January 29: Jacob’s prayer for deliverance

Are you afraid? Is there something coming that could destroy your life? Are you in fear of what the future is bringing?

Jacob was scared to death. He cheated his brother out of the blessing (Genesis 27), and Esau declared “then will I slay my brother Jacob” (Genesis 27:16). Now Esau has 400 men with him, coming to meet Jacob (Genesis 32:6).

So Jacob prayed.

⁹And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:
¹⁰I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.
¹¹Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.
¹²And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

Genesis 32:9-12

Jacob called unto the LORD and claimed the promises.