The sermon encourages honest, simple prayer, trusting God to guide and provide, reminding us that He listens and shapes our lives through our prayers.
Good morning, church family. Some of us came in today with hurried hearts and full calendars, others with quiet questions tucked inside. Maybe you’re facing a decision that feels bigger than your wisdom. Maybe you’ve been waiting on an answer that seems slow. Can I remind you of something simple and strong? Our Father loves to hear the prayers of His children. He listens in living rooms and waiting rooms, at kitchen sinks and office desks. He hears the whispered, worried, weary prayers—and He holds them with care.
There’s a beautiful scene tucked in the pages of Genesis—a picture of prayer that feels like home. It’s not polished. It’s not poetic. It’s plain and pointed. A servant is standing by a well in a foreign land, sent on an assignment he could never complete on his own. He needs direction. He needs favor. He needs God. So he talks to Him. Just talks. No pretense, no performance. He asks for help the way a child asks a father: straightforward and sincere.
E.M. Bounds once said, “God shapes the world by prayer.” That’s not hype; that’s hope. If God shapes the world by prayer, then He can shape your day by prayer. He can shape that decision by prayer. He can shape your family, your future, your fears—by prayer. What if the next chapter of your story begins not with a new plan, but with a fresh prayer? What if clarity comes in the quiet, when you ask boldly and specifically? What if success, the kind that pleases God, starts with a simple request at the well of His presence?
I think that’s why this old desert prayer still feels fresh: it shows us how to ask and expect. It teaches us to speak plainly and trust fully. It reminds us that God is near, that God is kind, and that God is able. Today, let’s let this verse steady our steps and stir our faith.
Genesis 24:12 (KJV) “And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.”
Father, thank You for welcoming us as we are. We bring our needs, our knots, and our next steps to You. Teach us to pray with clarity and courage. As we open Your Word, open our hearts. As we listen, help us hear Your voice above every other voice. Grant wisdom for decisions, strength for duties, and peace for anxious minds. Make our prayers plain and our faith expectant. Holy Spirit, guide us to ask in line with Your will and to notice Your answers, even the small ones. Lord Jesus, be our confidence and our calm. We ask for Your kindness today and Your leading in all things. In Your name we pray, amen.
God does not need our details, but our hearts do. When we speak in clear terms, something happens inside us. Fog lifts. Our aim settles. Desire takes shape. The servant by the well did not paint with broad strokes. He stepped into a real place, at a real hour, with a real task, and he used real words. He asked for help that could be seen and timed. That kind of prayer is simple. It is also strong.
The words “send me good speed this day” are not random. They carry weight. “Good speed” in his mouth means a straight path. A successful outcome. Not luck. Not hurry. Help that makes the work go forward. And he asks for it “this day.” He does not kick the can to next week. He names the window he is in. That teaches us to bring the clock and the calendar into prayer. Say the deadline. Say the shift start. Say the test hour. Ask for progress that fits the task in front of you. God is not confused by your time frame. Time sits in His hand. Asking for help today is not pressure. It is trust. It is a humble way of saying, “I cannot make this turn by myself, right now.”
There is also courage in asking for something you could measure. When you pray for clarity at noon, and clarity comes by noon, you will know Who answered. When you ask for favor in a meeting, and the meeting opens, you will see the link. That is not trying to control God. That is living awake to His care in the moments that make up a day. It trains your eyes. It helps you connect your prayer to His action. It builds a real memory of His help. Then your next prayer has a history under it.
He also says, “and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.” He is not asking for a win so he can feel good. He is asking for care to be shown to someone else. That word “kindness” is rich. It points to faithful love. Steady mercy. A promise-keeping heart. He is placing his request inside God’s steady character and God’s long plan for Abraham. That keeps the prayer from shrinking to self. It opens it up to love. You can do the same. Pray for your boss to be honored by a wise outcome. Pray for your team to be helped by a clear answer. Pray for a client to be served well. When your request is for another’s good, it lines up with the way God gives. He loves to pour grace through us, not just to us.
There is freedom in tying your ask to what God has already said He cares about. If you are praying over your family, attach your words to His promise to bless generations. If you are praying at work, attach your words to His call to do honest work with willing hands. If you are praying over a church matter, attach your words to His desire for people to know Him. Say it plainly. “Lord, show faithful love to them.” “Lord, let Your mercy be seen here.” That focus keeps your heart from drifting. It helps you aim for answers that reflect His heart, not just ease.
Notice how he begins: “O LORD God of my master Abraham.” He names God. He names the relationship. He stands in a story that started before he was born. He remembers who sent him. He remembers who holds the promise. That is wise. When you pray, say who God is to you. Say what He has been in your life. Father. Shepherd. Provider. Healer. Judge who is fair. King who rules. Your mouth will teach your soul while you speak. You are not tossing words in the air. You are speaking to the living God, who has shown Himself, who has acted before, and who has not changed.
Calling on God by name also shapes what you ask for. If you call Him Provider, ask for provision. If you call Him Wise, ask for wisdom. If you call Him Shepherd, ask for guidance and protection. If you call Him Merciful, ask for pardon and a soft heart. The servant reaches back to Abraham’s God because that is where the promise sits. You reach through Jesus, who brings you near. Say His name. Stand in His finished work. Then ask. You are not a stranger at the door. You are family. Your Father hears you when you come in the name of His Son.
The scene around the verse helps us see another layer. The servant does not just ask and then rush off. He sets a clear way to recognize the answer. He looks for a woman who will give water to him and also to the camels. That is not a stunt. That is wise and fitting to the task. It shows a heart that serves. It shows strength and kindness. It matches the kind of wife Isaac will need. His prayer is concrete, and his watchfulness is steady. He is ready to notice. He is ready to act when the sign appears.
You can learn from that. Ask God for help in terms that fit His wisdom and your need. Then keep your eyes open for the answer that matches. If you are praying for peace in a hard talk, ask for a soft word to start the meeting. If you are praying for provision, ask for a clear door and clean counsel. If you are praying for guidance, ask for one step that accords with Scripture and confirms by wise voices. Write it down if you must. Not to box God in. To keep your heart awake. To avoid missing what you asked Him to do when it stands right in front of you.
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