Adam has three sons in Gen. 4, Cain, Abel and Seth and we need to consider how their lives impact our lives in regards to prayer.  Adam knew Eve and she bore Cain and said, “I have gotten (acquired-Cain) a man from the LORD.” Cain is a type of the mere man of the earth whose religion is destitute of any sense of sin or need of atonement.  But attainment can never take the place of atonement. Without the recognition of Christ as our substitute and sacrifice there can be no approach to God. This religious type of man is described in 2 Peter 2:2, “And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” Seven things are said about Cain, he worships in self-will, he is angry with God, he refuses to bring a sin offering, he murders his brother, he lies to God, he becomes a wanderer, and he becomes the object of divine anxiety and fear.

This section could be entitled, ‘The Way of Cain.’ Previously, we said prayer language can be at times, defiant and irreverent. Prayer is simply talking to God and if that is true, then we have in chapter 4 with Cain what we had in chapter 3 verse 9 with Adam where God initiated the search and the conversation, “Where are you?” Here He asks Cain a series of questions starting in v.6, “Why are you angry?” “Why has your countenance fallen?” “Where is Abel your brother?” “What have you done?” Sin separates man from God and it is God not man who does the searching for the other at this point. God more than man desires reconciliation and that comes through confession which is ‘Prayer!’ The first prayer a sinner prays is to change his status (Rom. 3:10-11 tells us there is none righteous, there is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God) So it is God who does the seeking initially as with Cain. A conversation develops between God and Cain as God attempts to restore Cain who is angry with God, but you have never been angry with God, right? Your countenance has never fallen, has it? You have never felt unaccepted by God, right? We have the same problem Cain had! Admit it!

“Sin lieth at the door!” And God says, “We should rule over it and not vice-versa.” Praise God! We serve a God, who seeks, searches and saves sinners! Cain answers God, hopefully not the way you answer Him from your prayer chamber. But how about on the street, or at work, or school when you are convicted about your life or habits, or during a crisis, or when circumstances don’t go your way? Jude v.11 says, “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain!” The way of Cain is simply, ‘Will-Worship!’ Doing it my-way and expecting God to accept it and even to bless it. A fruit offering instead of the firstlings of the flock. Nothing wrong with fruit, when it’s a fruit offering but God required blood for atonement, not grapes! Cain wanted it his way, like some of our local hamburger jingles, “Have it your way” but with God there is only one way, “His Way!”

God desperately tried in His conversation to restore Cain but to no avail. God is sovereign and supreme; omnipotent and omnificent but He never forces us to accept Him or His ways. One of the greatest sins of the Christian today is ‘The Sin of Prayerlessness!’ God gave us the method, in fact prayer is His divine plan. God deserves, in fact He desires our fellowship and our communion with Him. Abel knew that sweetness and he came God’s way. Cain never experienced that sweetness because he tried to come, ‘Cain’s Way’ through will-worship. Gen. 4:16 says, “Cain went out from the presence of the LORD.” How sad, how tragic! My friend, it is God Who is seeking you right now, to worship Him in spirit and in truth, to worship Him His way, not man’s way. Why won’t you come? “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst, Come. ” Or will you go out from the presence of the LORD like Cain, into the land of Nod, the land of wandering. Aren’t you tired of wandering, tired of drifting, tired of floating down a river like a bubble with no meaning and no place to go but down? In Exodus 33:14 the LORD said to Moses, “My presence shall go with you, and I shall give you rest.” And Moses said in return, “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up from here.” I don’t know about you but I need to know the ‘Power of His Presence’ and the ‘Presence of His Almighty Power’ in my life and ministry and especially in my prayer life and closet.

“Oh God, Creator of heaven and earth, and all that in them is, help us to see it Your way and only Your way; Please LORD, don’t stop seeking, searching, speaking to Your creatures, don’t stop drawing Your creation to Yourself, forgive us our sin of prayerlessness, forgive us for doing it our way, cleanse us from our will-worship and for going in the way of Cain. Lord, may we know the sweetness that Abel knew in prayer and fellowship with You.” In Jesus name and for His sake, Amen!     ‘Between The Lines’

“Portraits of Prayer in Genesis”  (Cain – Part #1)