Prayers That Penetrate

I was reading something recently that has stirred something within my spirit.  Prayer:  It's a concept that most of us use on a daily basis, remembering to say "grace" before each meal and maybe talking to God a few minutes before bed, perhaps we're even daring enough to seek the Lord in the midst of a crisis.  But I have read something recently that has led me to ask a very important question:  What kind of prayers do I pray?

Before continuing on, you will need to read Numbers 27:1-11.  Yes there are many big names here in this passage, and this may be one of those "breezers" that we rush on through, thinking it has no pertinent significance to our time.  But I would beg to differ.  While I am no Biblical scholar, it is my understanding that when the patriarch of the family died, the blessing and inheritance would be passed to the sons.  So here we have 3 sisters who beseech their great leader, pointing out that this tradition is seemingly biased.  So Moses, being the great man of God and leader that he was, goes and seeks the Lord about the matter.

What we have next is a beautiful picture of intercession as Moses begins to plead their case before the Lord.  And then it happens.  In verse 6 we see that the Lord agreed with the daughters and told Moses to change the laws.  Did you just catch that?  The courage those women possessed to go before Moses and ask that a tradition/law be changed is just outstanding.  But with boldness and confidence they presented their request.  But there is something that happens when we take those things before the Lord.

Moses pleaded their case with the Lord, and his prayers shifted something within the spiritual realm.  I don't know what would have happened had these 3 sisters not been so bold in their approach.  And had Moses not stood in the gap, would things have changed?  This raises several important questions for me as I read this and chew upon it.

We live in a time in which we must pray dangerous prayers.  We don't have time to waste with our self-centered wish lists before the Lord!  We must not pray according to our faith or lack thereof, it would be a tragedy to pray according to how we feel.  But we must pray with a tenacity that is unreleasing, praying according to the character of who God Almighty is!  Do our prayers line up with the Word of God?  Do they carry the same heartbeat as our Maker?  Do the prayers we pray shift things in the spiritual realm?  Oh Holy Spirit, that you would teach us how to pray...