06/16/2026
It's not about your power to pray. It's about the God to whom you pray.
In 1924, Dallas Theological Seminary was facing a $10,000 deficit. A professor named Harry Ironside stood up and prayed, "God, we know you own the cattle on a thousand hills. Will you please sell some of those cattle to meet this need?"
A few hours later, a check arrived in the mail. Sent days before the prayer was ever prayed. From a Texas rancher. For exactly $10,000. The attached note… “Please accept my gift. I received the money from the sale of some of my cattle.”
We don't know how prayer works. We just know that it does.
This Sunday we opened Genesis 18 and walked through one of the most remarkable prayer conversations in all of Scripture. Abraham standing before the Lord, negotiating for the lives of an entire city. From 50 righteous people down to 10.
But here's what we almost miss, Abraham wasn't bold enough to start that conversation. God brought it up first. He asked himself, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?"
The Lord always gets the first word. And the last word. Everything in between is an invitation to draw near.
The whole negotiation reveals that you don't have to force God to be merciful. He already longs to be! He takes no delight in the death of the wicked. He is grounded by grace and guided by his promises.
So today, the question is simple.
Is there anyone in your life whose life would change if you started praying for them?
