[Exodus Experience Series] Exodus Experience DevotionsSample

Prayer Matters

As leaders, when we encounter an Exodus Experience we should now begin to recognize that God has placed us in the right place at the right time for Him to show up in His way, in His time, for His glory and our good. When He does, so does Satan, but with our focus on Christ, God will prevail. There is a little-used tool by leaders that is perhaps the most powerful tool in our tool belt. Christ used it daily and we should see the spiritual and personal value of the magnificent tool of prayer.

In the midst of the worst time in their Exodus Experience, with Pharaoh and his mighty army marching down upon them, the Israelites did a most unexpected and yet absolutely necessary thing—they lifted their eyes and cried out to the Lord. Even in the midst of their fear, even when they saw the terrible might of Pharaoh’s army, they cried out to the only One who could make a way for them—the Lord their God.

There are two lessons we should learn about prayer from this Exodus Experience. First, the people cried out to the Lord—they prayed earnestly. “Earnestly” comes from a Greek word meaning “exhaustively, intensely, thoroughly, and unrelentingly.” The Psalms of David are great examples of earnest prayer. In the New Testament, we find that earnest prayer seeks God, shows faith, is based in Christ, accomplishes much, and is thankful. James tells us the result of earnest prayer: It accomplishes far beyond our imaginings. As a leader, earnest prayer in the midst of your Exodus Experience means crying out to the only One who can deliver you.

The second lesson to learn is that we need to pray expectantly. In verse 11, we see that the nation of Israel did not expect God to show up! They cried out and then complained to Moses and to God about their plight. Instead, our attitude should be reflective of Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians when he told them to pray all types of prayers asking the Holy Spirit, watchful for the Lord to show up as He promised He would, and praying for and with other believers. An Exodus Experience requires both earnest (passionate unrelenting) prayer as well as expectant (watchful and confident) prayer. When we pray this way, watch God work mightily in our midst. Why? Because prayer matters to God.