In my vision the locusts ate every crop in the land, and I said to the LORD, “Forgive me for asking, but how can the nation survive? It’s so weak.” Then the LORD felt sorry and answered, “I won’t let it be destroyed.” The LORD showed me that he is going to send a ball of fire to burn up everything on earth, including the ocean. Then I said, “Won’t you please stop? How can our weak nation survive?” Again the LORD felt sorry and answered, “I won’t let it be destroyed.”
(Amos 7:2-6 CEV)
I believe that God answers prayers that are born of compassion. There are various instances in the Bible of people whose prayers were answered because they were motivated by compassion. In today’s verse, Amos was deeply moved by the impact the calamities would have on the nation of Israel, and God relented from destroying the nation. And there is Abraham. He asked God to spare the city of Sodom for the sake of the righteous people that were there, and God would have answered had there been ten people, as Abraham had asked. On a number of occasions, Moses, too, begged God to forgive the people of Israel who kept rebelling against Him, and God answered as well. God is compassionate, and when we show that same compassion towards others, there’s no doubt that He will answer us.
God answers prayers of compassion.
Rising with the Son 