraham sometimes not trusting God completely that God was his first love - even if it meant the death of the son he treasured and loved.  Abraham had lied about Sarah being his sister, not once but twice, Abraham had married and lain with Hagar, Sarah's maidservant to produce a son, even though God had already promised him a son.  I'm sure there are other examples that aren't written in the Bible, but those three alone were enough to make God wonder if He was truly Abraham's first love.  

God loves to talk to us, He loves to hear our prayers, and our problems and to know we trust in Him, but He also wants to be our first love.  

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were talking.  God and I talk often and He often tells me things that usually happen sooner or later (such as moving from Wichita to Washington) and Chris was struggling with the idea that God would move us in 3.5 years.  He gave me a word in November 2017 that He planned to move us again.  He also shared that at some point He would call us away from Mount Vernon and that we would be praying with Pastor Troy and Pastor Wendy for guidance.  Eventually, God gave me a number and the timeline has moved a bit so we are now about 3.5 years.  Chris struggles to see how God could possibly open all of the right doors in that timeline and enable us to be debt free.  He remarked, "I wish God talked to me like He talks to you."  So I asked if he would like me to ask God to give him a word so that he could also begin to hear from God the same way.  Chris agreed and so after we came home, I went for my nightly drive and prayer time.  As I drove, God asked me to sit quietly and wait for His answer.  So as I drove quietly and drew closer to home, God spoke and his word was a question.  "Am I your first love?"  That one question has sparked a journey for Chris and also for me and I seek to make God my first love.  I still love my family, but first and foremost, God is first.  This leads me back to Abraham. 

God was Abraham's, first love.  So we also know that Abraham believed God was true to His word.  Abraham sought God on a regular basis.  We know Abraham chose God over the world the Bible shows us this in Genesis 14.  After fighting to save his nephew Lot, who had gone his own way away from Abraham after their flocks and goods grew too great for them to remain together.  Abraham frees Lot and his family and they head back to Sodom.  As Abraham returns from fighting - he meets Melchizedek, a high priest of God and a great King.  

Genesis 14: 17-24  

"After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 Melchizedek, king of Salem,[e]brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. 19 He blessed him and said:

Abram is blessed by God Most High,
Creator[f] of heaven and earth,
20 and blessed be God Most High
who has handed over your enemies to you?

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the possessions for yourself.”

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand in an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or sandal strap or anything that belongs to you, so you can never say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will take nothing[g] except what the servants have eaten. But as for the share of the men who came with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre—they can take their share.'"  In that moment Abraham chose God.  The King of Sodom offered his everything - much as satan (I refuse to capitalize his name) offered Jesus the world in the desert after his 40 days and 40 nights fasting, and Abraham like Jesus chose  God first and foremost.  Wow!  If you were forced to choose who would you choose?  The world or God?  

Abraham prayed.  Abraham talked each day with God, he trusted God above everything else and in the end, God made him the father of many nations and his descendants are even now more numerous than the stars.    

Will you choose God today?  Will you begin to seek Him and make Him your first love?