Although Enoch clearly had a very close relationship with God, we have more insight into Moses’ relationship with God and can even read numerous accounts of Moses’ conversations with Him. As we journey with Moses through the ups and downs of this humble leader’s life, we see time and time again that the single most important part of his life and the secret to his success as a godly leader was his constant communication and abiding relationship with God.

Imagine what it would have been like to speak with God and hear His voice so plainly. It’s a wonder the Israelites didn’t seek this kind of communion with God themselves instead of begging Moses to speak to them on God’s behalf (Exodus 20:18-21). Yet, God had prepared Moses for this, beginning with their interaction at the burning bush, on this very same mountain. Although we read of other personal prayers of Moses, we see that he’s almost continually in God’s presence, asking for guidance and interceding for the people he is leading.

• Aaron: Exodus 32:1-14,31-34; Deuteronomy 9:20

• Miriam: Numbers 12:13

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What is particularly amazing about the interaction with Miriam is that Moses was the recipient of her poor treatment and jealousy. He could easily have stood back and let God deliver the punishment Miriam and Aaron deserved. Instead, he was quick to forgive and intercede for his sister’s healing. What a powerful reflection of God’s forgiving grace for sinners is seen here in the actions of Moses.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36 NKJV

The word “carousing” in this passage is the word” Kraipalê,” which means drunk, hungover, or disoriented. Sometimes, we are disoriented as to where we are physically. I remember years ago, while living in Fort Worth, I was often driving up to Oklahoma on the weekends, preaching at different cities like Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and others. Every weekend, I was in a different city, and I remember meeting a friend for dinner in Tulsa. When I left the restaurant, before I could drive away, it took me a moment to remember what city I was in and where I needed to go from there. I was disoriented.

People have also been disoriented in regard to time. I think we all occasionally forget what time it is and even what day it is. Right now, I enjoy pastoring a three-church district, where I preach in different churches on different Sabbaths. It has not happened yet, but I would not be surprised if one Sabbath I forget which Sabbath it is and drive to the wrong church. I am not sure if that would be a time or place disorientation, or both. In the passage above, Jesus wants us to watch and pray so we do not become disoriented as to time. Jesus wants us to be aware that we are in the final moments of earth’s history, and to watch and pray accordingly. 

Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane,
https://www.goodsalt.com/christ-in-gethsemane-gcbas0217

In Gethsemane, Jesus asked His disciples to watch and pray with Him, but they kept falling asleep. Now, as Jesus is finishing His work of interceding for sinners in earth’s final moments, He wants His church to be awake and praying with Him. 

Why does Jesus want us to pray with Him? Do intercessory prayers work? Yes, they do. When my mother was dying and was unconscious, I prayed for God to wake her up just long enough for me to tell her I loved her one more time, and that is exactly what happened. A few years ago, I baptized a mother and her three children, while the husband and father thought baptism was the craziest thing in the world. The family and I prayed for the husband and father, and a year later, I baptized him, too.

Others have told me of a spouse or loved one who accepted Jesus as their Savior after 30 or 40 years of intercessory prayer. I remember a friend in Oklahoma gave a testimony about how she left the church as a teenager, but her mother kept praying for her. Years after her mother died, she came back to Jesus. When she was rebaptized, her aunt told her that her mother had made her promise to “take over” praying for her when she died. That story has always stirred my heart and affirmed the power of intercessory prayer. I remember praying for my friend, whom I will call Anne, who had left our small group Bible study and the church. Every night I prayed, “Lord please send your Holy Spirit to work upon Anne’s heart.” After weeks of praying, she called me and told me she was coming back to Jesus because she felt “The Holy Spirit working on her heart.”

Intercessory prayer works, but how?  I don’t understand everything, but considering a previous Sabbath School Lesson, Rules of Engagement, we are learning there are parameters in the great cosmic battle between Christ and Satan. Satan claims this world as his own, and while I know well that this is my Father’s world, there are rules to the battle. Temporarily, at least, there is some validity to Satan’s claim to this planet. Why else would he be allowed in those meetings with the other sons of God in Job 1 and 2? In John 14:30 and John 16:11 Jesus refers to Satan as the prince of this world.

In Matthew 8:29  NLT, the demons accuse Jesus of “interfering” with them. While I am sure Jesus was not breaking any rules, that does give us a hint that there are parameters in the cosmic battle. God cannot intervene where He is not invited, as that would be using force and manipulation, as opposed to love. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus stands knocking at the heart’s door, but does not force His way in, as that would not be love. We have to open the door to let Him in. This is where intercessory prayers come in. When we pray as members of humanity on behalf of humanity for God to intervene in the lives of humanity, He now has an invitation and is not using force. If Satan protests God’s involvement in meddling with human hearts, God can tell Satan, “I am not using force or manipulation. I have been invited to intervene.”

This is why Jesus encourages us in Matthew 18:19 -20 that when we gather together in His name He is there to work powerfully to grant our requests, Just as he answered Elijah’s powerful prayers. See James 5:14-18. Being gathered in his name does not mean we have to be gathered in a certain building. We may be in separate hemispheres and be gathered in His name.

In Matthew 6:10 Jesus prays for His Father’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Revelation 12:7-9 Satan was cast out of heaven. When we pray as humanity on behalf of humanity, it opens the way for God to cast Satan out of our hearts, homes and communities. The human heart still has free choice, but God can intervene on behalf of humanity within the parameters of the cosmic battle without using force and manipulation, as He has been invited to intervene just as Elijah prayed for God’s intervention in his day.

Elijah witnessed a great miracle on Mount Carmel when he prayed for God to intervene with the Baal worshippers in 1 Kings 18.

What are some amazing things you have witnessed after praying for God’s intervention?

The Bible doesn’t share a lot about Enoch’s life, but it does tell us that he walked with God for 300 years until God took him to heaven. How beautiful that a person’s consistent devotion to God is what defines their life!

Image © Erik Stenbakken at Goodsalt.com

One thing we know is that Enoch must have been “continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:12, NKJV), persevering and growing closer to God in faith through his daily experiences. The earth was becoming increasingly evil in the time in which he was living, and Enoch kept busy serving God, but he couldn’t do this well without abiding in Him.

“In the midst of a life of active labor, Enoch steadfastly maintained his communion with God. The greater and more pressing his labors, the more constant and earnest were his prayers. . . . After remaining for a time among the people, laboring to benefit them by instruction and example, he would withdraw, to spend a season in solitude, hungering and thirsting for that divine knowledge which God alone can impart. Communing thus with God, Enoch came more and more to reflect the divine image. . . . Even the ungodly beheld with awe the impress of heaven upon his countenance.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, Pages 86, 87.

God doesn’t ask us to live like hermits or monks, so separate from the world that we are of no earthly use. Like Enoch, we can be productive and aware of the needs around us, but it’s only by walking and talking with God through a steady, abiding relationship that He can reflect His wonderful character through us.

We can pray anytime, anywhere. There is nowhere on earth that God doesn’t see or hear us (Psalms 139:7-12); He always hears the cries of our hearts, no matter where we are (read Lamentations 3:55-57). Yet, there is something to be said for praying out loud instead of just in our minds. When we pray silently, we might become distracted or not even finish our train of thought or our sentence, and it can be harder for our thoughts to remain focused. But when we pray aloud, whether in a whisper or in our usual tone, it’s a reminder to ourselves that God is real, that He’s listening, and that we have something specific to talk about with Him.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

When something goes wrong in our lives, most of us call a close friend to talk about it. When we have good news, we find someone to share it with. We can do the same with God. “Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 93.

Prayer not only keeps us connected to God but tells the devil whose we are. When we kneel to pray in the morning, it’s like a physical declaration to the powers of darkness that we choose God this day. Not only that, but God sends angels to our side when we pray, and we are fortified and covered from the enemy of darkness (Psalms 91:1-16).

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

The physical act of kneeling in submission shows a humble posture. It’s somehow different from sitting in a chair or lying in a bed while we pray, although we can pray in these positions too. However, when we kneel before God, we show that we are ready to serve God with all our hearts, and our words declare that He is sovereign and that we are merely His created children.

Standing in prayer was a common practice in Bible times (2 Chronicles 20:5-6,13; 1 Samuel 1:26; Job 30:20; Luke 18:11,13). The Bible also shares examples of people who sat when they prayed (2 Samuel 7:18). Others prostrated themselves before God, with their face on the earth—although this posture was less commonly associated with prayer, but rather submission before a superior (1 Kings 1:47, Mark 14:35).

What is your usual posture when you pray? The Bible doesn’t require us to pray in any particular posture, but postures are important, as they reflect our reverence, our inner feelings, and our desire to surrender to God. Some people are unable to kneel; so, ultimately, it’s the heart condition that matters most. If you can kneel but usually don’t, why not try kneeling next time you pray and see how it affects your time with God?

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

Daniel is one of the great heroes of the Bible. We know the first story too (see Daniel 1:1-21): “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies” (Daniel 1:8, NKJV). Also, to Daniel and his three friends, “God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17, NKJV). The Bible describes Daniel as wise (Daniel 1:20; Daniel 2:14,21,23,48) because the Spirit of God was in him (Daniel 4:9,18; Daniel 5:14; Daniel 6:3), and he was greatly beloved by Heaven (Daniel 9:23, Daniel 10:11). These are some descriptors of a man who had a strong, abiding connection with God.

In Daniel 2:1-49, when King Nebuchadnezzar issued a death decree to all wise men in Babylon, Daniel sought God’s mercy concerning the secret of the king’s dream (Daniel 2:18). When God revealed the king’s dream to Daniel, he immediately prayed.

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As the years passed by and kings rose and fell, Daniel remained an adviser to the kings and was described as distinguished “because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm” (Daniel 6:3, NKJV). “He was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him” (Daniel 6:4, NKJV). Despite fierce jealousy and evil plotting (Daniel 6:5-9) from his peers, Daniel remained ever constant and fearless in his prayer life.

When faced with difficulty, Daniel prayed. Although the threat was against his life, he was consistent and persistent in prayer (three times every day, as was his custom), and predictable (at his open window three times a day as he prayed toward Jerusalem). His prayer was a physical act (he knelt) and focused on thanksgiving and supplication.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

Image © Pacific Press

Read for This Week’s Study

Daniel 2:20-23; Daniel 6:10-11; Acts 20:36; Genesis 5:22-24; Exodus 33:15-23; Exodus 32:31-32.

Memory Text:

“I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live” (Psalms 116:1-2, NKJV).

Imagine if you rarely spoke to your best friend or your spouse. Very soon the relationship would break down, and there would be a problem. In the same way, prayer is an essential part of having a close relationship with God. It is a crucial devotional habit, one that each of us needs and can strengthen. If we don’t pray often and continually, we will wander from the Lord sooner or later.

In the Bible, we learn about the lives of different individuals who prayed in different ways. We can step back and catch a glimpse into how their communion with God impacted their relationship with Him, how and for what we might also pray, and how their prayers changed the lives of others. It is true: our prayer life impacts not only ourselves but others as well.

Just like Bible study, this topic of prayer is both huge and important and much broader than what can be covered in just two weeks. This week we’ll learn lessons from some of those in the Bible who prayed and showed us just how central prayer is to having a strong relationship with God. Let’s learn from their examples.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 9.

Sunday–>