Focal Passage: Genesis 24:12-20, 24-27
No one is exempt from having a moment of great uncertainty in life. Decisions need to be made that will impact the direction or even the trajectory of the future.
Unsure of a direction, a person of faith turns to prayer for guidance and direction, usually with great emotion, urgency and even a little hope. Imagine that exact moment, but this time, another person steps in and takes the place of the one praying, knowing that the answer will not impact the one praying but the one whose place had been taken.
Such was the case of Abraham’s unnamed servant, given the task of finding a wife for Isaac, the son of Abraham (Genesis 24:2-9). He was given his task, told where to go, left and arrived at his destination. As he began to fulfill his task, the magnitude of the moment made him stop and pray.
Lloyd
His prayer was first for kindness to be shown to Abraham (v. 12). Now that Isaac was old enough to be married, Abraham wanted his son to be married, grandchildren to fill his tent and his legacy to continue. His servant prayed for such kindness. The implication was that Isaac would also receive kindness.
Second, the servant prayed for one already chosen to be revealed (v. 12) to him. From the conviction found through the promises of the covenant to the words of the servant, “Lord, God of my Master Abraham,” the servant rested in the conviction that the Lord would reveal His choice for Isaac and that his prayer would be granted. His faith was so convicting that he knew that God, in His infinite wisdom, had already set the plans in motion. His prayer then was simply for God to reveal the wife-to-be.
Third, his prayer requested with great boldness that a very specific act take place, that he be granted water not only for himself but also for his camels. His prayer was outlining a strategy so that he would know God’s plan.
His bold prayer to God included a bold plan. He reached his attended place, spotted the one that God had chosen, and he went to speak to her. He requested water for himself, a common courtesy of the day, and he drank. Then, he requested water for his 10 camels, an uncommon request that would require massive amounts of water. It also was granted. The servant knew God had answered his prayer.
The prayer of this unnamed servant serves as a model. First, he prayed for nothing for himself, only for the kindness to be shown to others. Second, believing that the promises of God had taken place through Abraham, he prayed that God would reveal His plan to him. Third, he prayed with boldness. He prayed boldly to God, and then his actions reflected that prayer. Fourth, his prayer led to action. He did not wait for the bride-to-be to come to him; he went to her.
Our prayer life should include prayers for others in the most personal way possible, for our prayers to reflect that God’s plans are secure and that we need for them only to be revealed to us, and for our prayers to reflect a desire so deep within us that our prayers can only be considered bold. Once our prayers have been made, we then boldly act. B&R
