God’s Deliverance Through Prayer I. Introduction A. Psalms 22:4-5, 81:1, 107:1-43 B. The Bible tells the story of how God frequently delivered His people out of trial and struggle and was able to work powerfully in and through them to accomplish His purposes C. In terms of the endeavors of the people of God one constant stands out: they cried out to God in prayer, He heard them, and He delivered them D. As Christians we do well to consider the history of the people of God, how they prayed and how God answered, and thus understand the critical importance of our prayer life! II. The Old Testament A. Enosh: Genesis 4:26 1. Within three generations of humanity men began to “call upon the name of YHWH” according to Genesis 4:26 2. This no doubt refers to more than just prayer but certainly not less B. The Israelites: Exodus 2:24-25, 3:7-10, 14:10 1. The Israelites cried out on account of their bitter servitude 2. YHWH heard and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 3. As He calls Moses, YHWH’s reason for delivering Israelites is based on having heard their cry along with faithfulness to His covenant promise; so also in Deuteronomy 26:6-9, Joshua 24:7, 1 Samuel 12:8, Psalm 107:2-7 C. Moses 1. Moses frequently prays, interceding for others, and things happen 2. Exodus 8:30: prayed to YHWH, the flies departed 3. Exodus 15:25: cried out on account of bitter water; shown a log to cast into it in order to purify it 4. Numbers 11:2: camp burns, Moses prays, fire ends 5. Numbers 21:7: Moses’ prayer for Israel leads to command to make bronze serpent, provides deliverance from poison D. Judges: Judges 2:18, 3:9, 3:15, 4:3, 6:6-7, 10:10 1. Throughout the Judges cycle the Israelites turn aside from God and serve other gods 2. YHWH then hands them over to an oppressor 3. Israel will then cry out in distress on account of the oppressor, and YHWH would send a judge to deliver them from the oppressor 4. So it was with Mesopotamians and Othniel; Moabites and Ehud; Midianites and Gideon; the Ammonites and Jephthah E. Samuel 1. 1 Samuel 1:10, 27, 2:1: Samuel born as a result of fervent prayer of mother Hannah 2. 1 Samuel 7:9: Samuel cries out to YHWH for the people; Israel gets victory over Philistia 3. 1 Samuel 8:6: when people want a king, Samuel immediately prays to YHWH 4. 1 Samuel 15:11: on account of Saul’s faithlessness Samuel cries to YHWH; soon after YHWH directs him to anoint David as the next king of Israel F. David and the Psalter 1. In his psalms David affirms that he cried out to YHWH and received deliverance from his enemies and afflictions (Psalms 18:6, 30:2, 31:22, 34:4-6) 2. He testifies that his fathers trusted in YHWH and He delivered them when they cried out to Him (Psalm 22:4-5, 24) 3. The Psalter also envisions circumstances where YHWH delivers those who pray to Him (Psalm 66:17), and gives voice to Israel to declare how YHWH has delivered Israel when he prayed to Him (Psalm 107:1-22) G. Asa (2 Chronicles 14:11-15): cried out to YHWH in the midst of distress, gained victory in battle H. Elijah 1. James’ pre-eminent example of prayer in James 5:17-18 2. When the widow of Zarephath’s son dies, Elijah prays, and he is brought back to life (1 Kings 17:17-23) 3. Elijah prays, God brings down fire, proves His divinity (1 Kings 18:36-38) 4. Prays for the return of rain and it comes (1 Kings 18:42-46) 5. Prays for death but God gives him life through sustenance (1 Kings 19:4-7) 6. 1 Kings 19:15-18: in Elijah’s and Elisha’s work God delivers Israel from those who would have them serve Baal I. Elisha 1. Elisha’s life and activities are marked by prayer as well 2. Prays for the son of the Shunammite; restored to life (2 Kings 4:32-35) 3. Prays that the servant’s eyes might be opened to see the deliverance of YHWH through His fiery host (2 Kings 6:17); prays for blindness on the Arameans and it happens (2 Kings 6:18) J. Jonah (Jonah 2:1-10): Jonah rescued from the storm by the big fish; prays from the belly of the fish to God to thank Him for deliverance K. Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:14-19 / 2 Chronicles 32:20-21 / Isaiah 37:15-38 1. Hezekiah is greatly afflicted: the king of Assyria has invaded, laid waste to all other towns, besieging Jerusalem 2. No other territory has escaped his hand, including Israel to the north 3. Hezekiah prays to YHWH; YHWH hears and rescues Hezekiah and Jerusalem 4. Previously Hezekiah was sick unto death, prayed, and was healed (2 Kings 20:1-5 / 2 Chronicles 32:24) L. Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33:13): having been defeated for committing idolatry Manasseh prays to YHWH and is restored M. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32:1-44): YHWH makes known to Jeremiah the hope for restoration after Jeremiah prays regarding the directive to redeem a kinsman’s piece of property N. Daniel 1. In times of distress Daniel and his associates pray for deliverance (Daniel 2:17-23, 6:1-28) 2. When the time of exile has come to its end, Daniel prays, confessing Israel’s sin, seeking deliverance; given a vision of the future of Jerusalem (Daniel 9:1-27) O. Ezra (Ezra 9:1-15): upon hearing of the intermarriages among Israel, Ezra prays in confession; the people hear, repent, and disaster is averted (Ezra 10:1-44) P. Nehemiah 1. Nehemiah prays in the midst of telling the king what is going on (Nehemiah 2:4), is granted to return to Judah to repair the walls 2. In his day a prayer of confession made highlighting God’s deliverance of His people in past times, sinfulness of their fathers, their own sinfulness, and request for forgiveness and establishment of covenant (Nehemiah 9:1-38) Q. Esther (Esther 4:1-17): Mordecai, Esther pray and fast, able to secure deliverance for Israel from Haman’s wickedness through God’s power and providence III. New Testament A. Simeon (Luke 2:25-32): sees the promised Child who would save Israel, prays to God B. Jesus 1. Prayed continually throughout His mission (Luke 6:12, 9:28) 2. Prayed for the children (Matthew 19:13) 3. Exhorted His followers to pray fervently (Luke 18:1-8) 4. Prayed for the Apostles, us (John 17:1-26) 5. Prayed in Gethsemane whether the cup could pass or not; regardless, God’s will be done (Matthew 26:36-44) C. The Apostles and Associates 1. After Jesus’ Ascension, remained “steadfastly in prayer” (Acts 1:14); Pentecost came soon after (Acts 2:1-14) 2. Stephen cried out to the Lord during his stoning (Acts 7:54-60) 3. Cornelius and Peter see angel, vision while praying; prayers as testimony before God leading to news of salvation (Acts 10:1-16) 4. Prayers made while Peter in prison; he was divinely released (Acts 12:5-17) 5. In midst of trial and in prison Paul and Silas pray and sing; earthquake leads to their release, redemption of jailer (Acts 16:25ff) 6. Prayers were offered surrounding Paul’s visit and detention (Acts 21:5) D. Revelation 8:4: prayers of the saints are as incense before God’s presence E. Thus we see the continual, persistent theme in Scripture: God’s people pray, God delivers! IV. Consideration and Application A. We speak of the men and women of faith in Hebrews 11:1-40 and commend them and their examples because of their faith 1. This is well and good; yet what did that faith motivate them to do? 2. Faith motivates prayer (among other things): to believe that God is and a rewarder of those who seek Him compels one to cry out to Him with their petitions (cf. Hebrews 11:6)! 3. Moses, David, Hezekiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel: great men of faith who prayed to God and were delivered B. Meanwhile in Scripture we have the examples of the men and women who may have not exhibited as much faith: when they would repent and cry out to God, He delivered! 1. Israel in Egypt is in a sorry condition, yet God hears their cry (Exodus 3:7-10) 2. Israel in the Wilderness is even more sorry, having less excuse for faithlessness, but when they are chastised, repent, and cry out, God has mercy on them (Exodus 15:25, Numbers 11:2, 21:7) 3. Israel during the Judges acts in most ungodly and depraved ways, but again, when they turn away from idolatry and toward God they cry out and are delivered by a judge (Judges 2:18, etc.) 4. Perhaps no greater individual example exists than Manasseh, famously idolatrous, and yet when he repented and prayed to YHWH he received deliverance and restoration (2 Chronicles 33:13)! 5. God’s deliverance is thus not limited only to the great champions of faith; deliverance can be obtained by those who turn from their evil ways and toward God (cf. 1 Timothy 1:12-17) C. From these examples we can derive encouragement and hope (Romans 15:4) 1. The testimony of Scripture is clear: God delivers those who entrust themselves to Him and cry out to Him 2. The situation may seem dire, hopeless; yet so was Israel’s condition in Egypt and Judah’s condition before Assyria 3. We may feel unworthy, too sinful, too compromised; yet so was Israel in the Wilderness and during the days of the Judges, and with repentance they cried to God and received deliverance 4. God has persistently and consistently delivered His people when they turned from their sins and prayed to Him; we can have great confidence in that for ourselves as well! D. God’s Promises, Our Prayers 1. Romans 8:28: all things will work for good for those who love God 2. Romans 8:31-39: God will give all things; God will not condemn; believers will not be separated from God’s love 3. Yet even in Romans 8:31-39 the recognition of Romans 8:17-18: we will be called upon to suffer for Jesus 4. The deliverance God promises in the new covenant is deliverance from sin and death through Jesus’ death and resurrection; to be delivered from sin and death may involve suffering both (Romans 8:17-18, 1 John 3:16, etc.) 5. Yet it is quite clear in Scripture that God’s people cannot rescue or deliver themselves; God’s mighty hand proves necessary 6. Likewise, God stands ready to deliver and gain the glory, yet that work is consistently motivated by the prayers of the people of God to that end! 7. If we are not praying for it, will we expect to obtain it? 8. If we are not confessing our sins in prayer and repenting of them, how can we expect forgiveness and deliverance (1 John 1:9)? 9. If we are not asking for deliverance from the Evil One and from temptation (Matthew 6:10), how can we expect to overcome temptations and Satan (cf. 1 Peter 1:5-7)? E. YHWH delivers His people when they call to Him. Praise YHWH forever! V. Conclusion A. We have investigated the many examples of YHWH’s deliverance of His people when they pray in Scripture B. We can see that God is faithful and desires for the repentance, deliverance, and redemption of His people, even when they have been less than faithful in the past C. If you have yet to cry out to YHWH for deliverance, do so today! 1. Trust is absolutely necessary for any such cry to be of effect; thus you must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the means of salvation (Matthew 16:17, Acts 16:31) 2. We must prove willing to declare that publicly before one another (Romans 10:9-10) 3. We must then repent, changing our hearts and minds for the better, turning away from all that led us into danger and death (Acts 2:38) 4. Then we can cry out to God for a clear conscience through the resurrection of Jesus, calling on the name of the Lord to obtain remission of sins, through baptism (Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21) 5. As children of God we continually cry out for God to forgive us of sin and to come soon (Matthew 18:1-8, 1 John 1:9) D. Do you need the prayers of others for deliverance or strength? We can provide those today as well! E. Let us continually trust in YHWH, call out to Him in our distress, and trust in His deliverance! Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4). We can gain great encouragement and hope from seeing how God has worked with His people throughout time. This is certainly true in terms of how God responded to the prayers of His people. Let us learn from Scripture about the power of prayer! 2: "When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto YHWH, then YHWH sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place (1 Samuel 12:8). In distress and suffering in Egypt Israel cried out to God. God heard their prayers, remembered His covenant, and delivered them. Praise God for His concern for His people and for listening to their prayers! 3: And he prayed unto him; and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that YHWH, he was God (2 Chronicles 33:13). Manasseh is infamous for his idolatry and wicked sinfulness. Yet when he prayed and repented before God he was heard and restored. No one is too far gone from God; let us seek Him and be saved! 4: "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name" (Acts 22:16). God still seeks to deliver people. Today we can trust in God and make an appeal through Christ’s resurrection to be cleansed of sin in baptism (1 Peter 3:21). As Israel cried out to God for deliverance, so we can cry out in baptism for cleansing, calling on His name. Let us find deliverance from sin and death through God in Christ!