Wednesday Devotional
Jacob’s Prayer
Genesis 32:6-12
Vs 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies;
Vs 8 for he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape.”
Vs 9 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 relatives, and I will prosper you,’
Vs 10 I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which you have shown to your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.
Vs 11 “Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children.
Vs 12 “For You said, ‘I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.’ ”
Jacob had been fending for himself since fleeing from his brother so many years earlier, but he had
In actuality been under God’s watch the entire time despite his repeated failures.
Lessons to learn:
- In his opening and closing words, Jacob reminded God of His promises
- He affirmed that God was the source of all his blessings.
- His request was simple and confessed his underlying fear, and his desperate need for mercy.
Questions to ponder:
- For what do you need to ask mercy?
- Do you think a person must feel helpless before he or she will seek God’s mercy?
- Does a person need to believe, to understand God’s grace and mercy?
- Think of a time when God answered your prayers for guidance and mercy?
- How can we trust God with our fears if we aren’t sure He’s going to deliver us? After all, Peter was delivered, but James was beheaded (Acts 12)