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Gen. 29:32 Reuben, “She conceived and bore a son,”

This first child of Leah and Jacob is a precursor to Christ.  Reuben literally means, “Behold, a son.”  He is the firstborn over all creation, and all things are given to Him as the pre-eminent Son of God.  Jesus is the Beginning and the End, Alpha and Omega.  In knowing Him, we enter in our relationship as believers and accepted children on the Father.

If you are to begin your prayer life with God, the Son must be the first entrance in.  He is the gate and source from which all blessing flow.  No matter how “advanced” or mature we become in our ministry and prayer life, we can never lose sight of the Son.  He ushers us into the presence of the Father.  He is our Advocate and Intercessor.  In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

We see Christ in Genesis when God sacrificed animals to cover the sin of Adam and Eve.  We see Christ in Exodus as the Passover Lamb whose blood was spread over the doorposts of the house.  He is the Angel that led Moses in the desert, the Rock from which the water flowed, the whisper to Elijah, and the wheels within the wheels of providence that Ezekiel saw above the river Kebar.

Christ’s omniscience and prescience are holding all things together. When Reuben is born, his parents echo the cry of heaven, “behold a son.”  This firstborn is the entrance into the kingdom, and we will never plumb the depths of His love, grace, and wisdom.

Begin with the Son and hold Him closely near throughout all the seasons of your life and ministry.

Jacob’s 12 Sons: Seasons of Prayer

The twelve sons of Jacob all represent periods of suffering and overcoming in his life and in the lives of each believer.  The meanings of these names give insight to the types of prayer that emerge as a believer matures in intimacy with God and power in prayer.

We need not think the Christian life is a static journey.  Instead, our path through the wilderness and high points of life is filled with ever-changing lessons and ever-increasing revelations of Who God is.

Your flexibility as a ministry leader or follower will determine your longevity.  By staying malleable and teachable before Him, we are shaped like clay more and more to the image He desires.

Some of these seasons are difficult, filled with hardship and strain.  Some are relatively relaxed when our soul, body, and mind can be refreshed and renewed.

Our responsibilities as believers is to discern what season we are in, “hear what the Spirit is saying to the church,” and respond accordingly.  There will be times for war, and times for peace.  Times to do battle in the spirit of vigilant prayer, and other times to enjoy the peace of surrender.  Everything has a season.

Enter into he twelve names of Jacob’s sons and see if you can place yourself somewhere on the continuum.  While these are not necessarily chronological, distinct times of growth, the principles and posture of each name tells us something of the patterns of prayer and faith that come into the lives of all believers.

In June of 2018, I stepped down from a job I love and began rethinking the next move of my career.  God was prompting me for many months to write a book, and at one point I felt He was saying, “If you don’t write this book, you are going to lose you job.”

Well, sure enough the prophecy was self-fulfilled, and God has orchestrated a three month sabbatical where I did nothing but write.  The result is a new book of 150 short devotionals taken from the life of Jacob that will form a book entitled, The Jacob Generation, A guide for pioneers.  

People ask me what the book is about, so I have decided to blog a sample chapter for you to enjoy for free.  Just join me over the next two weeks, and we learn about the 12 names of Jacob’s sons and how they represent seasons we encounter on our journey with God.

The book is really about prayer, so I pray you enjoy these short devotions and share them with others who need encouragement for their next phase of life, work, and ministry.