Today’s Key Scripture

“So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children; for the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.”

— Genesis 20:17-18

The Bible is filled with examples of prayer changing God’s plans. Let me quickly say that prayer does not change prophecy, but if man cooperates with God, God will answer, and His plans to punish will be changed.

One of the first is recorded in Genesis 20, where Abraham journeyed to Gerar where King Abimelech took Sarah, Abraham’s wife, to be his. The Lord warned him in a dream that if he did not restore her back to Abraham, he would die. The Lord also had closed the wombs of King Abimelech’s wives so that none could bear children in his house.

Yet when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his maidservants. The plan of God was changed as Abraham prayed.

And in the process, a great wealth transfer occurred: “Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, ‘See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.’ Then to Sarah, he said, ‘Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody’” (Genesis 20:14-16).

Prayer does change things, even the plans of God.

 

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, I submit my ways to Your ways and my plans to Your plans. Help my will to be conformed to yours as I walk in the power of the Holy Spirit every day. I truly seek to know what You desire in me and for me. I pray that Your will is accomplished as Your righteousness is increased in me and as I aspire to see Your will done throughout the world. Help me to remember that Your path is always best and that Your way is to do immeasurably more than all I can ask or imagine. I pray this in the name above all names, Jesus, amen.

 

*All Scripture references are NKJV unless otherwise noted.