January 30, 2014 Genesis, Praying for Our Community, Memorizing the Face of God

PRAYER

Father God,

I don’t know everybody in my community. I don’t know their individuals needs. I only know they all need you. I ask you to pour out the Holy Spirit on our community. I ask you to reveal yourself in their quiet places. Get their attention in the way you need to. Lord, I am not asking for you to do hard things to them, but I’m asking you to be more concerned about their souls than their comfort. I’m asking you to affect the temporal so they understand the importance and reality of the eternal.

Lord, make my home a place where people find you. I ask that my family would be an example of Christ in our community. Invade our community through us. Love through us. Serve through us. Give us creative ways to reach into their lives, and, Lord, eradicate all fear from us that keeps us in our own home and out of theirs. Reveal any fear that keeps us from being open to loving.

I ask you to create divine appointments so we meet people. Give us insight into how to build relationships, and during conversation, I pray we would listen more than talk. Give us a deep love—YOUR love—for these people that you have put within our reach. Help us to never forget our greatest mission field is right next door. You placed us here to live you. Invade through us.

Show us anything that prevents you from being everything in our community you want to be. Change our hearts. Open our minds. Fill us with you.

Bless our community for your glory and their salvation.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

BIBLE READING

 

Genesis 31—Again, so much here, but the take away is simple: Jacob had a promise. Despite the promise, he worked hard, and it did not look like the promise sounded. STILL, he saw the hand of God. STILL, he gave Him glory. STILL, he said, “What I have is good, and it was all given to me by God.” Instead of looking at what wasn’t, he was totally focused on what was. Instead of grumbling, he poured out gratitude.

Want to change your life? Try Jacob’s approach.

Live with excellence.
Live in the blessing.
Be grateful despite the hardships.
Realize God is in the hardships.
Flourish anyway.

Genesis 32— ⁹ Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ ¹⁰ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. ¹¹ Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. ¹² But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

Translation:

I know the promise. I *KNOW* the promise. God in heaven, help me live it. I am not worthy, but you are faithful. I am afraid of what might happen, but you promised. Despite my fear, you are faithful, Oh God. You are faithful.
 
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

I never understood that until today. What he is really asking is, “Why do you even need to ask? Don’t you know?”

Just wow.

Genesis 33— For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.

Translation:

“Your receiving me with favor is such an obvious act of God, it is like looking directly upon Him.”

Holy God, may my eyes be opened to see your face in the blessings and favor you bestow. May the kindnesses and mercies you give be so evident to me that I see you clearly in them.

MEMORIZATION

Genesis 33

¹⁰ “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.”

Today I want to remember…
For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.

I want to remember when there is favor, there is God’s face, and remember, what we know by heart, the heart knows. I want to always know…for to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. I always want to know the face of God.

BIBLE STUDY/JOURNAL

I am lost in seeing your face in the kindnesses you give. I am wondering how much of what has been called “attacks” that has left me struggling mentally, emotionally, or spiritually is really my inability or even my refusal to see your face. And, Lord, my heart is broken to think I could miss your face. Holy God, forgive me. Forgive me for being so critical and judgmental of what I think you should give that I don’t see how truly generous you are. It hurts me to think you could be pouring out so much love on me and me never see it because I’m angry that you aren’t what I want you to be or your gifts don’t fit what I think needs to be your priority. Oh, God, I am sorry. Forgive me. Open my eyes, Lord. Open my eyes. I want to see your face.