Isaac and Rebekah

"Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

"Jesus replied to them, 'Have faith in God. I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for-believe that you have received them, and you will have them.'" Mark 11:22-24

I think we should take prayer seriously. I know I have been guilty of telling someone, "I'm gonna pray for you" and not or falling asleep at night saying a prayer. There is POWER in prayer! P-O-W-E-R! Should we look up the definition of power? I think so. Did you see that? The ability to act or to produce an effect. Prayer is powerful but we also see effects through it. Prayer is not to be used a wish list for things we want but just so God can hear our hearts. Of course, He already knows our heart. You know how you can tell if your friend or your parents are mad but they want say it? It gets on your nerves if they keep hiding their emotions but it's obvious they are mad. I think that relates to God and us. He knows. But He still desires for us to come to Him. "Come to Me all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). He wants to hear what we think about and to ask for His will to be done. 

Genesis 24 is great. It's the story of how Isaac and Rebekah meet. Isaac just lost his mother, Sarah. He is mourning, heartbroken, and in pain. Abraham, Isaac's father, sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac because I guess it's that time in a young man's life back then. Abraham gave specific instructions and that made his servant nervous that maybe he wouldn't find the right woman. (It would make me nervous, fo sho). But he swore an oath that he would bring Isaac a wife. He began his journey and he found a water well where he stopped to check out some ladies. He began to pray as he was checking them out. "O Lord, give me success today and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham..." (Gen. 24:12) Before he was finished praying, Rebekah appeared with her water jug. Now how stinkin' cool is that?! Can I get an amen? Then servant went over to chat with her and before you know it, he found a wife for Isaac. God led him to that particular well for a purpose. God heard his prayer and sent Rebekah. "The Lord has made my mission successful.." (Gen. 24:56) They return to Abraham and Isaac. Isaac is found meditating trying to find some kind of peace about his mother's death. Then he sees Rebekah...talk about love at first sight. Or as I like to say, an answer to a cry. "Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah to be his wife. Isaac loved her, and he was comforted after his mother's death" (Gen. 24:67). She was Isaac's comfort. Can I get another amen?

This story compels me. The servant prayed and spotted Rebekah. Isaac prayed and found comfort. Prayer is important. It's not wishes we get from our genie if we rub our bottle correctly. It's much much more greater than that. It's finding solutions to something hard. It's finding strength amongst something painful. It's seeing good in something terrible. It's experiencing the Lord's faithfulness everyday. 

My call is to pray. All day. Errday.