Prayer

 And Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,'
Genesis 32:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.32.9.ESV

Jacob's journey to faith was long and circuitous. He didn't have the Damascene conversion of his grandfather Abraham, or the quiet trust of his father Isaac. He was a schemer whose default was to trust in himself.

Even in this verse, there seems to be distance between Jacob and the God of his fathers. He acknowledges their faith and their God. Yet he seems hesitant to claim their faith and their God for himself.

Still, God had already promised good to Jacob, and he realised he was at once undeserving and needy of further blessings. What seems like the definitive moment in Jacob's faith journey was still to come. Wrestling with the preincarnate Jesus would give Jacob a permanent limp, symbolic of his new found dependence on God rather than his own wit.

I love that even though Jacob wasn't all there spiritually, God still graciously answered his prayers. He was protected from his murderous brother Esau. In fact, they had a miraculous reconciliation.

'God of our fathers in the faith, thank You for graciously hearing our prayers even when we might not be all there spiritually. In our Saviour's name we pray, amen'

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