Prayer And Supplication With Thanksgiving
We continue with Paul’s declaration notice concerning praying, when one is anxious. We are noting how it is applied to Moses, leader of the people of God, in a most crucial and critical time. God is mightily angry with His beloved children.
As we continue exercising our faith, we are receiving living newness concerning our well-known passage of Scripture. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God: and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6 - 7
Point two: You are to tell God your every request by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving.
In this prayer of supplication, Moses tells his every request to God. He is not hesitant or shy in speaking. He is not hiding anything from God. Look at how free Moses is in prayer, as heard and seen in Exodus 32: 11b – 13. Moses can be free in speaking to God, for God is free in speaking with him. You too are to be free in speaking to God, because He is always free, true and honest when He speaks to you. Always remember and be ever thankful that you are able to speak to God, because He is the One who first came to you and spoke to you. In speaking to God, you are only following His lead.
We now listen to Moses, the supplicant, as he pleads with a seething-hot, angry God. We lean heavily and only on God the Holy Spirit to enable, quicken and keep us living and active in this declaration of fearless prayer.
He states his pleading position concerning the people of God.
LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Exodus 32: 11b
He states his precarious position concerning the enemy of God.
Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Exodus 32: 12a.
He states his present position concerning the anger of God.
Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from the harm to Your people. Exodus 32: 12b.
He states his pressing position concerning the promises of God.
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants and they shall inherit it forever. Exodus 32: 13.
In his supplication, Moses has touched many areas and named several factors, but the sin of the people is not mentioned in his prayer. He pleads on behalf of a stiff-necked people, but their sins are not itemized by him. His prayer is all about God and all to God. In his fervent supplication, doesn’t he do this? He exalts and lifts high the righteousness of God, not the sinfulness of God’s people. He recites the promises of God, who is true to His Word and not the promises of God’s people who are fickle and foolish in their ways. He touches the forgiving, relenting heart of a merciful God, and not the idolatrous hearts of His reckless people.
Believer, you too are facing anxiety concerning the future of those whom God has spoken to you about, concerning their wickedness and idolatry. Let prayer be humble and honest, as you lift your God up with unwavering faith. Make your supplication on the basis of God’s goodness and not on our sinfulness. Let the fear of God and no other fear, inform your supplication.
Pause for a bit here. In this most crucial and critical time, when God has spoken of the demise of His people, Moses prays. In this awful time, when God wants to be left alone, so that His wrath can burn hot against them, to consume every single one of them, leaders and followers alike, Moses prays. Moses does not wait on anyone to partner with him in prayer. He is alone in prayer, so urgent and grave is the situation. O how he must be ever thankful to God that even in this time, he can enter into the throne room of prayer with his God. Does this not strike you squarely in your face of pleading prayer?
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