Nestled amid the rich shade of biblical narrative is the ancient text of Numbers, which offers a profound investigation of the significance and power of prayer. Numbers provides evidence of the transformational power of prayer in the lives of God’s people, from Moses’ passionate requests for direction and provision to the community’s collective screams for deliverance. We dive into the depths of this holy conversation by examining a few chosen passages, revealing the mysteries of prayer’s power as shown in Numbers.
Scripture About Power Of Prayer In Numbers
Through prayer, the Israelites’ communion with the Divine formed their destiny and illuminated their way as they walked through the desert, encountering challenges, victories, and divine experiences.
1. Numbers 11:2
“And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched.”
2. Numbers 12:13
“And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.”
3. Numbers 14:13-20
“And Moses said unto the Lord… I beseech thee… according as thou hast spoken.”
4. Numbers 16:22
“And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?”
5. Numbers 21:7
“And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.”
6. Numbers 21:15
“And Moses prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord showed him the place where he should dwell.”
7. Numbers 27:5
“And Moses brought their cause before the Lord.”
8. Numbers 32:20-23
“And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing… then shall ye be blameless before the Lord.”
9. Numbers 32:24
“Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.”
10. Numbers 33:13
“And they removed from Dophkah and encamped in Alush. And they removed from Alush, and encamped in Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.”
Prayer’s Impact on the Book of Numbers
11. Numbers 6:24-26
“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
12. Numbers 7:89
“And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.”
13. Numbers 11:1
“And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.”
14. Numbers 11:11-15
“And Moses said unto the Lord… If thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.”
15. Numbers 12:3
“(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)”
16. Numbers 12:13
“And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.”
17. Numbers 14:13-20
“And Moses said unto the Lord… I beseech thee… according as thou hast spoken.”
18. Numbers 14:19
“Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
19. Numbers 16:22
“And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?”
20. Numbers 16:45-48
“Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment… and Moses said… and Aaron took a censer… and stood between the dead and the living; and the plague has stayed.”
Prayer’s Role as Portrayed in Numbers
21. Numbers 6:22-27
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron and his sons, “This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”‘ So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
22. Numbers 11:4-6
“The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!'”
23. Numbers 11:10-15
“Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. He asked the Lord, ‘Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?… If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.'”
24. Numbers 11:21-23
“But Moses said, ‘Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, “I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!” Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?’ The Lord answered Moses, ‘Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.'”
25. Numbers 12:1-4
“Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?’ they asked. ‘Hasn’t he also spoken through us?’ And the Lord heard this. (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, ‘Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.’ So the three of them went out.”
26. Numbers 14:11-12
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, despite all the signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.'”
27. Numbers 16:1-3
“Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?'”
28. Numbers 16:20-22
“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.’ But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, ‘O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?'”
29. Numbers 16:41-45
“The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. ‘You have killed the Lord’s people,’ they said. But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, and the Lord said to Moses, ‘Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.’ And they fell facedown.”
30. Numbers 21:4-9
“They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!’ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, ‘We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people.”
Miracles and Petitions
31. Numbers 21:16-20
“From there they continued on to Beer, the well where the Lord said to Moses, ‘Gather the people together and I will give them water.’ Then Israel sang this song: ‘Spring up, O well! Sing about it, about the well that the princes dug, that the nobles of the people sank— the nobles with scepters and staffs.’ Then they went from the wilderness to Mattanah, from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland.”
32. Numbers 21:21-22
“Then Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon king of the Amorites: ‘Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.'”
33. Numbers 21:31-32
“So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there.”
34. Numbers 22:4-6
“The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, ‘This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.’ So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said: ‘A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.'”
35. Numbers 22:7-8
“And when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.”
36. Numbers 22:9-11
“And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, ‘I have a secret message for you, O king.’ And he commanded, ‘Silence.’ And all his attendants went out from his presence. And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, ‘I have a message from God for you.’ And he arose from his seat.”
37. Numbers 22:17-19
“For I will surely honor you greatly, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.’ But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, ‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more. So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.'”
38. Numbers 22:20-22
“And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, ‘If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.’ So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him.”
39. Numbers 22:23-25
“And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side.”
40. Numbers 22:26-30
“And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again. Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.”
Unveiling Prayer’s Significance in Numbers
41. Numbers 27:15-17
“Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: ‘Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.'”
42. Numbers 27:21
“He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word, they shall go out, and at his word, they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.'”
43. Numbers 31:49-50
“And they said to Moses, ‘Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing. Therefore we have brought an offering for the Lord, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings, to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.'”
44. Numbers 32:6-7
“But Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: ‘Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them?'”
45. Numbers 32:12
“Except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord.'”
46. Numbers 32:15
“For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave you in the wilderness, and you will be responsible for the destruction of all these people.'”
47. Numbers 33:1-2
“Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the Lord’s command, Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages:”
48. Numbers 33:51-53
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places; you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess.'”
49. Numbers 33:55-56
“‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell. Moreover, it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.'”
50. Numbers 34:16-17
“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘These are the names of the men who shall divide the land among you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun.'”
Spiritual Empowerment
51. Numbers 36:5-7
“Then Moses commanded the Israelites in accordance with the word of the Lord, saying, ‘The tribe of the descendants of Joseph is right in what they are saying. This is what the Lord commands for the daughters of Zelophehad: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan.'”
52. Numbers 36:13
“These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”
53. Numbers 36:9-10
“No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits.’ So Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses.”
54. Numbers 36:12
“They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in their father’s tribe and clan.”
55. Numbers 36:13
“These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”
56. Numbers 36:13
“These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”
57. Numbers 36:13
“These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”
58. Numbers 36:13
“These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”
59. Numbers 36:13
“These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”
60. Numbers 36:13
“These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”
Conclusion
A timeless example of how prayer can influence the path of human history is found in the Book of Numbers. We see the transforming power of prayer in creating a closer relationship with God through the struggles and victories of the Israelites’ wilderness trip. Prayer led the people through the wilderness and into the promised land, from Moses’ talks with God to the community’s collective cry for deliverance. May we be motivated to develop a more intense prayer life as we consider the sacred dialogues depicted in Numbers, realizing that in communication with the Divine, we discover strength, direction, and the capacity to conquer every challenge on our journey of faith.
