'Good Spiritual Determination.'
Genesis 32:26.
a) The Man said:
b) "Let Me go,
c) "For the dawn is breaking!"
d) But Jacob said:
e) "I will not let you go
f) "Unless you Bless me."
(This QT makes me realise that Jacob had Good Spiritual Determination)
PRAY: For our personal spiritual determination.
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'Peace With God.'
Romans 5:1.
a) Therefore, since we have been made right with God by faith,
b) We have Peace with God
c) Because of what Jesus Christ our Lord
d) Has done for us.
(This Second one teaches me a precondition of Peace With God)
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Chris.
Here is a part of the amazing encounter of Jacob with the Angel of the Lord.
When it was time for the Angel to depart, and some scholars suggest that the "Angel" here was actually a manifestation of the Lord Himself, Jacob pleaded with the Angel of the Lord to Bless him.
When we encounter the Lord in committed and especially arranged times of Prayer, like early morning Church times, Spiritual retreats, personal times accompanied by fasting, or simply prayer gatherings with friends, colleagues or Church members, then through this encounter we can expect some kind of positive response from the Lord to our prayers. If we live in a busy or hostile environment it is sometimes good to go alone, or with a few of our Believing colleagues to a quiet place to be with God in personal encounter.
One of the things that can block our prayers is if we just pray by habit rather than pray with expectation. It is actually good to pray with both. Yes, make prayer a personal habit, many of my Korean friends do that, but also accompany that habitual prayer with expectation and faith.
Of course, our personal prayer times are important. If we are part of a Christian family, then 'family prayers' are a necessity. (The saying is: "the family that prays together stays together"!). If we own a Christ-Centered business, it is lovely and also effective if we stop work 30 minutes early once a week and have a prayer meeting with and for the Believers in our company, also anyone else who may like to attend.
Another lesson that we can learn from Jacob's Prayer is that he was persistent, he really pleaded for and needed that positive answer from the Lord. This also highlights a potential weakness in our personal Prayer life, are we persistent in Prayer or do we give up? There are some people who give up praying because they lack persistence, Hebrews 6:12 tells us that it is with Faith and Patience we inherit the Promises of God.
May God continue to help and motivate us in the personal disciplines of our spiritual life: Prayer, Thanksgiving and Bible Reading.
