Prayer of Prosperity and Protection

Prayer of Prosperity and Protection

Genesis 24: ⁵⁹ So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. ⁶⁰ And they blessed Rebekah and said to her:

 

“Our sister, may you become
The mother of thousands of ten thousands;
And may your descendants possess
The gates of those who hate them.”

 

⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.

 

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Nervous and saddened to see Rebekah leave, Laban and his mother wished her farewell. Her departure plans came up quickly and they had no time to prepare. They offered up a prayer of prosperity and protection.

 

My Observations:

• Laban and his mother placed Rebekah in GOD’s hands by saying a prayer over her.
• Laban and his mother agreed with Abraham’s prophecy and prayed that she fulfills it.
• Laban and his mother may have followed GOD all their lives, so they gave Rebekah their best, namely prayer.

 

Speaking prosperity and protection over someone is not a bad thing, but the enemy tries to mix in greed and lust for power into it, confusing followers of CHRIST. Laban and his mother simply agreed with the prophecy of Abraham as told by GOD. Rebekah would become the mother of many nations, just like Sarah.

 

I believe it was JESUS who told Abraham this prophecy and in it, HE promised blessings. But Laban and his mother knew the enemy would attack. They prayed for protection against those who hate people who follow CHRIST, not in a political way, but in a relationship way.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about this prayer?
• Has GOD promised you something that has not come to fruition yet?
• Instead of giving up, will you look at the situation differently, renewing your trust that GOD keeps HIS promises?

 

Prayer

Dear LORD, please bless this reader with the plan you have for him or her. Plans to “prosper” and not to harm. Plans to give a “Hope” and a “future.” Pleas protect this reader from themselves and those who a purposefully trying to cause harm. amen

Playing See-Saw is Dangerous

Psalm 106: ⁹ He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
    he led them through the depths as through a desert.
¹⁰ He saved them from the hand of the foe;
    from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
¹¹ The waters covered their adversaries;
    not one of them survived.
¹² Then they believed his promises
    and sang his praise.

¹³ But they soon forgot what he had done
    and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
¹⁴ In the desert they gave in to their craving;
    in the wilderness they put God to the test.

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“Please, please, please let me pass this test” was my cry. When I got my results back, not only had I passed, I got a very high grade! I rejoiced and ran around like a crazy person! The very next semester I returned back to my habits of playing cards all night with the other people who should have been studying! I wound up on probation again.

• Sometimes I cry out only when I’m in danger.
• Sometimes I scream for help when I face problems.
• Sometimes I state my situation when things aren’t going so well.

Out of danger, out of mind was how I treated GOD. I mean HE’s there when I need HIM and when things are going well, I don’t need HIM as much, right? Wrong!

• I need GOD more when things are “going well” because that’s when I am tempted to follow my own ways.
• I need GOD more after the trial than during because I will be tempted to relax and possibly run away from HIM.
• I need GOD more during prosperous times because it is harder for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven than a camel going through the eye of a needle.

Looking back I can see times in which I let GOD slide out of my life, little by little, during prosperity. I wasn’t doing “huge” sins, but I wasn’t worshiping HIM or thanking HIM the way I do when I’m in a trial. In fact when the crowd of complainers gathered, I was in the middle, joining in on the rants. I thought sin could be measured so I stayed away from “big” sin and held onto, what I would call, “little” sins.

GOD doesn’t like a “see-saw” relationship with me. Up one day and down the next. GOD wants me to remain even keel with HIM and worship HIM daily in spite of what is going on. Problems or prosperity, GOD deserves my praise!

• Are you wondering why your trial is so long?
• Is there something that needs to change in your life that GOD is preparing you for?
• Are you letting go of GOD during prosperous times and returning to your old ways?
• Will you practice praising GOD today or will you die in the desert by GOD’s hand?

Being on the Right Side

Psalm 10: ¹⁶ The Lord is King for ever and ever;
    the nations will perish from his land.
¹⁷ You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
    you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
¹⁸ defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
    so that mere earthly mortals
    will never again strike terror.

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“Fire them all” was my thought when I returned. I mean it seemed like the organization was tied up in a political mess and the best thing to do was clean house. People could sense there was a definite change in how things were being done and some left the organization. I wonder if I was on the side of the afflicted.

• Power blinds me.
• Power shortens my patience.
• Power causes me to have more battles.

Striving for higher positions is not a bad thing to do, but the power is the thing that needs control. If I begin to flex my muscles on my team then the rebellion will ensue. Eventually someone will cry out to the LORD and what I thought was the right thing may in fact fall on me.

• Being on GOD’s side means I have to have patience.
• Being on GOD’s side means I need to consult HIM for my steps versus my feelings.
• Being on GOD’s side means I need to listen to the cry of the people rather than forging ahead with my pitiful plan.

When I am weakest GOD is strongest. HE listens to the afflicted not the powerful braggarts. I was shocked to see earlier in this chapter that the wicked “prosper.” I am not surprised, but shocked. I mean doesn’t it say the wicked will “not” prosper? It does, but their prosperity will be short lived. GOD wants to give me the desire of my heart as long as my heart is pointed to HIS.

• Do you know if GOD is with you who can be against you?
• Can you understand that GOD does not need you cleaned up before HE can love you?
• Will you accept HIS grace as being sufficient?
• Can you seek GOD and ask for your desires today?

Looking at Greener Grass

Job 21: ¹³ They spend their years in prosperity
    and go down to the grave in peace.
¹⁴ Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    We have no desire to know your ways.
¹⁵ Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
    What would we gain by praying to him?’
¹⁶ But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.

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When I thought of the letter “H” I pursued Humility. I did the right things and lead a somewhat peaceful life. But it always seemed as if someone around me, who was reckless in their abandon, would always do better. I mean it seemed like the drug dealers would always have more money. I at least rationalized that they would be shot soon so I carried on.

Later it was peers at work who seemed to get better raises and bigger offices. Then I read the news when I was struggling in my payments and see some star who would buy frivolous items and not once look at GOD. I realized the “H” I found was Hater.

• Sometimes I look at the wealthy and get mad at GOD for allowing them to have it easy.
• Sometimes I look at the wealthy like they are getting everything they want without praying.
• Sometimes I look at the wealthy as a destination rather than a mirage.

I must admit it is hard to say to the poor, “Hang in there and remain poor” because it’s no fun being poor. Meanwhile those who never have a thought about GOD, not even once on a daily basis, seem to go unscathed. Is this fair? GOD thinks so.

• Wealth is fine BUT GOD knows my tipping point where wealth would blind me from HIM.
• Money is fine BUT GOD says to me “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”
• Prosperity is fine BUT GOD understands that the only way for me to truly be prosperous is to be generous without being jealous.

GOD wants me to look at the news and say “Good for them” when it comes to the wealthy who waste. HE actually wants me to look at my own actions to see if I am being generous and not jealous. If I can give and not look at greener grass then I am pleasing GOD for I am giving a sacrifice to the MOST HIGH.

• Are you jealous of the wealthy?
• Do you pout at your financial circumstance?
• Can you praise GOD sacrificially today?
• Can you stop looking at other people for a moment and give to someone even when you don’t have much?

Not Too Late to Prosper

2 Chronicles 24: ²⁰ Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’”

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It seemed like everything was going absolutely wrong in my life at this time. My old jalopy was on the fritz again, and I was stuck in “this” stupid town, alone. I went to the mailbox and saw the envelope with the word “overdue” stamped on the outside.  I was behind on credit card payments.

One of the “old” ladies who lived in my building came up to me and asked me the strangest question. “What church do you go to?” assumptively she asked. “I haven’t found one” I said knowing I wasn’t even looking for one.

• There are times where I have tried to do life on my own.
• There are times where I think I can handle life by myself.
• There are times where I mistook being busy as being productive and I got exhausted getting nowhere.

I was working as hard as I could and things weren’t changing. I mean the car couldn’t have broken down at the worst time. I took a deep breath and went to church. I listened to the sermon and the pastor spoke about the book “Revelation of JESUS.” This perked my interest so I decided to return the next week.

Before long I was attending regularly and the pastor asked the question “Is there anyone here who would like to rededicate their life back to CHRIST?” Something within me said “stay seated” but fortunately for me I got up anyway. I was tired of trying so hard and getting nowhere.

I don’t remember any magic remedies or potions, but soon I found myself giving to people instead of holding back to pay my bills. Soon I wasn’t lonely anymore and wouldn’t you know it, my bills were paid off. The impossible was made possible.

• GOD says to me, “It is never too late to turn to your ways back to the LORD.”
• GOD says to me, “Stop trying to be GOD and follow ME.”
• GOD says to me, “I AM worthy to be praised in the middle of a crisis.”

There is no emergency with GOD. HE knows exactly what I am going through each and every moment. HE wants me to trust HIS plan and follow HIS ways first, and then I will prosper.

• Are you in a situation where you cannot see the end?
• Do you think your situation is impossible for GOD?
• Can you slow down a minute, take a deep breath and ask “what is GOD doing in my life right now?”
• If you are serving GOD, then can you check if you have judgmental words coming from your lips?