Long-Term Prayers
“And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” -Genesis 25:21
Isaac prayed and intreated the Lord for his wife, Rebekah. At first glance, it appears as though this is a relatively quick and easy process: Isaac’s wife was not bearing children, and was barren, and so he prayed, and then his prayer was answered. Hardly worth mentioning, perhaps—it was just a small petition, just a tiny little bump in the road of Isaac’s life—that is, until you put it into the perspective of time.
Rebekah was barren for nearly twenty years.
The Bible says, “Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife” (Genesis 25:20). And when Rebekah finally did have her first children (twins), Scripture notes, “Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them” (Genesis 25:26).
Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah, and 60 when the first children were born, and Scripture says that he “intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren.” It is hard to say how long Isaac and Rebekah continued before they realized something was wrong, but it is safe to say that Isaac most likely spent many years, perhaps decades praying and asking the Lord for children.
Suddenly that which appeared to be hardly worth mentioning was perhaps the main focus of Isaac’s thoughts and prayers for much of his early adult life. Knowing that God had brought Rebekah to him as his wife through divine providence, Isaac must have been puzzled and left wondering what would happen his inheritance, and the blessings of his father Abraham.
“And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.” -Genesis 17:19
Isaac was of the chosen seed, following Abraham, and among mankind, perhaps there was no greater focus of God than on the man Isaac. He was God’s chosen, and His covenant had been made to Isaac alone. He would bless those that blessed him, and curse those that cursed him, and in him would all the families of the earth be blessed. From Isaac would one day spring the Messiah, the savior of mankind.
Certainly God had Isaac clearly in His sights. Certainly He was attentive to his prayers. Yet for all this, Isaac still had to wait, and did not have his prayer for offspring answered until 20 years after he was married.
If it was so with Isaac, why should we expect anything less? Rather, those whom God delights in, He will perhaps teach us patience and longsuffering. What is more precious to God: that your prayers be answered immediately, or that your eternal soul is tempered and shaped so as to learn to have faith and depend on God?
For these reasons, we ought not to faint, nor give up when we pray. God will undoubtedly hear our cry, yet He delights also to teach us patience and faith, which are of inestimable value.
“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?” -Luke 18:1-7
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