A PRAYER FOR REBEKAH
"21 Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.” 24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb." Genesis 25:21-24.
Isaac and Rebekah were married for years without a child. He could have chosen to have children with other women, like his father. But his love for his wife drove him into prayer. Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife. He loved her dearly. Genesis 24:67. Isaac saw the pain, ridicule, and reproach his wife faced and took action. Love is not only a feeling; it is action. Isaac showed his love for Rebekah by being patient and praying for her. He called on the Lord on behalf of his wife. He used the garment of prayer to cover her shame. Isaac honored Rebekah by covering her in prayer. Love is not an emotion; it is a choice! He prayed because he knew the promises God made to Abraham about descendants. So he prayed and trusted God to fulfill those promises.
"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2.
Often, when we are facing difficulties, we need others to stand with and pray for us. Without their prayers, we’ll often get discouraged in trials or give up in the waiting seasons of life. Perhaps Rebekah had given up, but Isaac lifted her spirit in prayer. So are you petitioning God on behalf of your spouse? The needs of your spouse should always be your concern. Isaac loved his wife and prayed to the Lord for her. Intercessory prayer that's motivated by love. Love will cause us to always have the right motives when interceding for others. But if you lack love, kindness, and compassion for your spouse, chances are you are not praying for him or her.
"9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips." Job 2:9-10.
Amidst the ashes of his once-successful life, Job held on to hope. His life had completely fallen apart! Job was broken mentally, financially, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically as his health was attacked. Yet he held on to God! Sadly instead of encouraging Job to faithfully endure, his wife talked him into giving up.
"Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees." Isaiah 35:3.
Who's holding up your weak prayer hands and strengthening your feeble knees? Your spouse has the power to be your greatest help or cause you the most heartache. Your encouragement has the power to give your spouse the courage to reach new heights. Be your spouse’s best friend. Complete them. Learn to become more understanding. Build each other up. Don't belittle or demean your spouse. Be with your spouse through the ups and downs of life. Give him or her better advice than Job’s wife did. Never give up on your spouse. Reaffirm your love and commitment often. Pray for your spouse; it is an unselfish expression of love. Pray that your spouse would have a burning desire to know the Lord more closely. Pray he or she would not be discouraged in his pursuit of God. Pray for endurance. Pray for spiritual growth. Pray that where you have different opinions, God would help you reach a consensus. Pray that you could be quick to forgive when your spouse hurts you.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER:
"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men," 1 Timothy 2:1.
In this passage, Paul encourages Timothy and the people to whom he preaches, to carry out the important ministry of prayer. We are to be praying people. Prayer is our greatest ministry! When we hear and see the pain of those near us. God calls us to open our hearts and to pray for them. Prayer is our weapon; it is our strength. All believers are called to the ministry of intercession. We pray for our family, friends, church, community, and nation. We are in God’s perfect will when we pray for others.
"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16.
Intercession is taking hold of God's promises and refusing to let go until they come to pass. Every true intercessor is a spiritual midwife. Isaiah 66:8. Intercession is the kind of prayer that presses on until we understand God's will. Intercession is a love response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit for an urgent need. It is an honor from God to join with Him in His love for those in need. Intercession is a believing and persevering prayer on behalf of others who desperately need divine intervention. Intercession is an act of love! It is to plead for mercy from God on behalf of another. Intercession is a partnership between God and mankind to reconcile the world to Him. Intercession is to build the wall of protection around others. Ezekiel 13:4-5.
Every one needs prayers; husbands need the prayers of their wives, and wives need the prayers of their husbands. Isaac interceded for Rebekah, and God answered and opened her womb. Rebekah interceded for her unborn twins, Esau and Jacob. So stand in the gap. Ezekiel 22:29-31. Speak a covering over your spouse.
1. An intimate relationship with God. The closer you draw to Him, the closer you will draw to each other.
2. Start from a place of thanksgiving.
3. Cleanse your heart. For God’s love to flow through you unimpeded, your heart needs to be free from bitterness, malice, and unforgiveness. Confess your sins and accept God’s cleansing and forgiveness.
4. Repent on their behalf. None of us is perfect; We all sin and desperately need God’s forgiveness.
5. Don't be judgmental. The key to intercession is to pray with and for a person without judging them. "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” I Peter 4:8.
6. Be attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He tells us when and what to pray for. Stay available and attentive to His prompting. You could suddenly feel heaviness, anxiety, or a burden to pray. Don't delay.
7. Persevere in prayer. Effective intercession is often more than a one-time event. Pray earnestly.
8. Pray the Word. Intercession is not a desperate attempt to convince God to do something He does not want to do. It is praying according to the revealed will of God in His Word.
9. Pray with faith. Even if God does not answer in the way we want at the time we want, we can trust He has all of our best interests in mind.
10. Pray occasionally with fasting.
11. Watch your words. Your words can mold or destroy the very thing you are praying for. So watch them.
Beloved, praying for your spouse won’t always be easy, and sometimes you’ll be tempted to give up, especially if you don't see results. Perhaps you've been praying for a long time and things remain the same. Do not lose heart. Don't be discouraged. As long as you're willing to spend time in intercession, it will not be in vain.
THE GREATEST INTERCESSOR:
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13.
Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. And on the third day, He was raised from the dead. Through Him, we are made holy, righteous, and acceptable to God. Sin and Satan may accuse us before God, but Christ by His intercession answers all these charges. Romans 8:33-34. We can come to God anytime because our intercessor is alive. He is pleading on our behalf today. This doesn’t mean that there won't be conflict; it means we know with certainty that we have a ‘Friend’ in Jesus. He understands what we are going through and what we will go through. Today, you can live with the confidence that Jesus never stops interceding for you in the presence of the Father. Let me take this opportunity to invite you to accept Him as your Lord and personal Savior. Make this confession: O LORD, I come to You now. I know I am a sinner, forgive me. Lord Jesus, from today, I accept You as the LORD of my life. Change my heart from a disobedient heart to a heart that will obey You. With my new heart, I believe that it is because of me that You came into this world; You died for my sins, fill me with Your Holy Spirit, write my name in the Book of Life, and make me brand new in Jesus' name. Amen!
"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Lord Jesus, I thank You for praying for me always!
2. Father, give me the grace to stand in the gap for my spouse, in Jesus name.
3. Thank You Lord for answering my prayers.
