For use in corporate or private prayer, and/or family devotions………

 

Our Scripture passage will be GENESIS 32:1-12:

Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.² And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim. ³ And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, ⁴ instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. ⁵ I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’” ⁶ And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” ⁷ Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, ⁸ thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.” ⁹ And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ ¹⁰ I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. ¹¹ Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. ¹² But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

In our passage, Jacob is riddled with fear that Esau will destroy him, and he does not know what to do. But he does know whom to turn to in his time of desperation. He turns to Almighty God! Notice how he approaches prayer…….. by remembering God’s character, and the promises made to Abraham and his offspring. In verse 9, Jacob remembers God’s very words promised to him earlier. And then notice how he closes in verse 12, with another reminder of God’s own words of faithfulness.

And look at the humility of Jacob in verse 10, which I underlined. Humility is one of the defining marks of the most powerful prayers (and pray-ers) in Scripture. Remembering that we are not worthy of anything good, but that God has graciously given us everything we could ever need in Christ…………this ought to bring life to our prayers! When Jacob is afraid, he remembers God’s promises and faithfulness. He petitions God for deliverance from the hand of Esau. And God answers in a big way! If you read further on, you’ll see what I mean. Pray with utmost confidence!

God bless,     — Jamie