And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes: peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake. And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

- Genesis 18:20-33


Intercession is a prayer to God on behalf of another person. It's not just only to enhance the power of prayer, but also encourage people to learn to share each other's burden, no matter in physical or spiritual. In Genesis 18:20-33, there is an interesting story revealing something about intercessory prayer. Abraham, a well known father of the people of Israel, keep the ways of the Lord, and do what is right and justice. As we know, the Sodom city is still destroyed by God in the next chapter 19 of Genesis. Some people might think that God didn't bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him. It's not true actually! Please review Abraham's prayer again, we can find the key is that there is no ten righteousness in Sodom.

Sometimes people abuse prayer carelessly. However, it would be better for us to treat the intercessory prayer seriously. Especially be careful about whether prayer should be in line with the significance of it. If an intercessory prayer lacking in its strong feelings of divine purpose, it's only nothing more than a ritualistic flyer.

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NOTE: 有些人的謙卑實際上是退縮。那其實不是謙卑而是怕事,自己心中仍然很驕傲。把怕事當作謙卑,並不是真正的謙卑。

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