“And Jacob said, ‘O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, “‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’” I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother.’” (Ge 32:9-11)
Jacob was in great distress when he heard that his brother Esau was coming against him with 400 men. The last time he heard from his brother he had wanted to kill him. So Jacob began to pray.
The first thing he did in his prayer was to remind God that he was acting on His orders. It was God who had told him to return and God had promised to do him good. It is always good to start a prayer by referring to what God has said and promised.
The second thing Jacob did was to express his gratitude to God in a display great humility. This is a true sign of spiritual maturity. It is written: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Jas 4:6) After twenty years in exile serving under Laban, Jacob had learnt this lesson. The hardships had matured him spiritually. He had been in the school of the Spirit. Jacob prayed:
“I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.” (v.10)
Instead of beginning to demand things from God right away, Jacob first acknowledged the things that God had already done for him. He told God: “I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant.”
What humility! This is the place God wants to bring all of us. We are not worthy of even the least of all the things God has done for us. But so often we take all these things for granted. Our selfishness blinds us.
The more we thank God the more grateful we will be and the happier we will be. We need to learn to be thankful. Gratitude and humility are two marks of true spirituality.
