After Jacob has done all he can to prepare for Esau‘s impending attack,
the only thing left to do is pray. - P58
He repeats the words and promises of
God, recounts His blessings, and shows
humility in recognizing tha the is
unworthy of God‘s favor. - P58
When we humble ourselves before God
and remember the great things He has done for us, He will surely listento our cries and act on our behalf. - P58
Instead of approaching God with an
attitude of entitlement, let us come before Him with a broken and repentant heart. - P58
The prayer of genuine faith acknowledges our desperate need for God
and relies on His powerful provision. - P58
Father, thank you for guiding and protecting me, even when I attempt to dothings for myself, by my own strength. - P58
Help me to be aware of Your presenceand trust in Your power in all of my endeavors. In Jesus‘ name, amen. - P58
16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herdby itself, and said to his servants, "Go ahead of me, andkeep some space between the herds." - P62
18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servantJacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he iscoming behind us. - P63
20 And be sure to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us." Jacob thought,
"I will try to appease him by sending gifts ahead of me. When I see him in person,
perhaps he will be friendly to me." - P63
Jacob devises a plan to present Esau with a generous gift of many herdsof livestock in the hopes of pacifying any lingering anger that his brother may have toward him. - P64
His actions are once again born out of fear, but they also indicate an attitude
of genuine repentance. - P64
Jacob understands the wrongs he has
committed against his brother and
acknowledges that Esau might indeed
want to seek vengeance. - P64
The extravagant gifts he has prepared
are an attempt to make reparations, and in hisheart, he hopes for reconciliation. - P64
When we sin against another person,
we should never presume upon their forgiveness. As the person in thewrong, we should do everything we can to make things right, even ifthis comes at great cost. - P64
And most importantly, we must pray that God would work in that person‘s heart
and restore the broken relationship. - P64
Dear Jesus, it is often difficult to live peacefully with other people in this broken world. - P65
Teach us to be peacemakers in our relationships with others, thatthrough us, they may also come to know Your peace. In Your name, amen. - P65
Cameroon is officially a secular country but Islamic extremism is a growing threat, particularlyin the north where the militant group Boko Haram has violently attacked Christians andchurches. - P64
The threat of violence and the lack of strong governance have prevented churches
from operating freely. - P64
For centuries, the Wala in Ghana have practiced a version of Islam that is heavily influencedby folk religion. - P64
Due to their strong religious identity, they are resistant to the gospel andthere have been instances of Wala people chasing Christian workers out of their villages.
- P64
However, recent interactions with key Wala leaders have shown signs of increasing spiritualopenness. - P64
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