JACOB'S PRAYER : FINDING HOPE IN DILEMMA

As we read through the Bible, we come across many prayers, each with its own story. One prayer that really stands out very early in the Bible is Jacob's prayer in Genesis 32. This happens when Jacob is on his way to meet his brother Esau after a long time. Their relationship had soured due to some mistakes Jacob had made in the past, which left him feeling incredibly anxious about facing Esau once more.  But in his prayer, he shows us how important it is to keep believing in God, even when things seem tough. It's a reminder that prayer can give us strength in hard times. Let's join together in learning from Jacob how to pray.

JACOB IS AS FLAWED AS WE ARE

Jacob is just like all of us. He is not perfect, and he has made some mistakes in the past. Jacob's past mistakes primarily revolve around his deception of his father, Isaac, to receive Esau's blessing meant for the firstborn son. This act of deceit caused significant strife within his family and strained his relationship with his brother Esau. Additionally, Jacob's manipulation of Laban's livestock led to further complications and tensions in his life. As we explore Jacob's life, we realise that he's just like us – imperfect, feeling guilty at times, and experiencing sadness. His ups and downs show that he's human, just like we are. It's a reminder that even heroes in the Bible had their flaws, just like we do.

GOD'S DELIVERANCE OF JACOB

The most important takeaway from Jacob's life is his relationship with God and God's presence throughout his life. God has always been with him even when he was flawed and susceptible to sin. God revealed himself to Jacob for the first time in a dream when Jacob was scared and was fleeing from his brother to his uncle Laban's place. In the midst of literal and figurative wilderness, God meets him and promises to be with him and blesses him. God appears to Jacob in his dream and promises him in Genesis 28:15,

"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

God continued to protect and bless Jacob throughout his time at Laban's house. God never abandoned him. Jacob's decision to leave Laban's place with his family and livestock to go back to his father's place was a again a guidance from God. However, in the midst of wilderness again, Jacob gets fearful of the wrath of Esau and prays to God for a miracle. This prayer teaches us how to pray when you are in distress and do not know how to navigate certain situations in your life. Let's go through the prayer once to decode it,

"Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘ Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted".''

HOW TO PRAY LIKE JACOB

Jacob's prayer has three aspects or parts to it. Incorporating these elements into our daily prayer will make our prayers strong and sincere. Let's learn together how to pray like Jacob.

• Humbling oneself - Jacob humbles himself before the mighty Lord as he recognizes that God is the one who sustained him and provided for him in the many wildernesses of his life. Jacob praises God for his mercy and faithfulness towards him. Our prayers should begin with humbling ourselves before God, acknowledging that all we are is because of Him. We need to be mindful to praise Lord and be grateful for all his blessings.

• Present your requests to God - Philippians 4: 6,7 reminds us -"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Jacob's request here was to "save" him from the wrath of his brother. He was scared, however, instead of worrying about it, he decided to pray on it and leave things to God. Often, we spend a lot of time worrying about our problems, mistakenly believing that God hears our worrying and considers it prayer. That, however, is not the way of presenting your requests to God. Presenting requests requires taking time to pray to God, just as Jacob did.

• Remembering God's promises and past deliverances - This is a pivotal moment of Jacob's prayer. Jacob recalls the past miracles and moments when God revealed Himself in his life. This provides Jacob with strength and comfort amidst his struggles, as he firmly believes that God is still capable of delivering him from his enemies. Our greatest motivation to maintain faith should stem from our past experiences with God. Reflect on His mercy in your life, and you will renew your faith and strength. Looking back and acknowledging God’s past interventions serves as a powerful reminder of His presence and faithfulness, instilling in us the confidence to trust Him in our current challenges.”

In this season of your life, make it a mission to pray like Jacob every morning and evening and whenever possible because God reminds us in Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing.

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to share any prayer requests with us, and we’ll be honored to lift them up in prayer for you.