The Power of Prayer
Dear Father, Today as we gather here to talk about the Bible, and encourage each other till we see You face-to-face, we want to lift up Mogen. We praise Your holy name that she is not alone in MN. In fact, the God of Abraham and the fearsome God of Isaac (Gen. 31:42) and the sovereign God of Jacob is the God of Morgen, too. Thank you for being right there with her family during this time; and, for placing encouraging people around them. Also, for those that are stepping in to serve them with love. There is “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,” (Ecc. 3:4). Thank you for words in the Bible that bring us peace. Words that you knew we would need to hear. May people surrounding this family grow in their faith as they witness Jesus in the mist of their loss. May this time bring even more harmony and love to this clan. May your glory be seen and may your love be felt with Morgen. We love you Jesus, with all of our heart, in your name we pray, Amen.
Today in the Chronological Bible reading ~
After a couple of decades Jacob was returning to his home land with his entire clan. Shortly, he would bump into Esau, his brother who years before had wanted to kill him. (Gen. 27:41-45)
Jacob was afraid. What did he do?
Earnestly he prayed and reminded the Lord about the promise that was made to his grandfather, Abraham (Gen. 22:18 & 26:4).
Can you imagine spending the night with God alone?
Jacob prevailed in prayer.
And, do you realize what happened with this faithful prayer warrior?
“Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast [overcome]” (Gen. 32:28).
Through the centuries to come, the people of God would be called by his name Israelites. Wow. We too are in a Covenant relationship with God through Jesus our Savior and our Mediator. Like Jacob we also will have days where we are afraid. When we are faced with troubles we can do what Jacob did: pray. We can “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:17).
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
To Do: Pray in faith and trust in the Lord to answer.
His Gathering Place 
I noticed something else that I want to add, – yesterday we read about the Lord telling Jacob to “leave this country and return to the land of your birth” (Gen. 31:13). And, today Jacob decides to “settle” in Shechem. Why did he stop at this town rather than complete the journey to Bethel? The beautiful land? The opportunities for financial gain? But, it is here that the tragedy involving his daughter Dinah happens.Things of this world, that attract our attention – that take control of our heart – can lead to heartbreaking consequences for our own children. Even with the sorrow in his family, Jacob did not give up. The situation was hopeless. But, he did not lose his faith in God. When the Lord said, “go up to Bethel” he obeyed. (Gen. 35.1). I love the 3 take–aways from Jacob today: (Genesis 35:2,3)(1) He told his family “put away the strange gods” This is a reminder to us that old habits of sin must be let go.(2) “Be clean and change your garments” – This reminds us to “follow…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).(3) He worshiped the Lord, it was God that he set out to serve with all of his heart
I noticed that too about Jacob not going all the way. I was reading in a commentary and it was talking about how if they had gone all the way Dinah would have been protected from that crime against her. How our obedience effects our children. We have to choose to go all the way with God and not only part of the way.Here are the rest of my notes from today from FB:”Your name will no longer be Jacob,” He said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and prevailed.” Genesis 32:28The reading effected me a very powerful way today. Really, as I knew this reading was coming up, I have been thinking about it all week. The change of Jacob’s name is a huge turning point in his life. Jacob is met by God in the darkness of the night when he is afraid and distressed. He is afraid of his past, because his past has caught up with him. There he is fixing to meet his brother Esau who he deceived many years before and he has no idea the reaction he is going to get. He wrestles with God all night and God makes him confront the past that he is afraid of. God asks Jacob, “What is your name?” and he replies, “Jacob.” At first glance that might not seem like much to think about but think about what his name meant. His name means deceiver, trickster and God was asking him to “own up to his own devious past.*” God has the power to impart to Jacob a new life, but Jacob had to do something first, he had to own up to his past before God could move him into his future. Been there? I have. I think that is why this story resonates with me so much. Coupling it with the story of Dinah only reminds me more of what God has done in my life. See I suffered similar things as Dinah as I know that some of you have as well. The name(s) that go along with that are not pretty, they are not nice. We are called shamed, broken, and hurt (and worse). We need God to give us a new name. For me the aftermath of the abuse was just as painful: My own sinful choices and hurts I caused upon myself and others. When God came to me in the darkest time of my life I was afraid and I was in distress, just like Jacob. Did I wrestle with God? Yes, I did because I wrestled with the truth. I wrestled with the fact that I could be a new creation in Christ (2 Corn 5:17). Oh how I desperately wanted to believe that, but it took prayer and it took a lot of scripture getting deep down into the marrow of my bones, marrow of my belief system as Beth Moore says, to get that to ring true in my mind and my heart. God made Jacob admit he was a deceiver. I had to admit the own sin in my life then God healed the sin that was done to me. When that happened my life changed, my name changed and now instead of captive I am free, instead of abused I am Pure Bride of Christ, instead of sinner I am saint and so are you! Jesus is the only One who has the power and authority to impart to us a new life. The phrase “no longer be” in the Hebrew actually reads “it shall no more be said.*” It shall no more be said of us that we are sinners, it shall be said we are saints. Jacob says to the Lord, “I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant.” (Genesis 32:10). We are unworthy, but Jesus thought differently. He thought we were worthy enough to die for, worthy enough to meet us in our darkness and change our names. Think today:”Your name will no longer be _________ . It will be _________ .” It shall no more be said! Hallelujah!Make sure you check out the amazing song written by Travis Cottrell posted right after this. I tried to find him actually singing it but there was not a video on youtube. It is an amazing song written for Beth Moore’s study on the Patriarchs about Jacob and God changing his name. ____________________________________*Genesis A Commentary by Bruce K. Waltke<3>Brandee