Topical Bible: Prayer: Answered: Abraham's Servant, for Guidance

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In the biblical narrative, the account of Abraham's servant seeking guidance through prayer is a profound example of divine intervention and answered prayer. This event is recorded in Genesis 24, where Abraham, advanced in age, seeks a wife for his son Isaac. He commissions his senior servant to undertake this significant task, instructing him to find a wife not from the Canaanites but from Abraham's own relatives in Mesopotamia.

The servant, demonstrating faithfulness and reliance on God, embarks on the journey to the city of Nahor. Upon arrival, he prays earnestly for guidance, seeking a sign to identify the right woman for Isaac. His prayer is specific and heartfelt, reflecting a deep trust in God's providence. In Genesis 24:12-14 , the servant prays:

“O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. Now may it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

Remarkably, before he finishes speaking, Rebekah appears, fulfilling the exact conditions of his prayer. She offers him a drink and proceeds to water his camels, confirming the servant's request for a sign. This immediate and precise answer to prayer underscores the belief in God's active role in guiding His people and orchestrating events according to His will.

The servant's response to this answered prayer is one of worship and gratitude. In Genesis 24:26-27 , it is recorded:

“Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, saying, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.’”

This narrative highlights several key aspects of prayer and divine guidance. Firstly, it illustrates the importance of seeking God's direction in significant decisions. The servant's prayer is characterized by humility, specificity, and faith, serving as a model for believers seeking God's will. Secondly, the account demonstrates God's faithfulness in answering prayers that align with His purposes, reinforcing the belief that God is attentive to the needs and requests of His people.

Furthermore, the account of Abraham's servant emphasizes the role of prayer in fulfilling God's covenant promises. The successful outcome of the servant's mission ensures the continuation of Abraham's lineage, through which God's promises to Abraham would be realized. This event is a testament to the belief that God is sovereign and actively involved in the lives of those who trust in Him, guiding them according to His divine plan.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 24:12-52
And he said O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray you, send me good speed this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Chapter xxiv
... news, conveyed incidentally by the servant's prayer, that here ... view "kindness" (ch??sedh)
which Abraham will appreciate ... Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxiv.htm

The Wilderness.
... and peculiar treasure unto God, They answered with one ... alarm, though these, as descended
from Abraham's nephew Lot ... Then after a prayer of atonement, a great ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson iv the wilderness.htm

The Beginning of Justification. In what Sense Progressive.
... call of believers under the type of Abraham, he says ... Then answered Haggai, and said,
So is this people, and so ... an abomination to the Lord; but the prayer of the ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 14 the beginning of.htm

And ii.
... Such severity, answered the prophet, was true mildness, because ... faith only, as formerly
when Abraham's servant journeyed to ... they are to walk: the prayer of the ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i and ii.htm

The Journey of the Three Holy Kings to Bethlehem
... At the side of Abraham's mountain, more towards ... then was he baptized?' She answered
smiling and ... stars were accompanied by fasting, prayer, religious ceremonies ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xiii the journey of the.htm

Instruction for the Ignorant:
... Thus Abraham came unto him (Genesis 18:27,30 ... Q. What other reason have you?"A. By
prayer thou confessest ... to save; even unto the Lord, but he answered them not ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/instruction for the ignorant .htm

Paul's Departure and Crown;
... in baptism, yea, in preaching the Word, and prayer, were they ... it would cut down all;
as when Abraham was to ... asked him the killing question, he answered, 'I am ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/pauls departure and crown.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... Old Testament; and the Pagan might be answered by the ... Since, then, Abraham lived
at that period in human history ... Thus Tobias says in his prayer to God, before ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

Letter cviii. To Eustochium.
... of blessing," the point to which Abraham pursued the ... three companies met together
for psalm-singing and prayer. ... is over and gone," she answered joyfully "the ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cviii to eustochium.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... dust and ashes.' Thus, in Solomon's beautiful prayer on the ... for that thereon the
Lord God, before Abraham and David ... and how all was most sweetly answered in the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm