Wearing Goat Skins in Prayer

 I haven't written on here in quite a while.  I have spent my time outside of work preparing for a sermon I was privileged to be able to give at my church.  The fact that pastors regularly do this with one week's prep is impressive to me, especially bi-vocational pastors.  That said, if you're interested and have 45 minutes you can listen to it here. 

In the midst of my thinking and praying about 2 Samuel 9 I checked our family Marco Polo and my aunt had asked a question on there.  She asked, basically, if and how our sin affects our prayers.  Now, that's a complex answer.

1 Peter 3:7 tells husbands that the way we treat our wives affects our prayers.  James 5:16 says that the prayers of a righteous man availeth much.  So, there is something about our personal behavior, obedience and righteousness that does impact our prayer lives.

I also called to mind that Jesus prays for us according to Romans 8:34.  Who could have more effective prayers than Jesus!  What an encouraging reminder when I wonder how my lack of righteousness is affecting my prayers to remember that my most righteous friend and King is praying for me.

And then I recalled a story that I had never connected to prayer before.

Do you remember the story of Jacob and his mother tricking Isaac?  Isaac, the father of Jacob and Esau, was old and had bad vision.  He called his oldest son Esau to him and asked his first born to hunt him food and cook it for him and then come feed it to him and then he would bless Esau.  Rebecca, the mother, heard this conversation and wanted the younger son blessed.  So, Jacob and his mom cooked food to bring to Isaac.  Rebecca then put Esau's clothes on Jacob and goatskins on his arms so he would seem as hairy as his brother.

Poor, old Isaac was tricked by this because Jacob felt like Esau and his clothes smelled liked Esau.  Jacob, dressed in his older brother's garb, got the blessing due his brother.

Now, this story is ripe with how not to be a good family.  It is filled with examples of back stabbing and elder abuse.  Yet, it was this story that encouraged my prayer life recently.

When we come into the throne room of God and ask for blessing we do it with our brother's clothes on.  My hope is not that I am a righteous man and my prayers will therefore be effective.  My hope is that I come dressed in Christ's righteousness and God looks at me and sees Christ and blesses me accordingly.  But the Father isn't an old, blind, fool of a father.  The Father is in on this; it is He that ordained this.

I think the promises of God should encourage us to prayer andI think the warnings of Scripture should move us to live more holy lives; but I know that it is never God's will for me to pray less.  So, I will strive and fall and strive and fall in my pursuit of holiness and I will put on the goat skins of Jesus and come boldly before the Father in prayer (Hebrews 4:26).

Use this story to encourage your prayer life today.