Daily Devotions
Exodus
"The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears are open to their cry." Psalm 34:15
Text: Exodus 10 : 18-20
GREAT LESSONS ABOUT INTERCESSORY PRAYER
Moses was learning deep and vital lessons about prayer all this while. Once again, Pharaoh asked him to intercede with the Lord.
“So he went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD.
And the LORD turned a very strong west wind,
which took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea.
There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt.
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not
let the children of Israel go.”
EXODUS 10:18-20
1. Not everyone can intercede successfully
This lesson must have stood out significantly! Pharaoh, in all his glory as ruler of mighty Egypt could not hope to pray to the God of the Hebrews! He did not have any relationship with the Lord God at all! In fact Pharaoh had defied the Lord many times!
2. One must “entreat”
To “entreat” is to literally “beg” the Lord for His mercy! There is no attempt to “claim the promises of the Lord”! Before a great and mighty God, a proper and respectful attitude must be adopted! The word “entreat” conveys a powerful thought. There must be abject humility before the Lord! Even if Moses had been a powerful servant of the Lord, he must pray with the word “entreat” in mind! He can make no demands on the Lord at any time!
3. God will hear and answer humble prayers!
It is an awesome experience to come into the presence of a God who can cause an army of locusts to invade a mighty land like Egypt! It is an even more humbling experience to see God answering prayers with such power!
He caused an east wind to bring the locusts. He now brought a west wind to remove the plague of voracious locusts! And the means? Humble prayer entreating the Lord for His mercies to be poured out!
4. The answering of prayers does not necessarily mean fullness of blessing
Some equate the answers that God grants as His fullness of blessing. A careful study of the text would indicate otherwise! God did remove the plague of locusts from Egypt. This was a tremendous answer to prayer!
However, the fact remains that Pharaoh’s heart had remained hardened. He still refused to let the children of Israel go! Despite all that he had experienced, despite all his promises, Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened. For the moment, God had to allow that hardened heart of Pharaoh to remain hardened! What a profound thought this is! How we must determine to remain humble before the Lord!