Genesis 24 - 5.18.26
Scripture
Genesis 24:45 NIV
““Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’”
Observation
Abraham was getting old and requested from his senior servant that he find a wife for his son, Isaac. The servant prayed to the Lord that he would be successful in fulfilling this oath to his master. He even prayed for specific signs to reveal that the woman he met would be Isaac’s future wife. Verse 15 says, “Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder.“ The Lord had already led Rebekah to the servant before he finished his prayer requests to the Lord!
Application
Keep praying! God knows our heart’s desires even before we ask Him.
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” -Matthew 6:7-8 NIV
The amazing thing about Abraham’s servant’s prayer was that He consulted the Lord for His will and didn’t just try to search for any woman that fit Abraham’s criteria.
The Lord has been encouraging me to reevaluate my prayer life. Do I truly ask for His will for my life or my own will for my life to keep me comfortable, successful and without problems?
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” -James 4:3 NIV
Even when I ask the Lord to take me out of suffering instead of through it, that can be selfish too, especially if it is not His will. In His Word, it says that Jesus learned obedience through suffering. So if God’s ultimate goal is to make me more like His Son, I shouldn’t be surprised by suffering, but rather know that He will be with me through it. (It just hit me! One thing I/we will never experience that Jesus had to experience on the Cross, was when His Father turned His face away from Him when He took upon our sins. Because of Jesus, we will never have to experience or endure being apart from God! Thank You Lord!)
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.” -Hebrews 5:7-8 NIV
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” -1 Peter 4:12-14 NIV
There have been prayers that I have fasted and petitioned the Lord for for many years and some prayers that stayed in my heart. I didn’t even verbally express them to Jesus or anyone else, but they got answered!
Prayer is communication with God and asking Him for His will for our lives, not our own. Let us not give up in lifting up our prayers to Him!
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” -1 John 5:14 NIV
Prayer
Dear Lord,
I admit that sometimes I don’t want to ask You for things because I don’t want to be disappointed and hear “No.” However, I am reminded by Your Word that You already know all the desires of my heart and to never give up requesting things, especially things that are in line with Your will. May I submit to whatever Your will is and not get disappointed when I get the answer I do not desire. Help my prayers to align with Your will and even when they don’t, I pray that I would always run to You, knowing that eventually my prayers will be answered and align with Your will. Amen.
-Michelle Gaddi