Blog

God hears prayer.  That is the overwhelming testimony of Scripture.  From the beginning of Genesis when Adam “walked with God in the cool of the garden,” to Revelation when the “prayers of the saints” are poured out as incense on the earth, prayer expressed God’s longing and love to be with His people.

We must approach prayer from these two foundational truths:  God hears us, and God loves us.  Beginning with these simple steps like a little child, we are ushered into the presence of a welcoming, Almighty, Heavenly Father who delights to listen to the cries of His people.

We are not bothering, begging, manipulating, or cajoling God do answer our prayers.  Instead, we must begin with faith that “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

So many Christians never even reach this first foundational stage of prayer whereby they enjoy coming to God and look forward to His love coming to them in the process.  Our Husband will love us.  There can be no doubt.  Like a bridegroom passionately desiring the affection of the bride, Jesus is referred to throughout the Scriptures as our beloved Husband who jealously longs for intimacy and love with us.

Have you settled this truth in your heart?  You are heard by God, and you are loved by Him, passionately.  This relation is the foundation of a steady and intimate prayer life.  1 John 5:14 says, “We have this confidence before Him, that whatever we ask Him, He hears.”

Hearing and loving are actions intertwined within this mystery of husband and wife that mirrors our intimacy with Christ.  Our spouses love to just be heard, and in hearing them we are loving them.  God as well is patient in His listening ear to the bride.  He does not disdain or dismiss her concerns, but “will avenger His elect who call out to Him day and night.”  God’s listening ear is the most privileged part of prayer.

As a young believer, and even as a seasoned “prayer warrior,” this posture of prayer is one we should master above all others.  Come to God as the loving Husband willing to hear your cries, and you will come from God more loved and secure that your needs will be met.  Love is the foundation of all successful interactions, particularly that of prayer.

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.