SRPC – 2022 Feb 20: Seeking the Face, Finding the Hand as well!! Jacob on getting God to show up >> Faith in action, Strategic Prayer…

Seeking the Face of God & finding His Hand 

>> Seeing the Hand of God in the Year of Divine Turnaround and Harvesting form the Kingdom

Genesis 32 – Jacob wrestles with God

Took a friend to a meeting in Karen

• Met a wealthy Kalasingha who my friend wanted to take up a billion shilling construction contract
• – But the person was not interested in the lucrative contract
• – Seems to have done all in life that money can buy, but still empty
• …reached the Solomon conclusion – It is all vanity

Ecclesiastes 2:11

• Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun….NKJV
• But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere….NLT

…says looking for such big money is good, but you pay for it with your health and peace in the end

Now he just wants to go to the countryside

• Set up his business without stress of family, big contracts and the like

This brings to mind the story of Jacob – Genesis 32

• Similar in that he did many things to gain wealth
• But he was still not at peace
• …. fearful of his brother whom he had swindled of his blessing

But the interesting thing about Jacob

• He indeed had a drive to gain as much as he can, by whatever means necessary 
• But one thing about Jacob as well
• … He also sought blessings from the Lord with the same diligence
• … indicating that he had faith in God

Hebrews 11:1,6 (NIV)

• Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
• And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Genesis 32

• Jacob reaches a point in life where he feels …empty, lost, he has wealth but no peace
• …He starts letting go of things – to see if they can help his situation with his brother Esau
• Jacob sends his things ahead of him…presents to Esau, his wealth & possessions, his family
• …Then he is left with only God

So Jacob decides also to  pray to God

• … God You asked me to go back and that You will be with me
• … You have always helped and taken care of me
• … Deliver me from Esau for I fear he might finish me and my family
• … but You Lord promised that I will have many descendants

He uses an important strategy for effective prayer

• >> Bringing God into Remembrance of His Word – You said & promised that… 

 

Isaiah 43:26

• Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted (justified)…NKJV
• Remind Me, let us argue the matter together. State your case, so that you may be vindicated….BSB

Jacob as well saw that it is not enough but also – wrestles with God

• I will not let You go unless You bless me…Genesis 32:26

Matthew 11:12 (NKJV)

• And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

• You have fought with God and men and have prevailed …vs 28

2 Chronicles 16:9a (NIV)

• For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

God responds to active faith ( faithful actions)

• He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him …. Hebrews 11:6
• Faith without action (that demonstrates that we indeed have faith – that God is and He indeed rewards) is dead (of no consequence) ..James 2

Therefore

• We see at least 2 things that God responds to 
• FAITH in action
• PRAYER, especially that which puts God into remembrance of His Word

Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)

• So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Jeremiah 1:12 (BSB)

• “You have observed correctly,” said the LORD, “for I am watching over My word to accomplish it.”

It is the same for us during this pivotal year 2022

• Year of Divine Turnaround
• Year of Divine Harvest

>> Put our faith into action for whatever Word we have received from the Lord

>> We pray strategically 

So that at the end of the year, we are not disappointed

Hosea 4:6 (NIV)

• my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.

>> When we ignore the things and ways of God, He ignores us as well and our children ( blessings, fruits He promised us)

And we wonder why everyone else, especially non-believers are prospering but not us

Ecclesiastes 10:7 (KJV)

• I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

>> We may find ourselves a blessed people, but not partaking in the blessing of our God, held back (from prospering) and not looking like that which we ought to (thirsty and famished)!

Isaiah 5:13 

• Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge; Their honorable men are famished, And their multitude dried up with thirst…NKJV
• Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst… NIV

My Prayer

… as we continue to seek His Face before His Hand

… opening His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise…in all situations that we encounter

.. remembering that He is more than able to work out ALL things for our good, so long as we love Him and we are indeed pursuing ( at least on the path) of our called out purpose…Romans 8:28

• We seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness 
• … and everything else that I require will fall into place …Matthew 6:33
• That we draw near to God with clean hands and pure hearts …James 4:8, Psalm 24 

Psalm 73:28

• But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works…NKJV
• But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds…. NIV
• ….that I indeed have testimonies by the end of the year to shout out loud to the Glory of God!

Praying the whole of Psalm 118 (NIV)

Sample excerpts…

• Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.

• When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; He brought me into a spacious place.
• It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.
• The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation.
• I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
• The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death.
• Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.

AMEN!!