29/05/2014 - THE PRAYER THAT GOD ACCEPTS

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I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. Genesis 32.10

One of the things that affects us the most is the presumption that we were chosen because we are better than others and deserve the divine favor. Today’s verse was part of the prayer of Jacob, which he made to obtain the blessing from the Lord. Arrogance and false humility only separate us from God. When we receive a revelation from the Most High, we must cling to it and reject any other feeling – that is an act of humility.

Jacob, the head of the 12 tribes of Israel, learned to talk to God. His parents feared the Lord, and his grandfather, Abraham, was well-succeeded in his walk because he trusted the One who called him to leave his land and to go wherever He would show him. Since he learned from his predecessors, he knew how to pray and prevail. Jacob understood that only the Lord could appease the anger that dominated his brother’s heart, so he was able to be successful.

The patriarch began to pray saying that the Lord was the God of his father Abraham (v. 9). With these words, he placed himself as a part of the Covenant that the Creator had made with his grandfather. Thus, he had undeniable rights. This is the way in which we should enter the divine presence, for the blessings of Abraham have reached us through Jesus. Before this premise, there are no requests that can be denied, if they are made in the right manner.

In his prayer, Jacob remembered the Lord what He had said, when He had ordered him to return to his land and people, promising to do them well (Gn 32.9). Do not despise anything that you may hear from God. For when you obey Him and find yourself in trouble, you will be able to pray with firmness, asking the Heavenly Father to remember his words, and He will fulfill what He has promised you.

This servant of the Lord thought himself as unworthy of all the mercies that the Lord had given him. Jacob spoke about the faithfulness that the Almighty had shown him, remembering that he crossed the Jordan only with his staff, and that he had become two companies. It is good to be grateful and to express gratitude in prayer, because this act makes the Father see that you do not forget the benefits that He gives you.

Jacob did not only thank God, for he wanted more. He knew of the danger of meeting his brother Esau, and he feared him. He also mentioned another great promise that he had received from the Lord, in which He had promised to do him good, to give him an inheritance that would be numerous as the sands of the sea. For this reason, Jacob had his prayer answered. Believe: those who follow God’s instructions will also have their requests answered.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares