Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

THE FIRST PRAYER

This entry was posted on 01-20-2010 and is filed under STUDIES IN GENESIS.

We often take prayer for granted. It is a priceless privilege, of that there can be no doubt. But how often do we avail ourselves of this wonderful opportunity to call upon the Lord? An old hymn reads, "Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer." Here's another thought: Who was the first to pray in the Bible? When did people begin to pray? The answer to those questions may be found in today's text.

"And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, 'For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.' And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD" (Gen. 4:25, 26 NKJV). Notice that men began to pray to God after the murder of Abel. After the birth of Seth. More specifically, after the birth of Enosh. I wonder if Eve breathed a prayer of thanks when God replaced Abel with Seth. Did Seth realize that Messiah would come from his line and thus thank God? We shall never know until we get to Heaven and ask them. I would like to think that prayer began in the family circle of Adam. Our family had a weekday evening "family circle" when I was growing up. We all gathered together before we went to bed and my father read the Bible to us and then mom and dad would lead us in prayer. Eve has something to thank God for: a new son and grandson. Remember it would be through her seed that Messiah would come (Gen. 3:15). She recognized that this was the work of God: "For God has appointed another seed for me..." It is possible that Eve breathed the first prayer that was heard by the Lord? Soon it became a general practice for devout people to call on the name of the Lord. I am not sure if this was private or public worship, but it was definitely a matter of people calling on God. Was it praise? petition? thanksgiving? We can only wonder but it is a wonder that men did not begin to call upon the Lord until this point in time. Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. A murder had been committed. Lamech took two wives, thus introducing bigamy. Lamech also murdered a young man for wounding him (Gen. 4:23, 24). Society was becoming violent. Soon the earth would be filled with violence. In times like these, men began to pray. And why not?

Hymn: "Living below in this old sinful world. Hardly a comfort can afford; Striving alone to face temptation sore, where could I go but to the Lord? Where could I go? O where could I go? Seeking a refuge for my soul? Needing a friend to save me in the end, Where could I go but to the Lord?" (J. B. Coats)