Praying For Our City

This is a blog written by a colleague of mine, Robert Calvert, who works with the European Evangelical Alliance, I think it is a stimulating read for us when praying for our city of Worcester. Graham.

Genesis 18 features in Robert Linthicum’s book “City of God, City of Satan” where he notes (p. 106f) the interpretation of Sam Kamaleson, Methodist preacher and president of World Vision International. (Robert was pastor of city churches in the U.S. and a consultant to World Vision International in developing empowerment strategies for the poor, most notably in Nairobi, Kenya.)

In Genesis 18, Abraham is visited by three men who predict the birth of Isaac and the impending destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The verse that I want to point you to is Genesis 18: 22 which says: “The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.” So, in front of God, Abraham begins his famous negotiation for the rescue of Sodom and Gomorrah from divine destruction.

Kamaleson suggested that there is significant manuscript evidence that the reading, “Abraham remained standing before the Lord” should read “The Lord remained standing before Abraham.” Several reputable O.T. scholars (including E. Speiser and G. von Rad) agree. So, the question is ‘Who is begging who for the city? Could it be that a scribe, thinking that this reading could not possibly be right, reversed the text? If the passage says “The Lord remained standing before Abraham”, it means God was the supplicant before Abraham, it was as if God was saying to the patriarch, ‘I listen to the cries of my people. Go on, ask me, Abraham! Ask me to spare Sodom for fifty people and I’ll do it!’

Abraham asks in faith and God grants his request. The strange negotiations continue. ‘Go on, ask me for me for forty.’ ‘Lord, spare the city for forty.’  ‘Done! Go on and ask me for thirty!’ ‘Lord, thirty!’ ‘Done! Ask for twenty!’ Perhaps if Abraham had asked for it, God would have spared Sodom for one righteous God-fearing person.

The question that arises for us is: ‘Would he have spared it for Lot alone? Did Abraham lose his nerve in stopping at ten?’ In the light of this, praying for the city is a trial of our faith rather than God’s mercy. God still stands before us and pleads for the city. ‘Go on, ask me for the city!’ Do we have enough faith and nerve to ask God for the city? Pleading on behalf of cities is not about overcoming a reluctant God but rather laying hold of a willing God. Have faith for your city! God wants us to pray for our city because He wants to redeem it, not apart from, but by means of his people.

Sometimes though, prayer is difficult because it opens us up to all the pain of people. I think that it was George Verwer who, when he pictured Jesus looking down on Jerusalem, cried “Lord, let my heart be broken with the things that break your heart.” The challenge remains for us to enter into the pain of our city and others and cry out to God for their redemption.