雅各也呼求主
作了这些安排之后，雅各可能还是不安，于是他作了一件不寻常的事－他祷告了（创三二9-12）。在他的一生中，这是第一次记载他的祷告（创世记二十八章二十至二十二节是他向神许愿，不是向神祷告）。二十年来，雅各在拉班压榨的手下，但没有他祷告的记载。虽然拉班十次改了他的工价，但他没有祷告。原则上，我们都是雅各。我们领受了神的应许，我们认识了神，但我们还是不祷告。无论甚么事发生在我们身上，我们都不祷告。我们不运用我们的灵祷告，反运用我们的心思考虑，运用我们天然的力量面对每个问题。当雅各和拉班在一起的时候，他没有祷告，他乃是应用天然的力量处理局面。但现在他即将面对以扫，他被带到一个地步，再也没有技巧了。他所有的技巧、技术、能力和力量都耗尽了。当他知道以扫带着四百人来的时候，他惊慌了。他最多只能把他的人口分作两队，心想如果第一队牺牲了，第二队也许能幸免。
因为这是他所能作的最好的了，所以他被迫祷告。雅各祷告得很好，他的祷告比今天大多数基督徒的祷告好多了。雅各说，“耶和华，我祖亚伯拉罕的神，我父亲以撒的神阿，你曾对我说，回你本地本族去，我要厚待你。”这里我们看见，雅各抓住主的话来祷告。祷告最好的路，就是以神的话作你祷告的立场。雅各似乎说，“主，你不是说要厚待我么？现在我站在你的话上，求你为这作事。”
在创世记三十二章十节雅各说，“你向仆人所施的一切慈爱和信实，我一点也不配得；我先前只拿着我的杖过这约但河，如今我却成了两队了。”我喜欢雅各这里的发表。他似乎说，“主，我的度量很小，无法盛装你一切的慈爱和信实。”在这里，雅各在神面前很谦卑，承认他不配得神向着他丰富的慈爱和信实；他先前只拿着他的杖过约但河，如今主却使他扩增成两队了。这里我们看到一幅生动的图画，有天上的两队和地上的两队。因此，蒙拣选的人应该完全安心。
雅各祷告的高峰是在十二节：“你曾说，我必定厚待你，使你的后裔如同海边的沙，多得不可胜数。”在他这部分的祷告里，雅各摸到了神的经纶，因为他说到了后裔。这样祷告不但抓住神的话，更摸着祂的心。神拣选了雅各，目标是要得着后裔，好达成祂的目的，在地上得着祂自己团体的彰显。雅各也许不明白这点，但他仍祷告得很好。我盼望我们都要这样祷告。
信息重点: 面对以扫，雅各第一次真正向神祷告。他抓住神的应许，也承认自己不配，并求神照着祂的话成就应许。真正的祷告，不是告诉神我们的想法，而是站在神的话上祷告。
应用祷告: 主啊，求你教导我祷告。让我不只是向你倾诉自己的需要，更学习抓住你的应许，凭着你的话来到你面前，信靠你的信实。
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Jacob’s Discipline — Fear of Esau (2) — Gen. 32:9-12
Jacob Also Called Upon the Lord
After making these arrangements, Jacob was probably still uneasy, so he did something unusual — he prayed (Gen. 32:9-12). This is the first record in his life of his praying (Genesis 28:20-22 records his making a vow to God, not praying to God). For twenty years Jacob was under Laban’s oppressive hand, yet there is no record of his praying. Although Laban changed his wages ten times, he still did not pray. In principle, we are all Jacob. We have received God’s promises, we have come to know God, yet we still do not pray. No matter what happens to us, we do not pray. We do not exercise our spirit to pray; instead we use our mind to think things through, exercising our natural strength to face every problem. While Jacob was with Laban, he did not pray but applied his natural strength to handle the situation. But now, as he was about to face Esau, he was brought to a place where he had no more tricks. All his skill, technique, ability and strength were exhausted. When he learned that Esau was coming with four hundred men, he was terrified. The best he could do was divide his people into two camps, thinking that if the first camp perished, perhaps the second would be spared.
Because this was the best he could do, he was driven to pray. Jacob prayed very well — his prayer was far better than the prayers of most Christians today. Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you.’” Here we see Jacob laying hold of the Lord’s word in his prayer. The best way to pray is to pray standing on the ground of God’s word. Jacob seemed to be saying, “Lord, did You not say You would prosper me? Now I stand on Your word, asking You to act for this.”
In Genesis 32:10 Jacob said, “I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.” I appreciate Jacob’s expression here. He seemed to be saying, “Lord, my capacity is so small, I cannot hold all Your lovingkindness and faithfulness.” Here Jacob was very humble before God, acknowledging that he was unworthy of the rich lovingkindness and faithfulness God had shown him; formerly he crossed the Jordan with only his staff, yet now the Lord had increased him into two companies. Here we see a vivid picture — two camps in heaven and two companies on earth. Therefore, the elect ones should be completely at rest.
The high point of Jacob’s prayer is in verse 12: “For You said, I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.” In this part of his prayer Jacob touched God’s economy, for he spoke of the seed. Such a prayer not only lays hold of God’s word but also touches His heart. God chose Jacob with the goal of obtaining a seed, in order to accomplish His purpose of gaining a corporate expression of Himself on the earth. Jacob may not have understood this, yet he still prayed very well. I hope that we would all pray in this way.
Message’s Main Points: Facing Esau, Jacob truly prayed to God for the first time. He laid hold of God’s promise and acknowledged his own unworthiness, asking God to fulfill His promise according to His word. Real prayer is not telling God our thoughts, but standing on God’s word to pray.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to pray. Let me not only pour out my own needs to You, but also learn to lay hold of Your promises, coming before You on the ground of Your word, trusting in Your faithfulness.