I call this lesson “Prayer in the Will of God.”
“And the LORD said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.’ But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, ‘…Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, “I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.”’ And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people” (Exodus 32:9-14, ESV).
I’ve been thinking, we need to stop talking about the will of God. I think we get ourselves confused and start thinking the wrong way. I think we should talk about the heart of God; His steadfast, unending, unchanging love, and His kind intentions and good desires for us. And we can talk about his plans and purposes. God’s heart loved the Israelites. God’s head was saying they have gone too far. God’s heart for us will never change. He will always love his children. He will always love, period. He will always be good, kind, patient; those things will never change. That’s the unchanging God, His unchanging character.
His plans and purposes can change though. No one can outrun, out-maneuver, out-plot God and keep His determined plan from carrying out, but He can change His own mind. Why did He change His mind here, in this story? Moses prayed. His heart wasn’t to hurt these people. He never inflicts willingly on His people. He does it because He has to, not because He wants to. He was ready and willing to answer Moses’ prayer. We can change the course of history with our prayers. God changes His mind. God can change His plans.
He acts when we pray. He wants us to pray. Did He want Moses to pray? I would say, yes. He listens to Moses and does as He asks. God says, “Let me alone that I may destroy them.” He shows Moses how to stop it. Don’t let Him alone. In the Gospels, we’re taught to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. We’re told God will answer persistent prayer. Jesus, Himself, tells us we can ask whatsoever.
God loves when we pray. When we pray, we give Him the right to act on our behalf and on the behalf of others. God’s justice demanded that He destroy the stiff-necked people. Our prayers can intercede, as God’s priests’ did in the Old Testament: stand in the gap. We can stay God’s judgment, buy more time allowing him to show off more of His great mercy and love. We can, and should, always surrender our whole lives to Him, giving Him the go-ahead to act on our behalf, for our good, for His glory, bringing about His heart’s desire for us to know Him.