FEBRUARY 2: “Building Intimacy in Prayer: Jacob’s Model”

Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham was known for his deceitful lifestyle and also his wrestling with God and man. Having spent twenty years in Paddan Aram, it was time to return home, having achieved closure through a peace treaty with Laban. At that time, Esau was already powerful and successful, to the extent that he had already dispossessed the Horites at Seir (see Deuteronomy 2:12) which suggests his military might. For Jacob, facing his brother Esau at the back of a longstanding feud is a terrifying matter.

In our text for today, the prayer of Jacob is teaching us that when we are faced with life challenges that we cannot handle, we should turn to God. Jacob came to this point in his life when God stripped him of all his strength, resources, connections, and schemes. Jacob knew by his power he did not have what it takes to confront Esau. So, he prayed a prayer for divine intervention. In the prayer, he reminded God that the idea of his returning home was God’s idea, so he needed God’s intervention. God used this hard time to cause Jacob to pursue Him passionately in the place of prayer.

Jacob cried out to God in prayer because he could not find it within him to handle what was coming. The purpose of crying out to God, like Jacob is so that we may receive courage, clarity and complete authority over our circumstances. As we step out today, remember that our breaking point can become our blessing point when we take charge in the place of prayer.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we thank you that you love us so much that you do not want us to take glory for the things you want to do in our lives. Therefore, we permit you to strip us of all our strength, resources, connections, and schemes, so that we can turn to you with a humble heart in the place of prayer, knowing that when we pray, something great must happen in our lives in Jesus’ name, Amen.