CONFIDANTS
Before we leave this episode, let’s pause and reflect on one vital truth that emerges here: God wants to be able to ‘let his people in’ on what he is doing. Now that Abraham has accepted his remarkable role as a means of blessing on the earth, God deliberates and affirms his intentions: ‘Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”’
Here is a truth that once again healthily balances our understanding of what true faith is: it is not that God is committed to fulfilling our wildest dreams, but instead, He invites us into participating in His wild dreams.
That’s not to say that our prayers don’t truly influence outcomes. Prayer is not just a devotional duty or a call to ask God about things He’s already made His mind up about already. That’s the point: we have influence with the Lord through prayer. Everything is not inevitable. But ultimately our prayer is that His will might be done, as Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. Powerful prayer is not just about volume or vocabulary, but surrendering to the purposes and dreams of God.