February 21 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Not only are God's people allowed to know God's plans for the world, their actions play a part in the way God deals with other people. Those who live with God are assigned to pray for the world.

When the covenant people struggle with God for the sake of the world, they must use boldness and humility. The boldness of their prayers rests on the knowledge of their God. Notice these expressions: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?" (v. 23 and again in v. 25). "Far be it from you!" (also repeated in v. 25). "Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (v. 25). The believers can pray so boldly because they know God's character.

Boldness is coupled with humility. We are deeply aware that we ourselves are but people and that God is God. "I am nothing but dust and ashes" (v. 27), says Abraham. "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord" (v. 27), "may the Lord not be angry" (vv. 30, 32). It is this combination of boldness and humility, freedom and fear, that makes Abraham a man of prayer.

Abraham and his children were called out of the world not because God wanted to forget about the rest of humanity but because he intended to bless all people through them. The first and most essential means by which believers become a blessing to the world is through their prayers on behalf of the world.

Especially since Christ has come, it is God's clear design that we should plead his cause with people and also that we should struggle with God for the salvation of the world. We must pray for those who do not pray. We plead with God to turn away his wrath. It is not our job to give up our cities to the fires from heaven. We pray and work so that the music of the name of Jesus may be heard in every town.

REFLECTIONS

Pray for someone you know who does not pray, who needs to be blessed with salvation.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.