Word
for the Day June 8
By: John Hammack
"...The prayer of a righteous man
is powerful and effective." James 5:16
The Lord expects us to pray.
The Word says in Ephesians 6:18, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers
and requests..." When Moses went up on Mt. Sinai, the Israelites turned away from Moses and the Lord. The
people made a golden calf and worshiped the image. While Moses was still on Mt. Sinai, God told him "Now leave
me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them." Exodus 32:10. But Moses sought
the favor of the Lord and prayed for them. Then the Lord relented and did not destroy them because of Moses' prayer.
In Numbers 14, the people rebelled and refused to go into the land of Canaan. The Lord
said to Moses, "How long will they refuse to believe in Me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among
them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger
than they." Numbers 14:11-12. Moses interceded and pleaded on the Israelites behalf and God forgave them.
When we pray, we have to remember that God hears our prayers. Sometimes it may seem as if
God doesn't listen or He responds in a way that we don't expect Him to. But like Moses and many others who have gone
before us who are witnesses in the Word of God, we have to be diligent in prayer and in serving Him and the
Lord will respond.