"Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty, so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?" (Gn. 18:23-25)
The Catholic Church tells us that since Abraham, “intercession—asking on behalf of another—has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God's mercy.” (CCC 2635) Wow! Did you get that? When you intercede for someone, your character mirrors the heart of God! You depend on God to show his mercy for someone else. The Catechism furthermore teaches that you are showing a genuine interest in others, especially when you pray for others who wish to do you harm. In Philippians, we have this admonishment, “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but (also) everyone for those of others.” (Phil. 2:4) Therefore, we should never view Abraham’s prayer as a mathematical problem, wondering if Abraham can count. Abraham “humbly regarded others as more important!” For Abraham, the people in Sodom and Gomorrah, with their vicious living, needed God’s mercy more than he did. Instead of condemning the people, he looked for God to save the innocent in the midst of the guilty. Somebody needs you to pray for the innocent in the midst of the guilty. Will you?
Your Prayer Language Today: God, I know now that you do not desire to destroy the wicked. Look at my heart, dear God, I pray that you will help Mr. and Mrs. …..! Please pray for someone today.
Authored: Evangelist Michael P. Howard, MACS