The Birth of Covenant Prayer
Written by: Ahava    

Genesis chapter 18 verse 23:
Then Abraham approached him and said, Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? The very essence of prayer is the covenant privilege of being together with and talking to God.   

Prayer is the service of your heart, the communication and language between you and God. When told by God that Sodom was to be destroyed, what was Abraham's reaction? Abraham's response was to approach God with a petition of his heart. “Will you indeed destroy the righteous with the wicked?” Abraham petitioned God on behalf of the righteous.      

What do you do when you hear a negative report concerning the righteous? What is your response? Do you repeat the matter and slander or do you keep quiet and approach God in prayer on behalf of the one whom the negative report came?  

What gave Abraham the right to petition God on behalf of God's own people in whom God had the right to do whatever He chose? God no longer had the right  to do whatever He  chose because He just entered into a covenant with Abraham in which Abraham's circumcision was the symbol of the covenant.

People were no longer God's concern only but had now become Abraham's concern also as a covenant partner with God.     

It is marvelous to notice that the first petition in prayer by the first covenant man was not on his own behalf, for his own needs or on behalf of a member of his own family only. Abraham recognized his covenant responsibility to speak on behalf of others and represent mankind in petition to God for their well being.    

By what right does Abraham petition God? He is one who stands in covenant relationship with God. For whom does he pray? For fellow human-beings. For what divine quality does Abraham pray? For Justice.     

Genesis chapter 44
Benjamin is accused of theft and is arrest by Joseph. Judah who had assumed responsibility for Benjamin's well-being pleads for Benjamin's release. In the voice of accusation, Judah's response is the petition of his heart. He does not respond in anger, nor argument. but petition of his heart in prayer. While Joseph is in the position of authority of Egypt and Judah's is a mere servant, Judah was not intimidated; he did not abandon his duty or his responsibility to his brother and his father. Despite his lowly position, he pursues his petition with force and passion. 

While Abraham's petition is without self-interest, Judah's petition is in response to his own need and the need of his family.; Showing forth that covenant petitions are required on behalf of strangers, family and self.

Petition for all, at all times, for all occasions. Both forms of petition show forth the urgency of importance of what a single life is worth. Their petitions show forth how the destiny of an entire nation, perhaps even of the entire world could be determined by the prayer of a single individual.    

Judah does not seek justice from Joseph. At this time he does not even know if Benjamin is innocent. Judah's petition therefore is for mercy for the guilty. Even if Benjamin stole and is guilty of theft, he petitions mercy and forgiveness on behalf of the well being of his father Jacob.     

Judah petitions for the benefit of Jacob. He describes the bond and attachment between Jacob and Benjamin and is concerned for the brokenness of another or an entire family if the accused one is left in the hands of the accuser. Judah does not attempt to explain Benjamin's behavior, he does not try to justify Benjamin's behavior, he does not even show concern for himself, he cries out for one thing on behalf of Benjamin and all associated with him.  MERCY – and he succeeds.  
 
Through our prayers we receive the reaction of God's greatness and holiness toward the petition of our hearts along with His attentiveness to our well-being and the well-being of others. When problems, suffering or tragedy strikes, the answer is “Petition in Prayer”.

We must not bind the hands of God to do our will in the way we require the answer to be. We must present the problem to God, tell Him we are suffering and then ask Him to help us. But not in the way we think or want his help to be. We do not know the correct answers to our problems, we only think we do. God's ways are not our ways. His solutions are not our way of solutions.   

We take ourselves deeper into our problems by trying to reason them out and by trying to manipulate God into answering our request according to our reasoning solutions.

Petition God in prayer concerning your problem and the problems of others with a quiet mind. You bring the problem and allow God to bring His answer. How do you do this?  Seek God's assistance through prayer and receive God's solution through His discernment, His wisdom and His deliverance.  

Do not give God solutions. Give God the room and the right to move by His Spirit on your behalf and on the behalf of others.   

When you are confronted with tragedy, hurt, loss, abuse, betrayal, temptation, neglect, rejection, sickness, disease, accusation, pain, sorrow, defeat and all other events that rise up against your life and the lives of your loved ones and friends; the solution is to turn your face to God and lift up your voice with the petition of your heart and ask that the Holy Presence of God move upon and into your situation.  

When the presence of Almighty God comes upon and moves into your situation, there is nothing that can stand against you or hold onto your life except the perfect will of God on behalf of you and all others concerned. When the Presence of God moves in, everything not of God for your life, moves out. This my brethren is true deliverance.   

Prayer:
Father, I come before you in covenant as your son or daughter. I lift up my heart in petition for this situation. (name the people & situation). It is not by might, nor by my own power that I can set others and myself free from what has developed and continues to develop and has become a stronghold against your will in my life. I am helpless on my own but I turn my attention toward you only. I invite you to come and abide in your presence upon me.

Move in with Your presence and abide upon this situation. By Your abiding presence Your will is done on my behalf. I plead the blood of Jesus over my mind, spirit, soul and body. I plead the blood of Jesus over my inner man and outer man. I place the Name of Jesus over my dwelling. I invite the “Presence of God” to abide in my situation. In the Name of Jesus Christ I thankfully pray, amen. 

Numbers chapter 6 verse 25:
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

 
God Bless our Mission,
Sincerely,
Ahava