That evening, the two angels came to Sodom while Lot was sitting at the city’s gateway. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed with his face to the ground.
But Stephen, overtaken with great faith, was full of the Holy Spirit. He fixed his gaze into the heavenly realm and saw the glory and splendor of God—and Jesus, who stood up at the right hand of God.
“I searched for someone who would repair the wall, one who fills the gap, an intercessor to cry out for mercy, but I found no one. There was no one found who would keep my justice from destroying the nation.
So you decided to destroy them. But Moses, your chosen leader, stood in the gap between you and the people and made intercession on their behalf to turn away your wrath from killing them all.
Most of all, I’m writing to encourage you to pray with gratitude to God. Pray for all men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion.
Good should not be repaid with evil, but look! They are digging a pit for me. Remember how I made intercession for them, pleading in your presence to turn away your wrath from them?
Then Yahweh said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me to intercede for these people, I would not turn my heart back to them. Send them away from me and make them go.