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Prayers that Change the World! By Pastor Lori Loomis
Posted in Am I In There?, The Power Journal • 3 Comments
Posted on Thursday, May 6th, 2010
As the book of Exodus opens, we are confronted with a hopeless scene of oppression. The Israelites were enslaved, and they were longing for someone to change their circumstances. Each generation prayed that someone would surface who would be their deliverer…and the years passed by…and still the people waited.
Chapter two introduces an ordinary man and woman, both of the tribe of Levi. And it mentions the birth of an ordinary child—at least ordinary in the eyes of the community. The man’s name was Amram, the woman’s name—Jochebed. Oh, if you look up Exodus 2, you won’t see their names—just a brief description of this account (a mere ten verses, to be exact). The child mentioned in this ten-verse passage was Moses. And these common Hebrew parents didn’t even give him that name.
Moses had two older siblings, a sister named Miriam, and a brother, Aaron. But we know Jochebed loved her children, and felt that this child number three was special. Because they lived in a difficult place, during a difficult time, and under a difficult government, this newborn was marked for post-birthday abortion. But this mama was determined to keep her son alive.
Perhaps she had prayed for years that God give her children. No doubt she had hoped…and perhaps even vowed that if she were blessed with offspring, she would train them in the knowledge of God and position them for use by the Most High.
That decision would be challenged. Every decision must be challenged in order to see if it is a true, mind-made-up, never-turning-back resolve…or an emotional one-time response that can be easily overturned.
Jochebed tackled the challenges of her day. She faced the injustices that were no deserved. With the help of her oldest daughter, who was forced to grow up years before her time, she hid the baby. And when the government discovered him, she put herself aside for the good of her child.
If you continue reading in the book of Exodus, you see that baby Moses was adopted into royalty and received all the luxuries that life could afford. But mama Jochebed and the rest of the family remained in slavery.
But I don’t think the prayer life of this common Hebrew woman changed. Can’t you see her, as she is missing her son, wondering for the safety and welfare of her two older children, and toiling night and day in torturous labor? Can you listen in to the conversation between the husband and wife, as they whisper doubts about God’s plan for them and for their nation?
And still she prayed. And there’s nothing more powerful than the prayers of a faithful mother.
One thing about prayer is that it transcends our time, our plans, and our way of thinking. Just ten verses in Exodus chapter 2, and then this woman disappears from the Old Testament. We don’t know how long she lived. But we know she prayed. Effective, fervent prayers of righteous people make a huge difference!
Years passed. She prayed. More years passed. She died. And we’re not sure if she lived to see the day that her Hebrew people would be released from the slavery of Egypt. But her prayers lived on, and the righteous training that she had instilled in her three children paid high dividends.
You know the story—Her son, Moses, was the deliverer that freed the nation. He talked face-to-face with God. Her other son, Aaron, became the first high priest of Israel, and Miriam was the original praise and worship leader immediately following the deliverance.
Did Jochebed see the answers to her prayers? Not in all likelihood. But her impact and prayers transcended time and circumstances. Her death did not cancel God’s good plans for her children.
We see her once more in Scriptures, this time in the New Covenant. Hebrews 11 lists her and her husband as “giants in the faith.” She was a mother with tough earthly circumstances, but with an eternal perspective. And her life touched the world!
Again, you have penned words that ministered to my spirit beyond written expression. I praise God for the gift of you and look forward to our time of meeting and fellowship. God bless you my sister!
Thank you for such a good word. People don’t really understand how essential a prayer life is. We desire and long for so many different things in life, not realizing, they’re desire, need or want is just a prayer away.
Thanks for this word! I pray fervently for my children. I know God’s word will not return void.