How can Balaam's experience in Numbers 22:20 influence our prayer life? Setting the Scene “God came to Balaam by night and said to him, ‘If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them, but only do what I tell you.’ ” (Numbers 22:20) What We Notice in Balaam’s Night Encounter • God addresses Balaam personally—prayer is relational. • Permission is granted, yet boundaries are fixed—freedom under authority. • The command is conditional—“only do what I tell you”—revealing God’s expectation of obedience over preference. Key Prayer Takeaways • Seek God’s initiative first. – Balaam waited until God spoke; true prayer begins with listening (1 Samuel 3:10). • Discern between God’s permissive and perfect will. – Psalm 106:15 warns of receiving our own way “but He sent leanness into their soul.” • Obedience anchors every petition. – Jesus models this: “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). • Conditional guidance requires ongoing humility. – Balaam could go, yet was later rebuked for veering from God’s heart (Numbers 22:32–34). Guardrails for Our Requests • Filter motives: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives” (James 4:3). • Align desires: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). • Pray Scripture: God’s word shapes petitions within His revealed will (John 15:7). • Stay teachable: God may redirect even after initial permission, as with Balaam’s donkey episode (Numbers 22:23–30). Practical Steps to Pray Like Balaam Should Have 1. Begin with praise, then pause to listen. 2. Present the request plainly, awaiting confirmation. 3. Measure any impression against written Scripture. 4. Accept God’s “yes,” “no,” or “go, but only thus far.” 5. Revisit the request daily, ready for mid-course correction. Encouragement for Today Balaam reminds us that God answers, but He also monitors motives and methods. A responsive, obedient heart keeps prayer from becoming self-serving and ensures that God’s blessing won’t become a curse. |
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