Elijah’s Prayer Life (1 Kings 17:1-2; James 5:17)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, March 22, 2026

How does the Bible speak of prayer?

The Bible is filled with promises about the power of prayer in the affairs of history. In the New Testament book of James, the author points out that Elijah, “a man like us,” prayed away the rain in Israel and then prayed it back as a way to confront a corrupt ruler. James concludes that prayer can “have great power and produce wonderful results” (James 5:16). John Calvin, famous for his views of predestination and God’s sovereignty, makes some remarkable statements about prayer based on James’s teaching. He says:

It was a notable event for God to put heaven, in some sense, under the control of Elijah’s prayers, to be obedient to his requests. By his prayers, Elijah kept heaven shut for two years and a half. Then he opened it, and made it suddenly pour with a great rain, from which we may see the miraculous power of prayer.³³²

Calvin is both bold and yet careful in his language. He says that prayer “in some sense” affected the weather conditions in Israel. Obviously, in the ultimate sense, God is in charge of everything that occurs—our prayers could not possibly wrest control of any part of the universe away from God. However, it is part of God’s goodness and appointment that he allows the world to be susceptible to our prayers. How he does this—how he maintains control of history and yet still makes human prayer and action responsible within history—is one of the most practical mysteries of the Bible. In Nehemiah 4, the Jews were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem when they learned that they were going to be attacked by their enemies. What did they do? “We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet the threat” (Neh 4:9). In Isaiah 38, King Hezekiah was dying and the prophet Isaiah told him so. Then Hezekiah prayed and the Lord replied, “I have heard your prayer … ‌I will add fifteen years to your life” (Is 38:5). And yet, when Isaiah brings this message to the king, he also tells him to prepare a hot dressing and apply it to the infection in order to recover (Is 38:21).^[1]

Today, my theme is:

Notice, Elijah, a man of prayer.

1. Who was Elijah?
   1. Between about 875-797 BC. Elijah and Elisha prophesied.
   2. Elijah and his successor Elisha figure prominently in 1 and 2 Kings as they prophesied against the wickedness of Ahab and Joram (also called Jehoram) of Israel. Elijah’s opposition to pagan worship also put him at odds with Jezebel, Ahab’s Phoenician wife, who supported hundreds of prophets of Baal and Asherah. Eventually Elisha sent someone to anoint Jehu, one of Joram’s commanders, to be the next king and to execute judgment on the entire family of Ahab.^[2]
2. Elijah prays.
   1. We’re going to look at one place where Elijah prays, and God provides.
   2. However, there are several instances in which God worked through Elijah’s prayers.
   3. 1 Kings 17:1: Elijah prophesied no rain, and it didn’t rain for 3 years and 6 months. 1 Kings 17:1 doesn’t use the verb “prayed,” but James 5:17 does.
   4. In 1 Kings 18:20ff, Elijah prays to the Lord and conquers the prophets of Baal. We see him pray in 1 Kings 18:36ff.
   5. 1 Kings 18:36–37 (ESV)
   6. ³⁶ And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. ³⁷ Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”
   7. Elijah had an active prayer life, but let’s return to the place he was introduced.
   8. 1 Kings 17:1 (ESV)
   9. Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
   10. The autumn and spring rains and summer dew were necessities for the crops of Israel. The Lord had threatened to withhold these from the Land if His people turned from Him to serve other gods (Lv 26:18, 19; Dt 11:16, 17; 28:23, 24).
   11. Greear:
   12. I once heard prayer compared to the electricity running through the walls of a house. At any given point, there’s enough electricity there to power the refrigerator, heater, and TV, but until the plug makes contact with the socket, none of the power is usable.
   13. If we want our prayer to be difference-making, eternity-altering, and destiny-changing, it has to be Word-based, Spirit-led, unglamorous, slow, persistent, and audacious. As proof, look to the prophet Elijah.
   14. When Elijah declared that there would be no rain in 1 Kings 17, he wasn’t just picking a random target. He based that prayer on Deuteronomy 11:13–17, where God had said that if Israel worshiped idols he would shut up the heavens. Elijah literally prayed that into existence.
   15. And when Elijah declared that God would send rain again (in the following chapter), it was rooted in the second part of the promise in Deuteronomy—that if Israel repented, God would allow the rain to fall again.
   16. In both cases, Elijah was simply praying God’s promises back to him. We have even more promises than Elijah did. By one count, there are over 3,000 promises in Scripture, ready for us to unearth and pray back to God.
   17. Prayer isn’t a random wishlist we present to God; it’s the process of discovering what God wants to give us and asking him for it. So rather than just reading through the Bible, try praying through it.[3]
3. The answer:
   1. James 5:17 (ESV)
   2. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
   3. 1 Kings 18:1 (ESV)
   4. After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.”
   5. The drought proved that Baal, the god of the rains and fertility, was impotent before the Lord.^[4]
   6. The answer comes in 1 Kings 18:41-46.
   7. We will not read those verses, but you can turn there later and see the answer to Elijah’s prayer.
4.  Applications:
   1. How are we doing with our prayer life?
   2. What can we learn from Elijah?
   3. Do we realize that God controls the weather?
   4. This may not mean you ask the Lord for a drought, but do we pray for the Lord’s help regarding the weather?
   5. Historically, people worked in agriculture and prayed for help with the weather.
   6. Do we recognize the sovereignty of God?
   7. Do we understand that God is faithful?
   8. The prayers regarding the weather were consistent with God’s prior words in Deut. 11:13-17.
   9. What do we need to pray about this week?
   10. Write it down.
   11. Let’s pray now.
   12. Silent prayer, and then the pastor closes.

³³² Quoted in Horton, Calvin on the Christian Life, 159.

^[1] Timothy Keller, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God (New York: Dutton, 2014), 223–224.

^[2] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 632.

[3] Greear; Four Ways to Pray that Move Heaven. August 19, 2024; Accessed: 02.15.2026

https://jdgreear.com/four-ways-to-pray-that-move-heaven/

^[4] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), 1 Ki 17:1.

Repentant Prayer (Psalm 51)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, March 15, 2026

The comedian Jim Gaffigan has a bit in which he reflects on how people talk about true crime shows. He shares how the neighbors would say, “He never acted like a murderer.” He shares, “If you watch Dateline, it appears most marriages end in murder.”[1]  

Why do we do bad things? We have a sin problem. As a Christian, when sin is exposed, how do we respond?

My theme today is: When we pray, humbly repent of sin(s).

Let’s turn to Psalm 51 and read it.

Psalm 51:1–12 (ESV)

Psalm 51:title (ESV)

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

51 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

¹    Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

     according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

²    Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin!

³    For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

⁴    Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

     so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment.

⁵    Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

⁶    Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

⁷    Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸    Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

⁹    Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰   Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹   Cast me not away from your presence,

and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²   Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.

1. I want to give you some background on Psalm 51.
   1. Psalm 51 is about David, the famous King of Israel.
   2. David had conquered many enemies of Israel.
   3. David was God’s anointed King of Israel (1 Samuel 6:13).
   4. But then, in 2 Samuel 11-13, we see King David commit this awful sin, try to cover it up, and be confronted by the prophet Nathan. David had some free time because the others went out to battle, but this time, King David, the famous King of Israel, stayed home. King David is about to, as Johnny Cash would say, fall into a “Burning Ring of Fire.” During the night, David was walking on the roof of the king’s house, and he saw this beautiful woman named Bathsheba taking a bath. David had a servant go and get her, and David slept with her. Later, she ended up pregnant.
   5. So, David must cover up this sin. The pregnancy is going to make it known by everyone that she is pregnant, but not by her husband. Her husband, Uriah, the Hittite, was away at battle. So, David sent for him. David had him come home and tried to get him to sleep with his wife, Bathsheba. But Uriah wouldn’t. Uriah wanted to be back at the battle.
   6. So then, David sent Uriah back to battle with the message that he would be placed on the front lines, and the rest of the troops would withdraw from him (2 Sam 11:14).
   7. So, Uriah died in battle.
   8. In this Psalm, David has been confronted with the sins of adultery and murder, and this is his prayer of confession.
   9. Before we move on, I want to quote 1 John 1:9: if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
   10. I like what Tim Keller shares:
   11. The Bible, unlike all the other ancient texts … Go read them. Read the other stories and accounts of the Greeks and the Romans and the Norse and the Germans and all of their great heroes, their men and women they lifted up as their leaders and heroes. You’ll never see them treated the way the Bible treats the heroes. Never!
   12. It is incredible, frankly, the detail with which the Bible rubs David’s face in what he did….
   13. Second Samuel 11, tells you with unbelievable detail the premeditation, the hard-heartedness, the incredible things David said and did. The Bible does this. It does it to Peter. It does it to Moses. It does it to Abraham. It does it to everybody.
   14. It takes all of these great men and women and shows you their evil. It shows you what? Do you know why? The main message of the Bible is you and I are sinners. The Bible is not here to say, “Oh look how much worse David is than you and me.” No! The Bible here is to say even a great man, a sublime poet, an athlete, a warrior, a king … I mean, David had it all. Even as great a man as David is capable of this. You don’t think you are? See, the whole purpose of the Bible is to say, “You’re a sinner.”
   15. I’ll put it another way. The Bible says there is a prerequisite, an absolute indispensible prerequisite, for you to meet God. You must repent.^[2]
   16. Further:
   17. You won’t understand psychology. You won’t understand economics. You won’t understand sociology. You won’t understand international relations. You won’t understand social relationships. It’s the problem. The Bible says it’s the key issue, without which you can’t understand anything else. That’s what’s wrong!
   18. You can laugh. You can say, “Oh, the biblical doctrine of sin. Ha! It’s old-fashioned.” So is the law of gravity. “Well, it’s unflattering.” Look. You can make fun of the biblical doctrine of sin. The Bible says until you believe it, you won’t be able to understand hardly anything going on around you. You can make fun of it, but come on! Come up with a better explanation for what’s wrong with the world. Go ahead. Just try.^[3]
2. Let’s look at David’s prayer.
   1. Notice that David asks for God’s grace (verse 1).
   2. Psalm 51:1 (ESV) Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
   3. He says that He wants God’s grace according to His loving kindness and His compassion (verse 1). David acknowledges who God is. David knows that we have a loving God.
   4. David wants God to blot out his transgression, wash him from his iniquity (verses 1 and 9), cleanse him from his sin (verses 2 and 10).
   5. This is an instance in the Bible where there are 3 words for sin. They all have separate meanings but are very similar. Iniquity is a wicked act or thing. Transgression is crossing a law, and sin is missing the mark. David, the famous king of Israel, acknowledges in a heavy way that he messed up. In verse 4, he says that he knows his transgression, crossing of the law. In verse 4, he says he sinned against God and that God is a righteous and just judge.
   6. David wants this sin to be blotted out. The idea of blotting something out is like erasing a contract. David wants his sin to be erased.
   7. In a Babylonian text, there is a comment that the king may order that the tablet of “my sins be broken.” In Hammurabi’s code, an illegal contract for the purchase of a soldier’s home may be canceled by breaking the cuneiform tablet. But this was not usually thought of with a god. This is what David wanted.
   8. David wants to be washed in verse 2, and in verse 7, he talks about being washed. In verse 7, he talks about being purified with hyssop, a plant used to purify uncleanness.
   9. David wants to be cleansed.
   10. Think of the effects of confession and repentance:
   11. By the time Howard Schultz had resigned from Starbucks in 2000, the coffee chain was experiencing steady growth. Eight years later, when Starbucks was reeling from a bad economy and stiff competition, Schultz resumed his role as Starbucks’ chief executive. He faced a challenging mission: to lead a turnaround. In an interview about his return, Schultz commented that before they could move forward, they had to deal with the past by honestly admitting their mistakes. Here’s an excerpt from that interview:
   12. When I returned in January 2008, things were actually worse than I’d thought. The decisions we made were very difficult, but first there had to be a time when we stood up in front of the entire company as leaders and made almost a confession—that the leadership had failed the 180,000 Starbucks people and their families. And even though I wasn’t the CEO…I should have known better. I am responsible. We had to admit to ourselves and to the people of this company that we owned the mistakes that were made. Once we did, it was a powerful turning point. It’s like when you have a secret and get it out: The burden is off your shoulders.[4]
   13. But then, in verse 8, David prays for joy again.
   14. David has probably lost the joy because, for a year, he has felt overwhelming guilt over the sin he committed.
   15. David asks for a clean heart and a right Spirit (10).
   16. David asks that he not be cast from God’s presence and that he not lose the Holy Spirit.
   17. In 1 Samuel 18 and 19, we can see that the Spirit of the Lord had left King David’s predecessor, Saul, because of sin.
   18. Then in verse 12, David asks for the joy of God’s salvation and a willing Spirit. The New Living Translation says, “and make me willing to obey Him.
   19. I find this interesting. After confessing, David asks for help to keep obeying God.
   20. Research psychologists have found there are at least three situations when we are not ourselves. First, the average person puts on airs when he visits the lobby of a fancy hotel. Next, the typical Jane Doe will try to hide her emotions and bamboozle the salesman when she enters the new-car showroom. And finally, as we take our seat in church or synagogue, we try to fake out the Almighty that we’ve really been good all week.[5]
   21. God forgave David. Jesus came from David’s lineage, and Jesus died so that we all can have forgiveness and a relationship with God (2 Cor 5:21: God made Him who knew no sin….). Remember what 1 John 1:9 says: God will forgive us and cleanse us from our sins. If we confess. God will forgive us even if people will not.
   22. Timothy Keller shares:
   23. When David said, “Cast me not away from thy presence,” God didn’t. Do you know why? Because on the cross Jesus was cast away from God’s presence. When Jesus Christ said, “My God, my God,” what was he saying? “My God, my God, why have you cast me away from thy presence?” Everything David says here “Don’t do to me,” which God didn’t do to him, God didn’t do to him because God did it to his own Son in David’s place, in my place, in your place.^[6]
   24. Charles Spurgeon says, in the greatest act of love in the history of the world Jesus Christ stayed on the cross. He saw what we were like and he stayed. Remember he said to Peter, “I could call 10,000 angels like that, and it would be all over,” but he didn’t do it.^[7]

So, pray with repentance. Tim Keller helps us out:

Some years ago, I remember counseling a couple of people in my church in Virginia. They were married and they were having marital problems, largely because the man was prone to anger and abusive language. Not physical abuse but very abusive language. His wife dragged him into counsel with a pastor, and I basically had to lean on him. He said, “Well, I guess you’re right,” but it was very clear he felt like she was being too sensitive. “I’m really no different than other guys.”

He tried to put a lid on it, but he never did. He always said, “I’m sorry,” but he never changed. Finally, one night he calls me up. She left. She was gone. He comes to see me in tears, saying, “I’m really sorry. I really, really see that I have done wrong. I have to stop. I have such a bad mouth on me. I have to stop it. I know I hurt her. I will change the way in which I speak. You have to call her and tell her.”

All I did was I called her and told her, “Why don’t you come, and the three of us will meet?” I didn’t say, “Oh yeah, I’m sure he’s changed.” I said, “Let’s come and let’s hear him.” She listened to him. He says, “I really am sorry. I’m really changed. I really repent.” So she says, “Okay, I’ll come back.” She came back, and for about a month he was fine, and then he went right back to it, and she left for good.

Why? He was sorry for the consequences of the sin. He wasn’t sorry for the sin. Do you know the difference between self-pity and repentance? This means everything here. In self-pity you’re loving yourself. In self-pity you’re saying, “This sin got me into trouble. That’s why I’m so upset.” Actually, you’re sorry for the consequence of the sin, but you don’t hate or are sorry for the sin, because that takes love.^[8]

We must pray that the Lord opens our eyes, so we repent, not because we have been caught, but because we love God and we don’t want to break His heart, nor do we want to hurt other people.

Let’s pray about that.

Luke 9:23

Do you know Jesus?

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

[1] https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=860513759282727

^[2] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

^[3] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

[4] Adi Ignatius, “We Had to Own the Mistakes,” Harvard Business Review (July-August 2010), p. 109

[5] Dr. Perry Buffington, licensed psychologist, author, columnist; “Playing Charades,” Universal Press Syndicate (9-26-99)

^[6] Timothy J. Keller, “Reality: Forgive Us Our Debts,” in The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive, 2014–2015 (New York: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2014), Ps 51.

^[7] Timothy J. Keller, “Reality: Forgive Us Our Debts,” in The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive, 2014–2015 (New York: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2014), Ps 51.

^[8] Timothy J. Keller, “Reality: Forgive Us Our Debts,” in The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive, 2014–2015 (New York: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2014), Ps 51.

Daniel’s Prayer Life (Daniel 9:4-19)                     

Daniel humbly comes to the Lord on behalf of Israel.

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, March 8, 2026

Daniel’s Prayer Life (Daniel 9:4-19)                     

Daniel humbly comes to the Lord on behalf of Israel.

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, March 8, 2026

A boy Scout was on a plane with a pilot, a minister, and a computer whiz. There was trouble on the plane. The plane was beginning to dive. They realized that they had to put on parachutes and jump. The only problem was there were only three parachutes and there were four people. The pilot came and said, “Well, look, I’ve got a wife and four kids, I need a parachute.” So, he took the parachute and he jumped.

The computer whiz said, “Well, I’ve got all of this knowledge that the world desperately needs for the twenty-first century, and I can’t have it die with me, so I need a parachute.” So, the computer whiz took a parachute and he jumped.

The minister looked at the little boy and said, “Well, look, I’ve lived a long, full life and you’re just a young man. You take the last parachute, and I’ll go down with the plane.”

The little boy looked at the minister and said, “Mr. Minister, don’t worry about it. The brilliant computer whiz just took my knapsack and jumped out of the plane.”

A lot of us are too smart for our britches. We think more of ourselves than we ought to. We think we’re a life whiz and every time we jump out to do right, we fall flat on our face. God has what we need in order to jump and land on our feet. All we have to do is humble ourselves and submit to Him.^479,[1]

We are in a year-long focus on prayer. Today, we look at Daniel’s prayer life. Notice Daniel’s humble prayer.

My theme today:

Daniel humbly comes to the Lord on behalf of Israel.

1. Context
   1. This is towards the latter half of Daniel.
   2. He writes about dramatic end-times visions in chapters 7 and 8.
   3. Now, Daniel is seeking the Lord in a prayer of repentance.
   4. This prayer occurred shortly after the Babylonian Empire was overthrown by the Medes and the Persians in 539 c., thus fulfilling the prophecy of the handwriting on the wall (cf. ch. 5).^[2]
   5. Daniel’s prayer was prompted by reading Jeremiah, part of the OT canon that had been collected up to that point, where he found a reference to the desolations of Jerusalem lasting for seventy years.^[3]
2. Notice, Daniel seeks the Lord in humility (Daniel 9:3).
   1. Daniel 9:3 (ESV)
   2. ³ Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
   3. Daniel turns his face to the Lord. This means his demeanor is one of seeking the Lord.
   4. Daniel is seeking the Lord by prayer, that is how he seeks the Lord.
   5. He is seeking the Lord by pleading for mercy. Mercy would be asking God to hold back what we deserve.
   6. Daniel does this with sackcloth and ashes.
3. Daniel reviews Israel’s sin (Daniel 9:4-11).
   1. Daniel 9:4–11 (ESV)
   2. ⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁵ we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. ⁶ We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. ⁷ To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. ⁸ To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. ⁹ To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him ¹⁰ and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. ¹¹ All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.
   3. Let’s walk through this prayer:
   4. Daniel writes that he prayed to the Lord, his God…
   5. It was a day in which nations would worship different deities. Daniel is praying to his God.
   6. Daniel writes that he made confession.
   7. As we look at this prayer, I notice that he is repenting for national sins.
   8. We will come back to that.
   9. Then, we see this worshipful, confessional prayer.
   10. He begins, “O Lord, the great and awesome God…”
   11. This is one of the many models for prayer. We ought to begin our prayers by acknowledging God’s awesomeness.
   12. Daniel acknowledges the Lord’s attributes.
   13. The Lord keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and obey Him.
   14. Daniel 9:5 begins confession: “We have sinned…”
   15. Daniel is repenting for national sins. He is repenting of sins committed before he was born.
   16. Daniel says they have done wrong. They have acted wickedly. They have rebelled. They have turned aside from the Lord’s commandments and rules. If we want a list, we can go to 2 Kings 17:7-18. They walked in the customs of the nations the Lord had driven out (2 Kings 17:8). They built for themselves “high places.” These would be pagan ceremonial sacrificial places (2 Kings 17:9-12). They made idols. They abandoned the Lord’s commandments (2 Kings 17:16). They burned their sons and daughters as offerings (2 Kings 17:17). That is child sacrifice.
   17. In Daniel 9:6, Daniel acknowledges that they did not listen to the prophets.
   18. We see Daniel worship the Lord in Daniel 9:7- worship the Lord. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame. Notice the humility.
   19. Amid our holy and awesome Lord, we will be humbled.
   20. In the rest of Daniel 9:7, he is sharing that all of those of Judah who have been spread out all over the lands are ashamed.
   21. In Daniel 9:8, he builds on this. In verse 7, he prayed that the people would deserve shame, but now he is bringing in the kings, princes, and fathers. This is because they have sinned against the Lord.
   22. Daniel does not gloss over anything.
   23. In Daniel 9:9-10, he talks about the Lord. They need mercy and forgiveness from the Lord. They have not obeyed the Lord. They have not walked in His ways. The Lord sent His prophets to proclaim His ways, but they have not followed them.
   24. In Deut. 28:15-68 Moses proclaimed an “if-then” covenant. If you obey, there will be blessings, but if not, there will be curses. They did not obey.
   25. Daniel makes no excuses. He repents, acknowledging that they deserve this.
   26. He is humble in a worshipful, repentant prayer.
4. Daniel reviews Israel’s suffering (Daniel 9:12-14).
   1. Daniel 9:12–14 (ESV)
   2. ¹² He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. ¹³ As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.
   3. In Daniel 9:12, he is praying that the Lord has kept His Word.
   4. Yet they did not repent. They have not turned from their iniquities, which are gross sins.
   5. They did not gain insight from the Lord’s truth.
   6. In Daniel 9:14, we see the inference. “Therefore,” the Lord kept ready the calamity… That makes it sound like the Lord knew the time was coming but was restraining it. The Lord knew this was coming, but gave them more time to repent. That would be the truth. The Lord knows all things.
   7. Daniel again appeals to the Lord’s righteousness. He is righteous in all He does.
   8. Daniel brings in more communal repentance. “We” have not obeyed His voice.
5. Daniel makes a request (Daniel 9:15-19).
   1. Daniel 9:15–19 (ESV)
   2. ¹⁵ And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
   3. ¹⁶ “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. ¹⁷ Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. ¹⁸ O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. ¹⁹ O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”
   4. In Daniel 9:15, he continues to appeal to Israel’s history with the Lord. He identifies the Lord as “our” Lord.
   5. You brought “Your” people out of Egypt.
   6. You are the One Who brought them out of Egypt. He brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand. He is appealing to the Lord’s strength.
   7. Interesting, Daniel says that the Lord made a name for Himself. What is that about? He is saying that when He delivered the Israelites from Egypt, everyone heard about it. When the Lord led them into the promised land, their reputation preceded them.
   8. Again, Daniel says that they have sinned and acted wickedly.
   9. Now, in Daniel 9:16, he makes a request. O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.
   10. Daniel is appealing to the Lord as the righteous One. The Lord will do what is right.
   11. Daniel prayed for restoration in 3 aspects. In effect he asked God to bring back “Your city” (vv. 16, 18), “Your desolate sanctuary (v. 17), and “Your people” (v. 19). God’s answer embraced all three (v. 24).^[4]
   12. He is asking that the Lord hear… The Lord hears everything, but this is about the Lord hearing in a positive, affirmative way.
   13. Daniel says that he is not appealing based on their righteousness; no, he is appealing based on God’s great mercy.
   14. He is asking the Lord to hold back the judgment that they deserve.
   15. Daniel appeals based on Who the Lord is. Daniel appeals based on the Lord’s character and great Name.
   16. It is interesting that Daniel did not tell God what to do. Instead he asked God to hear, to see, and to act.^[5]
   17. If we read on, Daniel 9:20 states that he continued to confess and repent, and then Gabriel responded.
   18. They do re-enter the land in the years following this prayer. We won’t read those verses, but Gabriel responds. The response is about final judgment and restoration.
6.  Applications:
   3. Notice Daniel’s demeanor from Daniel 9:3. How do we show the Lord that we are humbly seeking Him?
   4. Do we humbly seek the Lord?
   5. We may not put on sackcloth and ashes, but are we humble when we seek Him?
   6. This is not about being showy to other people. Sometimes, an outward demeanor tells our inner selves that this is important, and we are talking with the Lord of all creation.
   7. Daniel worships as he prays. He calls God “great and awesome,” do we worship in prayer?
   8. Do we go before the Lord in a humble and worshipful way?
   9. However, there is another aspect to this.
   10. Daniel goes before the Lord in a priestly way on behalf of the people.
   11. Around 669 years later, there will be another Man Who will intercede for the people. This will be Jesus.
   12. Daniel interceded for the people as a prophet. Jesus will intercede for the people as the great High Priest (Heb. 4:14).

Alfred Tennyson says, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of” (Fyall, Daniel: A Tale of Two Cities, 131). The Bible teaches us how true that is, especially when a man of God intercedes for the people of God. Moses, in Exodus 32 (cf. Deut 9:13–14), pleads with God not to destroy the people for their idolatry. Instead, he asks God to take his life in their place. God did not wipe them out. Here Daniel identifies himself with his people in their sin, making their sin his sin. Both anticipate the greater Moses (Deut 18:15–20) and the greater Daniel who will identify himself with those he will save and substitute himself in death, taking their place and bearing the punishment of their sin. And we should note the important role prayer played in the past but also in the present. In the past, in the garden of Gethsemane, our Lord was troubled and wept in prayer as he prepared to take on the sins of the world and to bear in his own body the judgment and wrath of God. But now, as Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25 tell us, we have an intercessor in heaven, a great high priest, who pleads our cause before “the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands” (Dan 9:4).

The prayer of Moses draws my admiration. The prayer of Daniel inspires my emulation. The prayers of Jesus move me to adoration. His prayers led him to experience “public shame” (v. 7) in my place. His prayers my God heard. His prayers led my God to forgive. Hearing the prayers of his own dear Son, my God paid attention and he acted, raising Jesus from the dead after which Christ ascended on high and is “able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb 7:25). I love praying men. I worship my praying God!^[6]

A man one day was on his way to catch a train. He had to get to work because he had an important meeting. He had to catch the 8:05 train. Now, it had rained the night before and the man was rushing out the door. As he opened the back door, there was his little son playing in the mud. He was busy rubbing mud on his face, mud on his arms, and just having a good old time playing in the mud. The father, intent on catching the 8:05, jumped over his son, said good-bye, and rushed out of the house to catch the 8:05, but he slipped and fell in the mud next to his son. So now the father is in the mud and the son is in the mud. But, the father had to catch the 8:05. He had a place to go. Because of where he needed to go, he did not stay in the mud and play with his son. His son was enjoying playing in the mud and wasn’t trying to go anywhere. But the father had a train to catch. He jumped up out of the mud. Best as he could, he cleaned himself off and took off running because he had a train to catch. He had to catch the 8:05 and he knew that on the 8:05 there was going to be a restroom where he could clean up the dirt that he had accumulated during the time he was in the mud.

There are two kinds of people today. There are some who are playing in the mud and are not trying to go anywhere. There are other people who are in the mud but don’t want to be.

Maybe you’ve slipped in the mud or maybe you’ve walked right into the mud, but now it has dawned on you that you’ve got a train to catch—a place to go. You’ve got a God to know, a life to live, experiences to have, and you want all that God has for you. Maybe you’ve decided to leave the mud, to repent, to turn, and to catch the train because on this train, God has got a restroom that will clean you up. He’s got the blood of Jesus Christ that will transform you and take you to the destination of God’s purpose for your life.

Sin always has consequences. But the good news is that grace is greater than sin.^756,[7]

Prayer

^[1] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 160.

^[2] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1605.

^[3] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1605.

^[4] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Da 9:16.

^[5] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Da 9:18.

^[6] Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Daniel (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 115–116.

^[7] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 247.

Abraham Intercedes for Lot (Gen. 18:16-33)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, March 1, 2026

Prayer is surrender—surrender to the will of God and cooperation with that will. If I throw out a boat hook from a boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God.

—E. Stanley Jones, A Song of Ascents^[1]

We are in a series on prayer.

Today, we look at Abraham interceding for Sodom and surrendering to the Lord.

My theme today is:

Abraham speaks to the Lord on behalf of Sodom.

The application:

Go to the Lord on behalf of those suffering.

1. 1. Genesis 18:22 (ESV) ²² So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.
   2. Let’s put this passage in context.
   3. We learn in Gen. 18:1 that the Lord appeared to Abraham. Three men appear to Abraham, but one is clearly the Lord. Most likely these three men are the Lord and two angels.
   4. Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3), so I think this is an appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament.
   5. Abraham is very hospitable, and then they tell Abraham that he will have a son in the next year.
   6. Then, in Gen. 18:16-21, the Lord speaks to the other two men, likely angels, about revealing to Abraham what He will do in destroying Sodom.
   7. Abraham’s nephew and his family were in Sodom.
   8. Verse 22: the other men, angels head towards Sodom. Abraham stays with the Lord. This is really cool! Here he is with the Lord in human form.
   9. CSB: The Lord would investigate Sodom and Gomorrah for two reasons: the outcry coming from their victims was immense, and the cities’ sin was extremely serious. According to Ezk 16:49–50, the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah included self-centered pride, neglect of the poor and needy, and doing unnamed detestable things. According to Gn 19:5–9, one of the “detestable acts” was attempted homosexual gang rape. Through his appointed representatives the Lord would experience what justified the cry that had come up to Him.^[2]
   10. Verses 23-24: ²³ Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Abraham asks of the Lord… will You really do this?
   11. Verse 24: Suppose 50 righteous people.
   12. Verses 25-26: ²⁵ Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” ²⁶ And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
   13. I love the humility in which Abraham asks this: far be it from You to do such a thing…
   14. Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is right? That is an important statement.
   15. Yes, HE DOES.
   16. There is no one righteous (Romans 3:23).
   17. God comes down to show that He is just!
   18. Deuteronomy 32:4 (ESV): ⁴“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
   19. Verses 26-28: ²⁷ Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. ²⁸ Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
   20. The Lord responds, remember He is right there.
   21. If 45 righteous people, God will spare the whole place.
   22. Notice the continual humility in Abraham.
   23. Notice Abraham’s humility: I am but dust and ashes. Abraham’s negotiation, far from being crassly or selfishly manipulative, humbly and compassionately expressed his concern for people (cf. 13:8, 9) and particularly interceded for the place where his nephew Lot and his family lived. Neither did he intend to anger the Lord by his repeated requests (vv. 28, 30, 32).^[6]
   24. Verses 29-33: ²⁹ Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” ³⁰ Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” ³¹ He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” ³² Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” ³³ And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
   25. That the number of righteous people necessary to forestall judgment had been reduced from 50 to 10 may have reflected Abraham’s awareness both of the intense wickedness of the cities as well as Lot’s ineffective witness there. Abraham probably had the whole of Lot’s family in mind.^[11]
   26. We see Abraham’s heart and God’s heart.
   27. The Lord departed from him.
2.  Applications:
   1. Do we intercede for our family in crisis?
   2. Abraham’s nephew and his family were in Sodom. They would be destroyed.
   3. In the next chapter, the Lord rescues Lot, Abraham’s nephew.
   4. We all have family and loved ones who are dying without Jesus. Do we intercede for them?
   5. Do we go to the Lord asking for their salvation?
   6. Notice Abraham’s humility, are we humble before the Lord?
   7. Do we pray? Archbishop William Temple says your religion is what you do with your solitude.^[12]

Do you know Him?

Go to Him in prayer.

^[1] Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1501 Other Stories (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2016), 453.

^[2] Robert D. Bergen, “Genesis,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 37.

^[3] Ibid, Ge 18:23–26.

^[4] Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 1 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 148.

OT Old Testament

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^[5] Robert D. Bergen, “Genesis,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 37.

^[6] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ge 18:27.

^[7] Ibid, Ge 18:29.

^[8] Ibid, Ge 18:30.

^[9] Ibid, Ge 18:31.

^[10] Ibid, Ge 18:32–33.

^[11] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ge 18:32.

^[12] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

^[13] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

^[14] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

^[15] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).