Day 21

If God instructs you not to pray, your own efforts are futile.

‘Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.’ (Jeremiah 11:14)

My favorite Old Testament prophet is Jeremiah. He faithfully preached for 40 years, at great personal cost, but never saw a single convert. Can you imagine? Interestingly, three times God forbade Jeremiah to pray for the people because He said He wouldn’t listen if he did. He even said, ‘If Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people’ (Jeremiah 15:1).

‘Prophesy, but don’t pray,’ was the instruction! The prayers of the people of God only work in a right context. The nation had been living in independence of God, and despite warnings they had not responded, so the Babylonians were coming to take them into exile. ‘Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon’ (Jeremiah 27:6). That must have amazed the people of Judah! Nebuchadnezzar was the bully of the middle eastern world, godless, proud and ruthless. Yet God calls him ‘my servant.’ A Psalmist wrote, ‘Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained’ (Psalm 76:10). God in His sovereignty will allow the wrath of human beings to bring praise to Him. Forty years in Babylonian exile brought the people back, humbled, chastened and dependent.

What attitude are you coming to God with?