“B’resheit bara Elohim et shamyim vaet ha aretz” – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen. 1:1 Genesis is the book of beginnings – The beginning of the universe – The beginning of the earth – The beginning of mankind and womankind – The beginning of marriage – The beginning of marital problems – The beginning of people, nations, etc – The beginning of the Jewish People! But one thing we never think of in Genesis is, ‘The Beginning of Prayer.’ Why is that? Men and women for centuries have walked and talked with God. Elijah, David, Solomon, Daniel, Hannah, Ruth, Esther, Mary, Dorcas, Peter, James, John, etc. But in the first five chapters of Genesis, you meet a few men who walked and talked with God face to face (paneh-6440). Men who set the course of spiritual intimacy for ages to come, men who knew God personally and intimately. But even more important, men who were personally and intimately known by God Himself and there is a big difference between those two! Between knowing God intimately and personally and being known by God intimately and personally! Men whom I believe were, ‘Men of Prayer!’

Why is it that, Prayer; “Is the believer’s greatest resource and the one least used?” “His greatest obligation and the one most neglected?” “The most common form of devotion, yet the one least understood?” “The gateway to the presence of God, that so few ever enter?”        “The channel to God’s grace that for most of us remains clogged?” Why is that? The only man whom I believe enjoyed perfect, unhindered, sweet communion with His Creator was Adam. I believe Adam walked and talked and had personal, intimate fellowship with God. In fact Adam was created by God in His own image (selem-sculptured image, statue, shadow, phantom) in His own likeness or similitude. Read Gen. 1:26-27 sometime; Why did God create Adam anyway? To multiply, to subdue the earth, to dominate the earth, to till the garden, to name the animals, to have a bunch of children? Yes, all that and much, much more! But primarily God created Adam to love Him, to obey Him, and to have perfect, intimate fellowship with Him. Excuse me, ‘Intimate intercourse with the Creator of the universe! Or Spiritual YADA! Hos. 6:3, “Then you will know the LORD when you follow on to know the LORD.”

Webster says, “Intercourse is the exchange of feelings and thoughts, marked by very close association and warm fellowship. Psalm 16:11. Adam walked in the garden (Gan an enclosed place with a gate) in the cool of the day, and listened to the voice of God his Creator. Gen. 3:8-9 gives us a hint of this fellowship, this intercourse, this intimacy, this YADA between two Beings alone on earth, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?” Notice God speaks first and God seeks Adam, the same is true today, John 4:23. Yet it is after the fall, after sin, after Satan’s rebellion, and after the creation of hell. But we see from this text four vital principles or elements for an effective or effectual prayer life. You do want an, ‘Effectual Fervent Prayer Life’ such as James talks about in James 5:16 don’t you? Good!

Before we examine these four vital elements in the garden, back up with me to Gen. 2:23, “And Adam said,” Who was he talking to, the animals, to himself? No, I believe he was talking to Elohim, God his Creator. The same One he had been conversing with since he became a living soul in Gen. 1:28ff. God is communing with Adam giving him His commands, so conversation with God was very natural, very open, very naked, to use a phrase. Form, philosophy, posture were unknown at this time, just simply the outpouring of one’s heart to the God of Creation. Bare-naked before God, physically and spiritually; Oh, to be like that today, keep your philosophy, your theology, your pet phrases, your stained glass language, just stand or kneel before the Almighty God bare-naked and commune with Him; Innocence, Fellowship, Communion, Obedience, Sweet Intercourse with the Sovereign Designer; Oh, to hear the sound of His voice, walking in your garden, in the cool of the day. That should be our goal in life, after all, that’s what He desires from us, ‘Communion and Fellowship’ with Him, pure bare-naked worship. Christ told us in John 4:23-24 that His Father is seeking for those to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.  The word seeking can be translated desire #2212.

So we should come to God in prayer not only because He deserves it but because He desires it as well. To talk with Him and walk with Him because you love Him, need Him and want to please Him. “And Adam said,” To Elohim, his Creator, his Master, his Maker, his God; Prayer is, simple, naked, sweet, innocent, fellowship with our Creator. How do we take something so simple, so beautiful, so natural and make it so difficult! It was never intended to be like that, never! “Oh God, help us to keep prayer simple and beautiful in our lives the way You intended it to be; May we hear You voice every day walking in our gardens, our secret places, in the cool of the day, in the quiet of the night. Oh LORD, breathe into our nostrils the very breath of life once again, in the form of prayer, the life breath of a child of Yours, help us to stand before You stripped of ourselves.” In Jesus Name.  ‘Between The Lines’    “Portraits of Prayer in Genesis” (Adam – Part #3)