I could have entitled this, “The Prayer of Fear!” In Gen. 31:1 Jacob is scared and in fear for his life and his family’s and that seems to be the only time he prays. In chapter 28 he is afraid and running from Esau when he runs into God at Bethel, here he is running from Laban’s sons when he is reminded of his vision at Bethel and his vow and he ends up running into Esau again in Gen. 32. Question, do you pray when you are scared? David did, Daniel did and Paul did. It is not wrong to pray due to fear, in fact it is very natural and normal. Many avowed atheists pray just before they die due to, ‘the core of man’s existence’ which is “the fear of death.” Heb. 2:15, and this is their prayer, “Oh God!” But it’s too late for them. No, there is no problem with praying when you are in fear. You do have a problem though if that seems to be the only time you pray!

In Gen. 31:3, the LORD tells Jacob to return to the ‘Promised Land.’ Twenty years have passed since Jacob was in intimate communion with the LORD. Remember, this is not the LORD’s trip, it’s Rebekah’s. In v.11 the ‘Angel of the Lord’ appears to Jacob, the ‘God of Bethel’ so he takes off for Canaan. Notice God speaks to Jacob through dreams and visions not through His word or Jacob’s prayer life. However, there were not to many versions on the market at that time, just the originals, even the KJV wasn’t out yet, but we are without excuse today, Amen? God usually had to speak to people in dreams and visions who don’t or won’t speak to Him in prayer. Like the unbelievers, the hardhearted, the Labans, the Jacobs, the Pilates, etc. However, not all dreams and visions were to the hardhearted and unbelievers because you have the Josephs, Daniels, Ezekiels, and Pauls, etc. If dreams and visions make you uncomfortable lets call them (DMI’s) for “Dynamic Mental Impressions.” Feel better now?

In Gen. 31:44, a covenant is made or cut, a pillar or a heap of stones becomes a witness between two arch enemies, “The LORD watch (Mizpah) between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.” They didn’t trust each other, v.53 “The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor (his brother) and the God of their father (Terah) judge between us.” Did they originally worship Jehovah? It appears to be so! In Gen. 31:54, Jacob builds an altar and offers a sacrifice. Remember, an altar should have three things sacrifice, worship and prayer. Jacob not being a Godly man at this time prays only when in fear or when it is for material gain. Here he desires protection and gain! Sounds like the average gim-me prayer of Christians today! How much time do you spend in praise and thanksgiving in your prayer time compared to asking God for things? Jacob hasn’t had his ‘Water-loo’ yet, it’s coming in Genesis 32 on the banks of the ‘Peniel River,’ “The Face of God!”

He is still worshiping the God of Isaac and Abraham, not the God of Jacob. There is no personalness in his prayers or worship yet! How about yours? Do you pray to ‘God the Person’ or do you pray to the ‘Person of God?’ Think about it, it makes a big difference. Prayer is on an intimate, personal level, from your heart to the heart of God! We need to enter into His Almighty presence, by the blood that was shed to give us access into the Holy of Holies.  Praise God, in spite of our spiritual state or condition God, always remains faithful and true even if we don’t. God always keeps His promises, He is not only ‘The God of the Word,’ He is ‘The God of His Word!’ He said it, that settles it, and I believe it! It’s wonderful and fearful at the same time to know that He keeps His Word! For the Christian it’s wonderful, for the non-Christian it’s fearful!

Now we come to Gen. 32 and here comes Esau with 400 men to kill him, so Jacob prays! Note, Jacob is still a crisis pray-er, even though he just met the ‘Mahanaim‘ the band of angels, he is still scared. He does not know God yet in a personal, intimate way so he prays, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, Return to thy country and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee.” v.9. It’s the God of his ancestors, the God he makes deals and bargains with, his e-bay god he prays to. The God he goes to when he is in need of something, but we never do that do we, come to God only when we are in need? I am afraid too many Christians pray this way all the time, in fact I would say a vast majority of Born-Again, Blood-Bought, Christians are just that, “Crisis Pray-ers!” To our shame and God’s.

It has been 20 years now since Beth-el and the ladder, the pillar, the vow, the vision, (the DMI) the oil, the angels. WOW! Twenty years between chapters 28 and 32. But notice the first three words in Gen. 32:12 as Jacob prays, “For You said…” v.9, “The LORD Who said…” He held God to His Word! To His promises, that’s why God heard and hearkened, not because of Jacob’s flawless character or his intimate friendship with Jehovah, but because the LORD is a God of His Word, He keeps His promises and He is not a covenant breaker. We too need to hold God to His promises and to His word. Jacob did and so did George Mueller, D.L. Moody etc. and God blessed them. So Jacob is coming back to the land, back to the God he left, back to the prayer life of his ancestors. Twenty years have elapsed and we have the same God but a different Jacob; Jacob the heel catcher, the supplanter, the conniver is becoming ‘Israel’ the “Prince with God!”

We have a lesson to learn here in prayer, ‘A Principle For Prayer’ when we pray. “Hold God To His Word” He glories in that, “For You Said!” Those are the sweetest, most beautiful words in prayer, “For You Said!” God said it, and that settles it! Amen, Amen! Whether you believe it or not, the answer to this prayer comes in Gen. 33:4, when Esau runs, meets him, embraces him, falls on his neck, kisses him and weeps! There is the power of God, Esau was coming to kill Jacob not kiss him. So, what changed his mind the 550 goats, sheep, camels and bulls, no the power of prayer and, “For You Said!” The promises of God, they are there for you and I to, ‘Cash In On!’ Or as one saint put it, “They are like bank drafts on Christ’s account waiting to be cashed in.” Oh my friend, we need to spend time in the Word finding those precious promises and then get on our knees and faces if possible and cash them in. Let us determine from this day forward to hold God to His word, to put Him to the test, Mal. 3:10, to pray back His promises, “For You Said…” He delights in that kind of praying, in fact, He is glorified by it.

Maybe our crisis isn’t severe enough, maybe we need to pray for God to send an enemy with 400 warriors who wants to kill us and our families first, maybe that’s what it will take to see the Mahanaim, before we take God at His Word. Remember God does not answer prayer, He answers desperate prayer! “For You Said…”  “…Between The Lines…”

“Oh God, help us to search Your Word to find Your promises and then hold You to Your Word when we pray. Thank You, LORD for Your faithfulness, even when we are not faithful, or walking close to You. LORD may we not just come to You for things or when in a crisis but to worship, praise and adore You for Who You are and may those three words become part of our prayer life, “For You Said…”          ” In ha Shem Yeshua we ask. Amen!

“Portraits of Prayer in Genesis”  Jacob The Angel Wrestler – Part #3