We'll be looking today together at Genesis chapter 32 and verses nine through 12. Genesis 32, nine through 12. Whenever I do one of these devotionals, I like to look back on sermon audio to see if the passages have been previously covered. And usually they have been, and that's the case here too, but it's been a couple of years since anybody opened to this, it looks like on the prayer gathering. So happy to revisit it together. Like all of you, I'm sure, I like reading and meditating on the various prayers that are recorded and nestled into the narrative portions of the Bible. Prayers that arise in this or that circumstance. It's precious really to know not just that the saints prayed in the midst of trials, but sometimes what they actually said in those prayers to the Lord. And this particular circumstance is very well known to all of you. In a nutshell, God commanded Jacob after 20 years with Laban to leave and go back home. Laban pursued him, but God had his back and told Laban in a dream to be very careful how he speaks to Jacob. So when Laban catches up to him, they're more or less able to make a covenant and settle things. So Jacob is able to get moving towards home again, but there's still the issue of his brother Esau out there. It's been a long time. And last time they were together, things weren't so well. Esau was committed to killing Jacob. So Jacob sends messengers in advance and they come back with the terrifying news that Esau is coming to meet him with 400 men, not likely a hospitality committee. So Jacob's situation, I think, can be seen as a little microcosm of how life can get for any of us as we serve the Lord, not to that extreme. But Jacob was trying his best to do what God told him to do. And that brought him danger. Danger following close behind him. That got settled. Then there was immediately more danger ahead. Trouble behind him. trouble in front of him, the price for obeying God sometimes, trying your best to obey God, to serve God, surrounded by opposition. Can you relate sometimes, maybe right now? What do you do? You get overwhelmed and give up, become discouraged. or despondent? Listen, these are the moments that faith can shine. These are the moments when God's glory can really be displayed. When God told Jacob to leave and go home, being fully aware of the dangers to his servant, what else did God say in chapter 31 coming to chapter 32 in a moment? In chapter 31 verse three, he said, return to the land of your fathers and to your family and I will be with you. We need to trust him and we need to pray a lot and we need to believe a lot and we need to wait sometimes a lot. Now, chapter 32 records those messengers coming back with the news about Esau and the 400 men. And quite a day and night ensues. Very famous, of course, is Jacob's wrestling with God that night. But before that wrestling that night, there was a prayer earlier that day. And the Lord reveals to us here what Jacob prayed to him. And that's the portion of this I want to read and just make a few comments about. So here it is, Genesis 32, verses nine through 12. Then Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord, who said to me, return to your country and to your family and I will deal well with you. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which you have shown your servant. For I crossed over this Jordan with my staff and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. For you said, I will surely treat you well and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude." There are five distinct points to Jacob's prayer, and they're very instructive for us. First, By the way, I love every now and then Rick will refer to this as the school of prayer, and he did yesterday in fact and I actually love when he says that because I the year that I've been able to be part of this prayer group I feel like I've learned. quite a bit about prayer myself. So here we go. First, Jacob addresses God with words that are rich in covenant language. You see verse nine, God of my father, Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac, the Lord. God made his covenant with Abraham and then affirmed it to Isaac, and now it's with Jacob. And Jacob evokes that to the Lord by naming his ancestors that way. And further, Jacob calls upon that covenant name, Yahweh, see the L-O-R-D in capital letters in most English Bibles. Not that God needs reminding of anything by man, but I think God is honored and worshiped when in our prayers, we reverently speak to him in this manner, speaking of his promises and of his grace. Second, also in verse nine, see the words, who said to me, return to your country, et cetera. Jacob got into this situation by obeying God. Disobeying God brings trouble, of course, but here obeying does. And he says that in his prayer, Lord, I'm just trying to do what you told me to do here. I think there's something to be said in a format that the limited time here doesn't permit. I'd love to elaborate, but we're called as Christians to walk in obedience to our Lord. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5, 3. Walk in obedience. Pray for the strength to do so. We will fail, we fall short along the way, but trust his grace. Pray from a position of longing to obey and do his will. Third, in verse 10, you see the words, I am not worthy. What's that? Humility. And it's gratitude for all he did have. And there's a connection there. Humility is to gratitude what pride is to ingratitude. Jacob was blessed. He came to Laban's land with nothing and was going home rich and full. We are blessed. You heard Pastor Mark yesterday sharing his heart from Psalm 32, recognizing in the midst of discouragement that the blessed man is the one whose sins are removed. We are immeasurably blessed in Christ. Whatever trouble may arise, always stay humble and thank God for his salvation in Christ. Fourth, in verse 11, See the words, deliver me. Jacob is in trouble. He asks God for deliverance. That's what his specific situation in that specific moment called for. That may or may not be our situation right now, but are we here assembled to ask God for something specific? That's my understanding, revival. Revive us, Lord, revive me. Revive my church. Revive all my brethren. Bring revival to my city through the preaching of the gospel. Ask. Jesus said, whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. John 14, 13 and 14. I wish I had more time to break that down. The context of what's happening there in John 14 is so important, but for now, go to God and ask for his sake, for his glory, for his purposes in Jesus' name. And then fifth, verse 12. See the words, for you said. And this is similar to the first point, right? God reminds, I'm sorry, Jacob reminds God. And again, not that God needs reminding, but it is worshipful to express to God the things that he has said. Jacob says, you said I'm gonna treat you well, give you lots of descendants. Jacob is expressing that he's trusting God for his promises. Praise God for his promises. If we're gonna learn anything about praying like this, we need to know his promises and we need to be people of the book because that's where the promises are. Every believer needs to give himself to reading and studying and knowing God's word that we might know what we're talking about. when we go before him. There's no revival without that. It's always amazing to me that whenever you talk about just about anything in the Christian realm, it always comes back to praying and reading your Bible, praying and reading your Bible. Well, this part of the history came about because God told Jacob what to do and promised to be with him. Can we relate? All authority is given to me in heaven and earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe whatsoever things I have commanded you, that's the command, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Do you long to be obedient? Do you long to obey that, to use your gifts, do your part? I'll bet people that would join a prayer meeting like this do, praise the Lord for that. Do you sometimes sense trouble on all sides when you're just trying to obey and serve? What do you do? Do what the Word says. Do what the Word teaches us. Go to the Lord. Pray like we're shown how to, and don't ever give up. You need reviving? Keep asking. anything for the glory of God, keep praying and never give up.