Father Isaac
“ Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.”
Genesis 25:21 (NIV)
The blessing that God promised Father Abraham continues onto his son Isaac. God says in Genesis 26:3 (NIV), “Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.” God is giving instructions to the next generation, and Isaac is picking up where his father left him; in total obedience. As Christians, it is important that we follow in the footsteps of our Fathers before us. Now, our earthly fathers may not have left the best example for us, or may have even actively damaged the image of God they are supposed to reflect. However, we do have biblical fathers, church fathers, and spiritual fathers for us to follow. Isaac is one of our biblical fathers to follow and learn from.
Isaac's obedience is a key thing to learn from. We can also see that Isaac is committed to loving God and those around him. In Genesis 24:67 (NIV), we see an amazing commitment to love from Isaac toward Rebekah, “…So she became his wife, and he loved her…”. This is said after their meeting for the first time. There is a strong connection between love and obedience. When we love someone, we typically do as they ask. We can all take a lesson from Isaac in loving those people closest to us, our friends, family members, and neighbors.
Another thing to note is that Isaac was a man of prayer. We see him praying for his family in Genesis 25:21 (NIV), “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer…”. Fathers should always be praying on behalf of their loved ones, which is also a good reminder for us. Offering up our hearts to God in prayer for ourselves can be easy. It often takes another step to look out for other people in our prayers. Try keeping a prayer journal specific to the prayer needs of those around you. Ask others what miracles they are looking for and help siege God with prayers for them.
Isaac demonstrated obedience, love, and prayer to us. He wasn’t perfect in his pursuit of Christ, none of the church fathers were, and no one else is either. That doesn’t exclude us from trying. We need to commit ourselves to the ideals laid down before us and take up the mantle that our spiritual fathers have put on. What areas of your life can you begin to grow more obedient, more loving, and more prayerful?
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.