God and Abraham pray for Ishmael and Isaac

Background: Again and again, God promised Abram he would become the father of many nations, yet this usually strong man of faith and his wife, Sarai, made their own arrangements in order to make God’s promise come true! As Genesis 16 records the story, Sarai urged Abram to follow the custom of the day and have children with her maid Hagar so the couple would have an heir. When this had been accomplished and Hagar knew she had a child on the way, she began to look down on her mistress, which did not go over too well with Sarai.

In Genesis 17 God gave Abram a new name – Abraham, which means the father of many. God also changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, which, interestingly, means princess. With the blessing of God resting on Abraham, however, God could not and did not forget Hagar.

When Sarah mistreated the servant girl, Hagar ran away until an angel of the Lord came to her and told her to go home and submit to Sarah’s authority.

“And the angel said, ‘You will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Ishmael, meaning God hears, for the Lord has heard your cries. Your son will be as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will live in defiance of all his relatives’,” Genesis 16:11-12.

Hagar obeyed God and gave birth to Ishmael. Fourteen years later, God appeared to the 99-year-old Abraham, again promising to be with him and his descendants but with special favor over the child that his wife Sarah would have, despite the impossibility of her age! However…

“Abraham prayed to God, ‘Oh, if only Ishmael could live before You!’

“But God said, ‘No, your wife Sarah will bear a son, and you shall call his name Isaac, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with him and his descendants after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard your prayer. I will indeed bless him and make him fruitful, giving him many, many descendants. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation, but I will establish My covenant with Isaac to whom Sarah will give birth at this time next year’,” Genesis 17:18-22.

Questions: Do people today ever hear God’s promises then run ahead or lag behind God’s timing? Did Abraham and Sarah’s decision to ensure an heir affect only their family, or did their actions have consequences and reverberations still felt today? Does Abraham’s prayer for Ishmael give a different slant to his motivations in the familiar Bible story in Genesis 22 where he offers up his son and heir, Isaac, as a sacrifice to the Lord?

Prayer: Dear LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and, yes, Ishmael, help me to hear You and be ready and willing to wait! Forgive me for the times I have fallen far behind or rushed before You. Thank You for giving me everything I need to obey You and follow Your will even when things look hopelessly impossible.

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© 2012, Mary Sayler, all rights reserved.

God and Abraham have a candid conversation

“The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Fear not, Abram. I AM your shield, and your reward shall be exceeding great.’

"And Abram said, ‘Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I have no child but my steward, Eliezer of Damascus? Since You have given me no seed, the person born in my house is my only heir.’

"And the word of the LORD came again, saying, ‘This shall not be your heir, but he who comes from your own loins shall be your heir.’ Then the LORD brought Abram outdoors and said, ‘Look toward heaven and count the stars if you can number them. That’s how many descendants you will have.’

"And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted this as righteousness. Then the LORD said, ‘I AM the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to inherit.’" Genesis 15:1-7.

God talked with Abram and told him His plans, but even in a dream or vision, Abram would not have heard any of this unless he had listened. But he did listen, and immediately he heard the Lord soothe his fears then promise to protect and bless him, and Abram believed.

Abram also spoke candidly with God, making it as clear as the sky that all the money in the world would not matter to him if he did not have someone to pass it on to – an heir who could also enjoy the blessings.

God responded to this concern by taking Abram outside and pointing to the stars as the countless descendants Abraham would eventually have. Then the LORD reminded Abram how he had been guided out of his homeland into another land that God promised to give. When Abram wondered about this inheritance, which could only occur after his death, God responded with a covenant – a pledge, a pact, a contract, a treaty – sealed in blood.

Questions: Do my prayers include time to listen to God? Am I honest with the LORD about my worries, wants, and needs? Do I carry on candid conversations with God as my dearest, closest, and best friend?

Prayer: Oh, LORD, I want to hear You as clearly as Abraham did! Strengthen my faith. Help me to listen to Your voice, do as You ask, and accept all that You give me and my family for all times and in all places. Give me, too, the courage to fear not the gift of being your heir, your child.

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© 2012, Mary Sayler

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Melchizedek: A priest prays for Abraham

Background: When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured by the joint forces of four kings, he rounded up 318 men from his servants and set out to rescue his brother’s son. Abram not only accomplished this military feat, he also freed the people and possessions taken from their homes in Sodom and Gomorrah. Afterward, the king of Sodom came out to greet the returning hero in the Kings’ Valley and told him to keep the things belonging to the people of his town, but Abram refused. As he explained, he did not want anyone thinking the king of Sodom had made him rich!

At some point during this conversation, the Bible reports that the priest-king of Salem also came out to meet Abram, bringing bread and wine. No one knows anything about the ancestry of this priest-king to whom the fifth chapter of Hebrews later refers as “a priest forever.” Regardless, the man came from an area whose name stems from the Hebrew word “Shalom,” meaning “peace.”

“Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God Most High, brought bread and wine to Abram and said: ‘May you be blessed, Abram, by God Most High, who owns heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, Who has given your enemies into your hand.” And Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe of all he had,” Genesis 14:18-20.

After this prayer blessing, which also praised God, Abram gave the first biblically recorded tithe of ten percent to the Priest Melchizedek, who was also King of Salem – the place now known as Jerusalem.

Question: What gift do you have for God? What blessing does God have for you?

Prayer: O, Most High God, I thank and praise You for the countless successes, triumphs, and blessings that You bring. Help me to use Your good gifts to Your great glory.

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© 2012, Mary Sayler, all rights reserved.
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Calling on the Name

Background:
After Adam and Eve, after Cain and Abel, after the third generation of humankind began calling on the name of the Lord, many, many centuries passed. Heavenly beings did whatever they wanted, creating chaos and, quite possibly, mythological creatures (Genesis 6:1-4.) Human beings did whatever they wanted, and their relationships with God and one another deteriorated (Genesis 6:5.) The whole universe had gotten into an unbearable, terrible mess!

Within this scene of deterioration and depravity, Noah stood out like a bright light of righteousness. God noticed, of course, and came to Noah with a plan and a promise. As Genesis 7-8 recorded, God used a flood to wipe out everything and start over with Noah, his family, and every animal on earth.

After the floodwaters had dried, Noah built an altar and offered a sacrifice to God (Genesis 8:20.) If he prayed to God or praised and thanked God for protecting and saving him and his family, the Bible did not say. Instead Genesis 9 goes on to tell us how Noah planted a vineyard, made wine, and got drunk!

When Noah awoke after an embarrassing evening, he realized that one of his three sons had stood around, staring at the inebriated, naked father until the other two walked backwards to cover him up! If Noah felt foolish or ashamed or sorry or got mad at himself for his own behavior, the Bible made no mention. Instead Genesis 9:25-27 recorded this prayer:

“And Noah said,
‘Cursed be Canaan!
May he be the very lowest servant –
a servant of servants to his brothers.‘

“And Noah said,
‘Blessed be the LORD God of Shem.
Canaan shall be his servant.
God shall extend the borders of Japheth,
and Japheth shall live in the tents of Shem,
and Canaan shall be his servant’.”

Questions:
In what ways did the blessings and cursings of Noah affect human history? Do they affect peoples and nations today? Do I take my own words seriously? Do I bless or curse my family, my community, myself, and the world?

Prayer:
Dear LORD God, I praise and thank You for all of my blessings! Help me to become a blessing to others and myself.

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© 2012, Mary Sayler, all rights reserved.
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First Bible prayer or first complaint?

Background: In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had communion and fellowship with God similar to conversational prayer. Since they had everything they could possibly need and more, they did not ask for anything, but when they disobeyed God, everything changed. Even then, however, the Bible does not mention their asking God for forgiveness, maybe because they did not!

Regardless, the couple left the Garden as God commanded, and, outside of Eden, they eventually had a family. The Bible does not say what Adam and Eve told their children about God as they were growing up, but for some reason, both sons thought they needed to give God a gift, perhaps to get back into the Garden or into God’s good graces.

At any rate, Cain offered some of the produce from his garden, while Abel gave the very best of his flock. God accepted Abel’s gift, but not Cain’s off-hand offering, which infuriated the man so much that he killed his younger brother. God then confronted Cain, who responded with the resounding question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

“And the Lord said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries from the ground! Now you are cursed from the earth that swallowed your brother’s blood. When you till the ground, it will not yield good crops. From now on you will be a fugitive and a homeless wanderer on the earth.’

“And (in what may be the first biblically recorded prayer from a person) Cain cried out to the Lord, ‘My punishment is too great to bear! You have banished me from the face of the earth and also from Your presence. You have made me a fugitive and homeless wanderer, so whoever finds me will kill me!’

“But the Lord said, ‘I will punish sevenfold anyone who kills you.’ Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. And Cain left the Lord’s presence, settling in the land of Nod, east of Eden,” Genesis 4:10-16.

Questions: How far from Eden am I? What kind of prayer life do I have? Do I talk with God in conversational prayer as I read the Bible and listen to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit? Do I frequently praise God, or like Cain, do I mainly protest and complain? Do I ask God for forgiveness, or do I think I have to earn forgiveness and love from The Most Holy, Loving, and Forgiving God?

Prayer: Dear LORD God, I praise You for Your goodness, mercy, forgiving grace, and love. Help me to offer my best to You as a pleasing gift, just because I love You. Thank You for freely loving, forgiving, and protecting me. Thank You for responding to my prayers even when I complain.

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© 2012, Mary Sayler, all rights reserved. ~~

Calling on the Name of the Lord

“Adam and his wife had another son, whom they named him Seth (i.e., given) because, as they said, `God has given us a son to take the place of Abel, whom his brother Cain has killed.’

Then, when Seth had a son, he named him Enosh. And at that time people began to call on the Name of the LORD,” Genesis 4:25-26.

After the Fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden…

After disobedience, blame, and denial ruined a perfect world…

After the first jealous rage led to murder…

After one brother killed another…

After a new start and a new family began in the God-given son of Seth...

People began to call on the Name of the Lord.

Question: Do I sometimes take a while to call on God? Why?

Prayer: Dear LORD God, Who Gives and Restores, help me to call on You before I fall. If I forget, please remind me. Help me to stay attuned to You and readily hear and respond as You call my name.

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© 2012, Mary Sayler, all rights reserved.