Human Response 69: Pray to the Lord

Genesis 25:21, 22 And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord.

Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife to conceive and have a child. This was not an ordinary barrenness, for the Covenant Promise of God was at stake. Isaac responded in faith to the promise of the Lord. Because Isaac believed God’s promise had to be fulfilled, he could pray in faith according to His will. God knows what He promised and what Isaac needs even before he prays. He would certainly grant a son, but He wants Isaac to be involved in the carrying out of His will. So He tests and strengthens Isaac’s faith relationship with Him. Isaac responds with believing prayer.

In this way our Lord tries and strengthens our faith at times by allowing us to wait in faith and leading us to talk to Him and deepen our relationship. He already has the answer in hand; He is just waiting for us to ask. The Lord responds in His time and way to our prayer and to His own word. And along the way we are drawn closer to Him.

Rebekah also had the faith to talk to God. She prayed; she asked ”Why?” The Bible never says we should not ask Why. It is the challenging attitude and defiant spirit with which we question God that is forbidden. The Lord doesn’t mind an honest conversation about why things happen, but He doesn’t guarantee He can give you an answer you can understand. In this case, He answered her inquiry: the struggle of the twin fetuses is a foreshadowing of two nations in strife. Rebekah got her answer, but it was not a comfort for her. Nonetheless, the Father commands us to ask and pray and promises to listen. So we pray, ”Thy will be done.”