And Moses besought the LORD his God…. —Exodus 32:11

When Moses obtained the law from God on Mount Sinai and descended the mountain, he discovered that the people had turned away from God and were worshipping a golden calf. God’s anger was stirred, and He told Moses He was going to destroy the people. Moses besought the Lord and entreated Him to have mercy and turn away from His wrath.

Because Moses humbled himself before the Lord and asked for leniency and clemency, God changed His mind and spared the people of Israel. If Moses had not earnestly begged the Lord to minimize His judgments, the children of Israel would have all been destroyed and God would have raised up a new nation from the seed of Moses.

God’s ways are perfect and just, but He is a God that is moved with compassion when righteous people call upon His name. God has changed His mind and altered the natural course of events many times because someone besought the Lord.

God honors the prayers and fastings of His people and He is moved on His throne of power when saints cry out for help and intervention. Even in judgment against the unrighteous, God often extends mercy and delays His judgment when a “Moses” beseeches Him. This is the value of intercessory prayer. The enemy would have us think that what will happen will happen regardless of prayer. Past and present events prove that God up in Heaven is listening to the prayers of His people. For this cause, let us pray and not faint. Let us esteem and value the privilege of prayer knowing that it will not only draw us closer to God but might make a difference in the life of a lost soul as God delays judgment due to the prayers of one of His faithful children. ■