Knowing About God Teaches Us How to Talk With God

We just started a sermon series called “How to Talk to God” where we are walking through passages of scripture that show God’s people having conversations with God, from which we are pulling application for our personal prayer lives. Last week we looked at Abraham’s interaction with God in Genesis 18:16-33 where he is appealing to God on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah. There is a point in the conversation where Abraham, in an attempt to save the cities from the judgment of God, says this to God,

“Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

First off, did you notice all those exclamation points? This is not a gentle conversation from an indifferent, old man. This is an impassioned appeal from a strong leader with a heart for people. May our hearts also burn with passion as we appeal to God on behalf of the lost world around us!

Second, notice that Abraham is using God’s attributes as the basis for his appeal to spare Sodom and Gomorrah. It’s as if he’s saying “The righteous and just judge of all the earth could not punish the innocent! Far be THAT from you!” Abraham knows that our God is a God that is perfectly just in his nature and this has informed the way Abraham communicates to God.

In light of Sunday’s sermon, I have been struck by the importance of Christians studying the attributes of God, and keeping these in mind when communicating with Him in prayer. Understanding God’s “communicable” and “incommunicable” attributes help inform how we see God and will add depth to our interactions with Him.

To know God’s Immutability reminds us that He does not change, and His affections are not swayed by His circumstances (like ours are). Knowing that God is Omnipresent reminds us that nothing surprises Him because our God exist outside of time and space. God’s Omniscience tells us that there is nothing that will overwhelm our God because He is all knowing. Knowing God’s Omnipotence reminds us that there is no situation so big in our lives that God could not bring immediate resolution to because He holds absolute power over creation. Knowing God’s Immanence reminds us that He is not like the God of the deists who say that God is far off and uninvolved with creation, but rather our God is close, present and with us.

These are just a few examples, but I hope it illustrates how knowing God’s character and attributes serves to add depth to our interactions and communication with Him.

For a full study of God’s attributes, there are a lot of resources you could choose from. I would recommend the following: