Pray and Don't Let Go till He Blesses You

Pray and Don't Let Go Till He Blesses You!

 

Our story begins with Jacob left by himself after sending his family across the brook of water. He is there by himself and is troubled in spirit. He left his home 20 years ago because his brother had threatened to kill him.

 

By nature, Jacob was a swindler and a con man. He had angered his brother because not only did he cheat his brother out of his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34) but also through deceit and lies told to his father, he stole his brothers blessing of the firstborn (Genesis 27).

 

20 years ago, Jacob was not a good man. He was a liar and he was a cheat. He had to leave his father’s home because his brother was planning to kill him because of the dastardly deeds he did to him. Gdn 27:41-42

 

But now, 20 years later, Jacob is a changed man. He has come to know the Lord. His life is different, and he has been communicating with God. He has heard the word from God to go back home. 

 

Ge 31:3 (NKJV) — 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.” 

Ge 31:13 (NKJV) — 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’ ” 

 

Jacob, now a changed man, was willing to obey God but as he was on the way, he found out that his brother was coming to meet him with 400 men. Why would he need 400 men unless he intended to make good on his threat from 20 years ago?

 

Jacob was conflicted. He thought he had heard the word of God to go back home, but if he goes home, like God told him, he and his family could be massacred by his vengeful brother. 

 

If he stayed where he was, he would be disobeying the God he had come to know. Which was worse? What should he do?

 

He is scared and worried.  Was he to obey God and possibly die, or do the sensible thing, as any man would do, stay safe where he was and live?

 

He was torn between His fear of God and his fear of man. He knew God had blessed him in the past, but would God take care of him now? 

 

He had come to this land with only his staff, but God had blessed him so much that he now had a large family with servants and flocks. 

 

He did not know what to do. So, having done all he knew to do, and nothing else left to do, …he prayed. 

 

Ge 32:9–12 (NKJV) — 9 Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. 11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. 12 For You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ” 

 

We see that Jacob was afraid and he expressed that to God in his prayer. As he was praying the scripture goes on to say…

 

Ge 32:24–26 (NKJV) — 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 

 

Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV): Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ 

 

Psalm 91:15 (NKJV): He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.

 

25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” 

 

But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” 

 

And he held on and would not let him go until he got what he was praying for!

 

Ge 32:27 So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” 

 

28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 

29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. 

30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 

 

He did not know who he was wrestling with at first but the more he wrestled with him the more it became clear to Jacob, the man he wrestled with was no other than God in the form of Jesus Christ (Genesis 32:30). 

 

Fervent prayer will cause God to o present and change your present situation!

 

And God changed his name from Jacob the swindler, to Israel, the one who wrestles with God and man and prevails. 

 

When Jacob met his brother a few hours later, his brother ran to meet him and instead of attacking him he fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept together because they had been apart for so long.

 

From this lesson we are going to title this message, when you have heard what God has said,

 

Pray And Don't Let Go Till He Bless You!!

 

Like Jacob, all of us face many challenges in this world. The world is full of trouble! A lot of the trouble we face is because we are trying to honor what God has said.

Jn 15:19 (NKJV) — 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 

 

Jn 16:33 (NKJV) — 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” 

 

We have been told we were going to have trials and tribulations, but we are also told how to be at peace and still be joyous.

 

What we learn from Jacob, is three things he did that we can use when we face uncertain future and trouble. 

 

• Jacob took his concerns to God in prayer.

• Jacob prayed and reminded God of what he had said. 

• Jacob refused to let go til he got blessed.

  • The more he prayed the more he came to know God for himself.  

 

 

• Jacob took his concerns to God in prayer. 

Ge 32:11 (NKJV) — 11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children.  

• • He was afraid of his brother, so he told God about it in prayer. 

  • Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer! 

 

• • The Bible tells us to use prayer to go before God with any of our concerns, great or small.

1 Pe 5:7 (NKJV) — 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 

 

Php 4:6–7 (NKJV) — 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

 

Heb 4:16 (NKJV) — 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

Mercy from God because we are not getting what we deserve. 

Grace from God because we are getting what we don’t deserve.

 

• • Jacob had his privilege to go before God because he was a descendent of Abraham and Isaac. 

    • We have privilege also to go before God too, but because of a far greater privilege. We are greater than children of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. We receive grace and mercy. Where we should be condemned we get mercy and we receive grace when God allows us to become his children!

 

Jn 1:12–13 (NKJV) — 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

• • • For those of us who accept this right, we now are entitled. We are privileged!

 

We should see ourselves as the entitled and privileged Children of God!

 

• • • Just like children can go to their parents and ask for things. We can go boldly before our father in heaven and ask for things we want.

    • We can go before the throne of the king of the universe, the master of everything.

      • We can call him daddy!

      • We can ask for anything!

      • Anytime we need him, we can call him up!

      • Anywhere we are, he will be there!

      • Whatever we want, he can give it!

      • No matter how far, we can just call his name… And baby let me tell you

        • Ain’t No Mountain high, 

        • no valley low, 

        • no river wide enough 

        • to keep him from getting to us.

 

• • • What children of the world can’t do; 

      • by the grace of God we can do. 

      • Because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

    • We have all the promises of God guaranteeing us blessings as the Children of God! 

    • As a child of God, no weapon formed against you, shall prosper,

    • Psalm 91 is your shelter

      • You don’t have to be afraid of the terror by night, 

      • Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 

      • Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, 

      • Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 

      • A thousand may fall at your side, 

        • And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.

    • You are a child of the Almighty God of the universe! 

    • You have the privilege of going before him in prayer!

 

• • This is one of the main problems with the children of the Kingdom of God today. 

    • They have an identity crisis. They have listened to the world so much, they believe they are of the world.

    • But I want you to realize today, you are not of the world, you are a child of God! 

 

• • All have the privilege to become children of God. But not all will. They will cling to the ways of this world for various reasons and not accept the full rights of sonship. 

    • Although they may accept him as Savior, they do not accept him as Lord. 

      • Even demons bow at his feet, but they do not obey his word. 

    • Many continue to cling to being children of men rather than confessing they are children of God by the way they live their lives.

    • This inability to see yourself as a child of God is one of the challenges from the world that keeps the word of God from becoming fruitful. Jesus spoke of three things that prevent them from being all God wants them to be.

Mk 4:18–19 (NKJV) — 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 

 

• • • • Do you see the three?

 

• • Because we are his children, we can have the best things in life. Jesus said this:

    • Mt 7:9–11 (NKJV) — 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 

    • So…

    • Mt 7:7–8 (NKJV) — 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 

 

• • Like Jacob we should take our concerns to God in prayer. 

    • Remember, he was afraid of his brother. Ge 32:11 (NKJV) — 11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children.  

 

 

• So, Jacob prayed and reminded God of what he said.

 

Ge 32:9–12 (NKJV) — 9 Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. 11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. 

 

12 For You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ” 

 

• • In other words, Lord I am in this mess because of you!

  • We can be confident that when we remind God of what he has said, he will do it.

  • Remember Isaiah 55? 

    • The rain comes down, waters the earth and evaporates and goes back into the sky and comes down again!

Is 55:10 (NKJV) — 10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 

(Notice what the rain does)

11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 

• • • God makes a comparison between the rain and his word. The rain comes down and it prospers the earth, and the earth produces fruit.

    • So also does his word.

      • Man hears God's word, and 

      • when man returns it to God, 

      • God brings to pass his purpose for it and 

      • man prospers by it.

    • Man is the only creature that can return the word to God. 

      • How do we return it to God?

        • We return the word to God in prayer!

 

• • What should we remind him of? We should remind him that he told us…

 

Mt 7:7–8 (NKJV) — 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 

 

remind him that he told us…

Jn 14:12–14 (NKJV) — 12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 

 

remind him that he told us…

Jn 15:16 (NKJV) — 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 

 

remind him that he told us…

Jn 16:24 (NKJV) — 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 

 

Our entitlement is not from this world, our entitlement is from His Word!

 

• • He made me his child! I didn’t make myself! He called himself, my daddy!

 

• •  HE TOLD ME…

    • 2 Pe 1:3–4 (NKJV) — 3 His divine power has given me all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called me by glory and virtue, 4 by which I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these I may be a partaker of his divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

    • Therefore, I will accept nothing less than God’s best!

 

• •  HE TOLD ME…

    • Eph 3:20 (NKJV) — 20 ..He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that i ask or think, according to the power that works in me, 

    • Therefore, I will accept nothing less than God’s best!

  • HE TOLD ME…

    •  I would be the head and not the tail

    •  No weapon formed could harm me

    • They would surround me, but he would prepare a table for me in their presence and anoint me with his oil.

    • He would lead me besides still waters

  • HE TOLD ME…

    • Isaiah 43:1–2 (NKJV): Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

    • I have called you by your name;

    • You are Mine.

    • 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

    • And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

    • When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,

    • Nor shall the flame scorch you.

  • HE TOLD ME

    •  He would never leave me

    •  He would never forsake me

    •  That I was more than a conqueror

    •  If he be for me, who, who could be against me?

 

• • Here we are told just a little of his word to return to him. But this little word is powerful enough to get us through all the troubles of this world.

 

• • The more we know Him, the more we grow! We come to know him through prayer and his Word! (Act 6 - remember the church grew after the disciples put prayer first!)

 

• Jacob took his concerns to God.  We ought to go to God in prayer

• Jacob prayed and reminded God of what he said. We ought to remind God of what he said.

 

• Jacob refused to let go til he got blessed. 

 

If God said it, pray for it  and don’t let go till He Bless you!

 

• • The more he prayed the more he came to know God for himself. 

  • 1 Jn 5:14–15 (NKJV) — 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 

    • The statement is in the present, not the future!

    • If we have it we need to keep praying until we see the manifestation of it. 

    • God had had change Esau’s heart before Jacob knew it.

    • Is 65:24 (NKJV) — 24 “It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. 

    • Mk 11:24 (NKJV) — 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 

  • The manifestation of what we pray for is given as soon as we ask. But we have learned that although God blesses immediately, the demonic spirits run interference to keep us from receiving (See Daniel 10). 

 

• • • They keep us worried, anxious, upset and troubled but the more they come at us the more we should take it to the Lord in prayer.

 

• • • He has promised that if we cast our cares on him he will give us peace like a river and confidence like the waves of the sea!

 

• • To overcome demonic opposition Jesus has given us Prayer.

Lk 18:1 (NKJV) — 1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,  

God gave us prayer to restore our dominion over the earth! 

• • • Prayer is a demon stopper! 

      • It brings the power of God into our life!

    • So, Paul says…

    • 1 Th 5:17 (NKJV) — 17 pray without ceasing, 

 

• • Like Daniel, and like Jacob, when we don’t see what God said he was going to do, we just keep on praying and don’t let go till we get our breakthrough because 

    • If God has said it is going to come to pass!

 

• • • Nu 23:19 (NKJV) — 19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? 

 

• • • 1 Co 15:58 (NKJV) — 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 

 

• • No matter what this world might throw it you, no matter all the troubles and trials you might go through, no matter how many demons lined up against you I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

  • When you’ve done all you think you can do, remember Jacob

 

Jacob took his concerns to God.  We are to go to God in prayer

Jacob reminded God of what he said. We are to return God’s word to him.

Jacob refused to let go til he got blessed 

 

So, when trouble comes…

 

Pray and Don't Let Go Till He Bless You!

 

The use of the prayer assist balls!