HOW NOT TO PRAY: PHARAOH

“When do you want the frogs to go away?” – Ex 8:9 (ERV)

In Exodus 8, we meet Pharaoh, the hard-hearted king of Egypt who had been asked to release the Israelites from slavery.

He had already gotten a taste of God’s wrath by now. The Nile was the lifeblood of his kingdom, but thanks to Moses, that had taken a literal form: the entire river had turned to blood!

But that was just the warm-up act, now the entire country was swarming with frogs: in his palace, in his bedroom, on his bed, in the houses of his officials, in his ovens, in his mixing bowls. The frogs were even jumping on him and his people! (Ex 8:3,4).

Then, Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Ask the LORD to remove the frogs from me and my people. I will let the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD.”

Moses said to Pharaoh, “I will pray for you, your people, and your officials. Then the frogs will leave you and your houses. They will remain only in the river. When do you want the frogs to go away?”

Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.”

Moses said, “It will happen as you say.” (Ex 8:8-10 ERV)

Can you believe this guy? There were frogs hopping all over him and yet he postponed his deliverance for another 24 hours! What was his problem?

What is your problem?

Some of us have gotten so used to our problems that we have silently accepted it as our reality, yet we still pray about them – not really because we expect a miracle, but because that’s simply what we’re supposed to do.

Like Pharaoh, we lack that earnestness and importunity that powerful prayers are made up of. James said, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (Jas 5:16) “avails much” means that prayer is powerful and can make great things happen.

But that’s only for “effectual, fervent” prayer, not blasé, at-any-convenient-time type of prayer.

Remember what Moses said, “It will happen as you say.”

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN