Help from Unwilling Helpers - Thursday 5 November, 2015
Memorise: Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. - 1 Kings 17:9
Read: Genesis 32:24-32 (KJV)
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.
Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 26:1-28:14; Colossians 1:1-23
MESSAGE:
One lesson about the workings and operations of God from today's Bible reading is that prayer compels blessings out of unwilling helpers. There are some people who can help you but who deliberately refuse to do so for one reason or the other. If you fail to pray, you might be denied their help; but if you pray, your prayers can force them to have a change of heart, and move them to help you. Why did Jacob have to wrestle with God? Why did he say he would not let go until his desire was granted? It is because there is the possibility of unwillingness from destiny-helpers. In the Name of Jesus, all destiny-helpers who have refused to help you will have a positive turn-around and render help to you from today.
You need to understand the reasons why a destiny-helper may refuse to help the one he or she has been appointed to help. Many factors may be responsible for this, and one of such factors is sin. The greatest helper of destiny that anyone can have is God. God wants to help you, but sin ties His hands (Isaiah 59:1-2). Some people have maltreated their helpers unknowingly, only to later realise that the person they had treated badly has a significant role to play in their lives. Never oppress anyone, particularly those who appear to be in a disadvantaged position, because you don't know what they will become later. Besides, if you are always antagonizing your helpers, others who were meant to help you will soon take their flight from you.
In addition, prayer makes your helpers remember you and review your situation in your favour. Jacob wrestled with God all night, and this moved God to remember his plight and review his situation. This is why God asked Jacob, "What is your name?" From that moment, things changed for Jacob. You may want to ask: "What if Jacob had not prayed?" The answer is that his story would have ended prematurely. Esau, his vengeful brother, who was very militant, would have taken revenge on him. This tells you that if not for the prayers you had prayed, and if not for the intercession of others to God on your behalf, you may not be where you are today. You need to pray so that you can arrive at God's ordained destination ahead of you.
Prayer Point: Father, in Your mercy, reverse today, whatever is making my destiny-helpers withdraw their help from me, in Jesus' Name.
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