Praying After Disobedience - Deuteronomy 7-9

 Deuteronomy 9:25-29 (ESV)

“So I lay prostrate before the LORD for these forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said he would destroy you. And I prayed to the LORD, ‘O Lord GOD, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not regard the stubbornness of this people, or their wickedness or their sin, lest the land from which you brought us say, “Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land that he promised them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.” For they are your people and your heritage, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.’

How do you pray when you, or someone you love has disobeyed God?   The answer may be in the above passage of Moses recounting how he prayed when Israel sin.  Note:

1. He, himself, took it personal and fasted for a length of time over their sin.  When Moses was told by God that God would destroy them, Moses took action to put himself in a posture humble toward God. 

2. He reminded God about His purpose for redeeming the nation of Israel.   In his prayer he brought to God’s attention the entire reason for God’s redemptive plan that would use Israel to save mankind.   (That was the reason for Israel’s redemption from Egypt.)

3. He asked God to remember the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel).   Moses knew that God had made promises to the patriarchs and that God would keep His promises. 

4. He appealed to God’s reputation among the nations that would see all this.  Moses saw the nation of Israel for what they were, a light to the nations.   If God destroyed them, Moses would pray, the nations would have no light of who God was.  In fact, they would mock that God was “unable” to carry out His plan. 

5.  He reminded God of that these where God’s people and that He has redeemed them in power.    

Remembering these types of things when praying for ourselves and others is a great way to pray.   We are to bring back to God His covenant plan for us and remember and recite back to God His great work that He has already accomplished through us for His great plan.