THE PLACE OF PRAYER IN RAISING A GODLY GENERATION (EX. 33:12-19; MATT. 17:14-20)
The Very. Rev. Michael Mukhwana
You probably know that this might be my last contribution on this very important page. Allow me to use this space to thank all my faithful readers of the things I have been sharing with you on this page for the last four years. I was often encouraged with the feedback that some of you gave me, and that too motivated me to keep writing.
One of the Bible Characters who truly stands out for me in the Bible era, as a giant when it came to prayer is Moses; for he was such a great intercessor. In the passage under consideration today, he gets into his characteristic conversation with God, as can be seen in the opening statement of this text, “One day Moses said to the LORD, ‘You have been telling me…’ (Ex.33:12). Moses was truly a man of prayer. In this passage, he was petitioning God for mercy, asking God to fulfill His offer to live among the people of Israel (Ex. 29:45) despite their sin. Moses suspected that Israel would not fulfill God’s condition of obedience and that God might not accompany them. Moses asked God to accompany them on the basis of His grace, rather than on the basis of their merit. Moses’ encounter with God in this passage clearly demonstrates the significance of communing with God in times of prayer.
From Moses’ prayer, you can clearly see that he understood human nature to be weak and rebellious; and you and I, know that this is as a result of what Bible scholars refer to as the original sin. It is probably this that prophet Jeremiah refers to when he remarks
that the heart of man is desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). In other words, it looks like we are all ‘programmed’ to sin, as it were, and if I may borrow from contemporary jargon. It is this element that makes raising a godly generation a very challenging responsibility. It
is therefore a form of spiritual warfare if you want, because it isn’t enough to lecture the individual disciple or child about doctrine and righteous living. When you understand that beyond that person you are dealing with, there are also wicked forces at work to disorient this very individual, and incapacitate their trust in God, you see the need for a constant contest with the forces of evil.
Raising a believer therefore takes more than teaching or instruction, important as this may be; one needs to apply a multifaceted approach, and intercession is key element in this approach. Jesus demonstrates this in Matthew 17:14-20, when he encounters a demoniac. He rebukes the demon in the boy, and it left him, and the boy got delivered instantly. While the disciples were still amazed, He encourages them with the words, “…if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there; and it would move. Nothing would be impossible”.
Beloved of the LORD, let’s take up our God given mandate to shape the lives of those He brings our way, using prayer; with the confidence that God answers prayer and changes the hearts of people when we pray. Stay blessed!