SCRIPTURE: Genesis 18
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
(Read my reflection from 2008)
Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home. [Genesis 18:32-33]
Sarah laughs and lies, Abraham pleads – both seem to be impertinent.
Do they realize who they are speaking too?
At this point probably not, and we have to appreciate also that what the visitor was promising was crazy – having a baby at her age?
Abraham’s pleading is natural, after all he is concerned for his family in Sodom.
But if they knew who they were talking to, would they have talked that way?

A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. [Matthew 15:22-28]
Wow, this woman has nerve, to challenge the Messiah like this.
But does she realize who she is speaking to?
She calls Him “Lord, Son of David”, but as a Gentile did she know what that meant?
Her pleading is natural, after all she is concerned for her daughter’s health.
But if she knew who she was talking to, would she have talked that way?

My suspicion is that we all fall into this category, of speaking to God in ways that are not respectful, and that if we really knew Who we were talking to, we might not talk the way we do.
Many of our prayers probably cross the line from respect to disrespect – impertinent.
But what both stories reveal is that God is not petty, that Jesus is merciful.
God is extremely patient with us, and puts up with a lot of our impertinence and disrespectful prayers because He knows “we don’t know what we are doing”.
Jesus even pleads for forgiveness for those who crucified Him, because they didn’t know what they were doing.
If we really knew Who it is we were talking to, if we really appreciated the greatness and goodness of the God we claim to worship, many of us would say with Job, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. [Job 42:3]

But the last word is always grace… and we can be encouraged that even when we speak in ways unworthy of God, He sees beyond our failure to the simple, sincere faith that is buried beneath it.
He loves us, He knows our heart, He listens to our prayers, even the impertinent ones.

PRAYER:
Lord, if Your listening to me depended on the worthiness of my prayers, I would be in trouble. Thank You for listening to me, even when my prayers are misguided.