Prayer Series

Genesis 32:22-32

Success and Struggles in Life

Genesis 32:29. I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

When Jacob offered this prayer when he was a wealthy and healthy man. He had the blessings of two legal wives and another two as a bonus, he had eleven children, (v.22). He is a foreign returned person.

In those days the wealth was calculated in terms of the animals, servants, servant maids, salves and not land, and Gold etc., therefore he had the blessings of large flocks, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. He became exceedingly rich(Genesis 30:43). Already he was in possession of the Birthright of his brother Esau(Genesis 25:31-33). He was also stolen the blessing from his aged father by craft.

Jacob was a man who utilized the opportunities, he had no value for relatives and relationships, he had no value for the human lives. He was very much a self-centred man. He earned enough from his maternal uncle and father-in-law, Laban). He prospered at the expenses of Laban.

He was a very successful man in his life, he was successful in his married life, he was successful in the profession, he was successful in raising the children.

He offered very excellent thanksgiving prayer: “I am not worthy of the least of all the steadfast love sand faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, foe with only my staff I crossed this Jordan and now I have become two companies”(Genesis 32:10).

Then what is the need for him to pray whole night and wrestle with the Angel of God, and pleading with God to bless him. (Genesis 32:24). Now we understand that the blessing he meant was not the blessings today many preachers talk about. One thing is very clear that he was neither talking about material nor health-related blessings, he was talking with God something else.

The material and health blessings are not the sole property of Christians. Jesus never said that only those who follow me will have material blessings. I believe that the one who works hard is blessed, also through unlawful means. But here the struggle and prayer of Jacob were to have a different blessings. Therefore he says:“I will not let you go unless bless me”.

The prominent feature of his character was a strong and firm reliance on himself. But this practical self-reliance, duly subordinated to that absolute reliance which ought to be placed in the Author of our being and our salvation. Hence, he had been betrayed into intrusive, dubious, and even sinister courses brought him into many troubles and perplexities. He is now to learn the lesson of unreserved reliance on God.

He is asking a blessing of peaceful coexistence with his own brother, Blessing of harmony, the blessing of acceptance, the blessing of forgiveness. Blessing of being meek and humble. A change in his attitude, mindset. Let others to live. Blessing of seeing the fellow worshiper as a good and better person than me. Recognizing the value of person.