Sisters in Faith
The Power of Prayer
Prayer is dominant in the story of Rebekah. Abraham prayed for a wife for Isaac, and God answered his prayer with Rebekah. When Rebekah had been barren for twenty years, Isaac prayed for her and his prayer was answered—Rebekah gave birth to twin boys. Rebekah prayed to God about her sons and God showed her that the older son, Esau, would serve the younger son, Jacob. It was because of God’s response to her prayer that she favored Jacob and wanted to make sure he received the first-born blessing. Without prayer, Rebekah’s life could have been insignificant and purposeless; instead, she is remembered in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. God has already defined the purposes for each of our lives; it is up to us to surrender ourselves to His magnificent will so that we will live out the purposes for which we were created. One of the most powerful tools for this is prayer. Without prayer, we may miss God’s direction and His voice in our lives. (1, p.29, 30)
Excerpt from She Speaks: Wisdom from the Women of the Bible to the Modern Black Woman
© 2013 by Michele Clark Jenkins