Preschool
I will guide thee with mine eye. Psalm 32:8
A Prayer Answered
Memory Verses
Primary
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Psalm 32:8
Junior
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Psalm 32:8
Background Scripture: Genesis 24
Lesson Scripture: Genesis 24:10–14, 17–22, 48
Introduction
Our heavenly Father is not a God who is far off; He is here now. He is listening to every prayer. According to the Scriptures, He has committed Himself to answer our prayers. Our part in His great plan is simple obedience.
First, God moves the heart of man to pray. When man prays, God answers the prayer. And then He fills man’s heart with thanksgiving and praise. Thus the grace and glory of our God is magnified. It has been said that prayer is the language of the heart. How then can we prepare our hearts to worship God?
Key Verse
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Heb. 11:6).
Lesson Scripture
Genesis 24:10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.
11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.
12 And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:
14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.
22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold.
48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.
Studying the Lesson
Early in history, some years after the flood, the Scriptures give us the record of Abraham, the friend of God. He was called apart from the sinful world to live in fellowship with his Creator. This story touches our hearts because, inwardly, we also long to be a friend of God and a beloved disciple of Christ. What lessons can we learn to help us live in communion with our heavenly Friend?
God promised Abraham that the land of Canaan would be given to his descendants and that through this posterity the whole world would be blessed. Though he had no children, he believed God. Obviously, at times, the question would arise, “How can it be?” While He did not doubt the promise of God, he saw his own frailty as well as that of Sarah, his aging wife. When the Lord visited him, “Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?” (Gen. 15:2). Apparently, Abram was wondering if Eliezer might be his heir. But God had a different plan, and when Isaac was born, he was the son of promise, thus settling the question.
When his son had grown to manhood, Abraham commissioned his trusted steward to fetch a wife for Isaac. Abraham told Eliezer, “The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way” (Gen 24:40). Thereupon, Eliezer confidently departed on the quest.
At a well outside the city of Nahor, the ten camels knelt down quietly. Nearby Abraham’s servant sought guidance in the task before him. He handed the full responsibility of his mission to God. The Lord was listening, ready to answer. Before Eliezer had ended his prayer, the heavenly Father sent the answer: “The thing proceedeth from the Lord” (Gen. 24:50).
Eliezer was faithful to his master, devout and pious in his attitude toward God, truly a humble servant. He was unselfish in his prayers; everything he had was for his master and his son. He was diligent to do all he could, and then he trusted God to do the work. Certainly Eliezer had heard his master’s prayers, and it is evident that he was also a man of prayer. Eliezer had a living faith in God, whom he reverently worshiped.
Abraham’s servant asked for a sign, not because he lacked faith and needed something visible to act upon; rather, he was careful to rightfully understand the leading of God. He felt he needed wisdom to discern God’s will.
As we reflect on this servant and his prayer, we see a faithful servant who prayed and a faithful God who answered. The servant was unable to fulfill his errand alone. Only the miraculous grace and power of God could complete the task. God moved the hearts of all those involved to do His will, and in being obedient they glorified God.
Practical Truths for Today
The devil seeks to hinder the church services of the saints any way he can. He is distressed about the preaching of God’s holy Word, but perhaps his greatest concern is the earnest prayers of the saints. We will find it difficult to pray if we allow Satan to influence us through our flesh or by the things of the world. When our fleshly desire motivates our prayer requests, we ask amiss.
Upon hearing the prayer of Jesus, His disciples requested that He teach them how to pray. We may occasionally feel as they did, wanting to be able to pray more effectively. Jesus taught the twelve a simple pattern of prayer that we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” This prayer begins and ends with holy reverence to our heavenly Father.
“Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come.” The central theme of every prayer must be the worship of God. Our prayers are not only about our needs and wants. They are about Him: His glory, power, and kingdom. We should worship Him in heart and soul for what He is and not only for what He has done. We look away from ourselves to Him as a benevolent Father and say, “Thy will be done.” May we always come to Him with a surrendered will and pray, Lord, You are the Potter; I am the clay. If wealth has fallen to me, it is Yours to use at Your disposal. If in poverty and distress I am more useful to You, then may it be so. Whether sickly and feeble or strong and healthy, let me be whatever will bring glory to Your holy name.”
“Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5). “Without ceasing” conveys the thought of not quitting. Persistently praying does not mean that one has complete faith that what he is asking for is God’s will; rather, it is to come to the absolute faith in God that His answer is right—not our own judgment.
“Unto God” means that our prayers have the audience and attention of our kind, heavenly Father. We need to be conscious of that in every prayer.
The prayer was “for him,” for Peter. There was a specific request in this prayer. It was not just a memorized jingle uttered in monotone. It was a prayer with a particular purpose, like the one in our lesson text. Perhaps our “blanket” prayers that nicely cover our known needs are not really the effective, fervent prayers that we would hope. Are we afraid to make precise requests because we fear God will not grant them?
God hears our prayers and answers them. Sometimes He answers, “Yes,” albeit not always as expected; at times, “No.” Occasionally, the answer is, “Wait, be patient,” and in some cases, “Work; do what you know to do.” Because of His eternal love, our heavenly Father will always do what is best.
Questions
- Are our feelings the basis of thinking that our prayers have not gone beyond the ceiling?
- While praying a public prayer, what are ways to keep focused on God and not on those listening?
- Do we experience what Isaiah said, “Your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isa. 59:2)?
- God hears us when we pray inaudibly, so what are the reasons we pray audibly before meals?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).