Meditation and Reflection on Talking With God

 
 
 
Bible Reading & Meditation  

Genesis 18:16-33

 
The men set out from there and looked down toward Sodom; Abraham was walking with them, to see them on their way. The LORD reflected; "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, now that he is to become a great and populous nation, and all the nations of the earth are to find blessing in him? Indeed, I have singled him out that he may direct his sons and his posterity to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD may carry into effect for Abraham the promises he made about him." Then the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sins so grave, that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out."
While the two men walked on farter toward Sodom, the LORD remained standing before Abraham. Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said: "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare if for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty, so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?" The LORD replied, "If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." Abraham spoke up again: "See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes! What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?" "I will not destroy it," he answered, "if I find forty-five there." But Abraham persisted, saying "What if only forty are found there?" He replied, "I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty." Then he said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?" He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there." Still he went on, "Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?" "I will not destory it," he answered, "for the sake of the twenty." But he still persisted, "Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. What if there are at least ten there?" "For the sake of those ten," he replied, "I will not destroy it."
The LORD departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home."
 
 
 
 
Reflection:

 
 
If we are truly honest about ourselves, we must admit that most of the time we only pray when we are in the middle of problems, suffering and inner struggle. And sometimes, too, we feel that God is silent, or he is not listening to us. Abraham finds God talking to him and telling him about a crisis that will occur in a city where his nephew lives. A conversation follows which shows us a wonderful relationship between Abraham and God.

Sink back into your chair...take deep breaths...inhaling the goodness of God and exhaling the stress and anxiety from your day. Before you close your eyes and allow the images and emotions to overtake you, think about the relationship between God and Abraham. How does this affect the way God acts toward Abraham? Was there a time in your prayer life that you felt like Abraham? Did you question God? Did you listen to Him? Did you learn more about God just from listening?

  I write in my journal any thoughts or feelings I have experienced during this meditation and reflection.

 

Prayer Focus

Set some time aside to meditate on a passage in Scripture. Listen to what God is saying.

 
 

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