Pray in the Spirit in the name of Jesus

Hello Beloved,

“And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die”: this is Isaac’s special request to Esau, the first-born of his twins whom he wanted to bless before going to sleep in the Lord (Genesis 27:4).  But the one who had found grace with the Lord and whom God intended to bless was Jacob, the youngest of Rebecca’s and Isaac’s twins (Romans 9:13).

How was he going to receive the blessing of his father? Several elements disqualified Jacob: he was not as hairy as his brother, he didn’t have his smell and he didn’t know how to cook the meals his father liked! Jacob therefore did not have the attributes of Esau.  However, he had a counsellor: his mother Rebecca! She knew exactly what kind of food her husband Isaac liked. She knew how to make Jacob look like Esau to Isaac her blind husband, so that her youngest son would benefit from his father’s blessing. “Then Rebekah took the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob” says the Bible in Genesis 27:15-17. Although Isaac initially doubted that it was indeed his son Esau, He finally was convinced and ended up saying a powerful and irrevocable blessing on the life of his son Jacob!

Although this impersonation that was masterminded by Jacob is not a good example for humans to follow, it is a perfect illustration of the image of the refuge we have in Christ in order to obtain God’s graces and favors. Jacob was able to obtain powerful blessings from his father because he came in his brother’s name, pretending to be Esau. We too, we come to God in the name of Jesus in order to have our prayers answered.  But would this have been possible without Rebecca’s help? No! She advised Jacob on how he should proceed and what to say to his father. Jacob obeyed his mother’s voice and received his blessing.

Rebecca, in this text, is the image of the Holy Spirit. Yes, Beloved, as the word of God recommends to you, you must not pray to the Father in your own name because you are disqualified in advance by the unceasing accusations and claims of the enemy (Revelation 12:10) but you must ask for everything in the name of Jesus who shed his blood for you and who bore the weight of your sins, mistakes and shortcomings. But how can you make your requests efficiently? How can we know what pleases your heavenly Father? The Holy Spirit knows what the Father loves and knows what you should ask in prayer (Luke 12:22; John 14:26).

The Bible recommends all kinds of prayers be made in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18). In order for your situation to improve, do you have to make prayers of thanksgiving? Worship? Praise? Do you have to go into supplication mode or do you have to fight a spiritual warfare? How to discern exactly what kind of prayer is needed at a given moment in order to win your case?  “…The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”, (Romans 8:26).

So, Beloved, for your prayers to be effective, make your requests known to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ and pray with the help of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and inspire your prayers. You will pray effectively in this way and the father will answer you.  Then victory will be your portion.

May God bless you Beloved