Genesis Sixteen

G

Father God, we ask for Your forgiveness for every decision we have made while thinking from our earthly perspective rather than coming to You for a heavenly perspective first. Teach us that there is no situation in our lives that is so urgent that we cannot stop for two minutes to seek Your wisdom in our daily lives. Regardless of what we think, remind us that Your heavenly arrangement for the institution of one man and one woman in marriage is always the best plan.

May we always remember that the wisdom that created the heavens and the earth is ours for the asking if we would humble ourselves and ask You for it. If we lack it, You give Your wisdom generously to all who ask without reproach. Your wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. It produces a harvest of righteousness when sown in peace.

Holy Spirit, open wide our spiritual eyes to see that that which is conceived in conflict will only birth conflict. Keep us from making decisions outside the will of God. Keep us most of all from making decisions from places of insecurity and inadequacy. Show us that the consequences of these decisions are rarely beneficial for anyone involved. Give us the foresight to see that the consequences are not only immediate but can last for generations to come.

Father God, keep us from using each other for our own advantage as disposable pawns in games  You did not intend for us to play. Never let us forget that just as we are Your image-bearers, every single person we meet is an image-bearer as well. May we value them just as much as we value ourselves and may we see our ultimate worth in being Your children. 

Lord Jesus, while the world may tell us that You view women as inferior and disposable, remind us that that is a brazen lie. From the earliest pages of Your word, You show us that almost every encounter of Yours with a woman has come with a story and a plan for redemption. They are an intricate part of Your own history intended to redeem or represent someone or something broken that needs redemption.

May Your encounter with this Egyptian woman by a well remind us of another encounter You had with a Samaritan woman by another well hundreds of years later.  You clearly saw them and the complexity of their broken situations through Your eternal eyes of love. You also opened their eyes to clearly see who You are. Help us to do the same! 

Be our only Source of living water, Lord, and satisfy our thirst in dry and barren deserts of our own making. Cleanse us from all that we have allowed ourselves to be sullied with in this world. Make us wells of living water that house Your grace and mercy for those around us in similar situations. 

Father, Son, and Spirit, reveal Yourself to us as One who sees us, One who hears us, and ultimately One who delights in redeeming those whom the world deems broken and useless! 

About the author

Roshni Di Stefano

Roshni was born in Mumbai, came of age in Montreal, and now lives in Youngstown, Ohio. She works as a physical therapist and likes to write. She also enjoys sipping masala chai or gin and tonic on the porch while trying not to drool excessively over her Canadian-Italian-American husband. In her spare time, she herds two kids.

This blog space is a place for her to gather her thoughts and more importantly her prayers to the King of kings. She can be found on Instagram at @the.greater.work.

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