Prayer of an Encouraging Servant Intercessor…

Genesis 24:12 And he said, “ Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

Of all the blessings an encourager can give, prayer is the highest gift and the highest priority. Of all the needs of someone who needs encouragement, prayer beats all other gifts given. In fact I will suggest, every encourager, MUST FIRST BE and intercessor! 

My favorite picture of encouragers is Aaron and Hur… Moses HAD to hold his hands up so Israel prevailed in the battle with Amalek (Exodus 17:11) Moses’ hands became heavy.

As encouragers always do, Aaron and Hur watched for an opportunity to come alongside to participate in huge tasks and ease the heart and spirit of those suffering under the weight of huge tasks. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. So his hands were steady until the sun set.Exodus 17:11-12

For an encourager, every opportunity for encouragement should be as huge as Moses’ need, because, every need bears the possibility of war/defeat with an enemy (Satan) who counts on weariness and pain as weapons of destruction.

Who of us doesn’t want/need/crave our own encouragers like Aaron and Hur, to hold our arms up in the midst of battle?

This weeks Torah Portion showed me an even “better” encourager.

Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way. Genesis 24:1 (the older I get the more I want/need/crave my own faithful encouragers!)

Unable to to go himself, Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household who was in charge of all that he owned, “ Please place your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live; but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” Genesis 24:2-4 (without question, he would be the one I would ask… oldest – trusted with everything I own!)

Servant, you say? But, aren’t we talking about encouragers and intercessors? Are we also to be SERVANTS??!!

Yep… But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them, and those in high position exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant, and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”  Matthew 20:25-28

And how much better for those who need encouragement? Not only does one have a friend willing to help, but as a servant we now have someone who willingly bears an obligation (Please place your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth) to the job at hand. 

This is someone who desperately wants to fulfill the tasks at hand with excellence – in other words, “get it right”. The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?” Then Abraham said to him, “ Beware that you do not take my son back there! What if she doesn’t want to come? (What should I do then? Plan B?) But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free of this oath of mine; only do not take my son back there.” So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham, and swore to him concerning this matter. Genesis 24:5-6,8-9(It reminds me of all those requests and promises I made to pray) do I/do you/do we… take an oath within ourselves to follow through on requests asked and promised, for as long as this takes? This servant does! 

Promise made – travel accomplished – time to put the plan into action. First thing this servant does when he gets there… intercession! And he said, “ Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 

He asks for his own success, yes, but he asks for the BENEFIT of Abram – the master he loves. Then he proceeds to pray the plan so he might KNOW God’s answer.

And what should his wondering eyes behold???? And it came about, before he had finished speaking… Genesis 24:15

Know what he did then? This servant, this encourager of his master’s plan, this intercessor for his master’s desire… the man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. And he said, “ Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His kindness and His trustworthiness toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.” Genesis 24:26-27

After this weeks Torah Portion, I’ve decided I want to change the position the gift of encouragement holds in my life.

Instead of calling myself an Encourager, I want to be an encouraging Servant Intercessor.

Let me urge us all, as Paul so clearly does… brothers and sisters, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone…  always seek what is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18… to become Servant Intercessors!

May we see it came about, before we had finished speaking (Genesis 24:15)!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.