In a world full of uncertainty, it is vital to seek God’s provision and protection. Rabbi Schneider reflects on Jacob’s vow and explores the significance of expressing our deepest needs to God. Learn how Jacob’s faith led to God’s promise of safety and security through his journey. This episode does not only focus on divine promises but also emphasizes the importance of generosity, as we are reminded of the first disciples’ dedication and a call to sow into God’s kingdom.
Hello and welcome to Discovering the Jewish Jesus. I’m your host, Dustin Roberts, and for the next 25 minutes, Rabbi Schneider is going to be sharing prayers that resonate with God. Given the current state of our world, it can really be easy to get caught up in the performance trap where we’re trying to do everything perfectly. And when that happens, it can feel like one mistake will ruin everything. I know I feel that way sometimes, especially if it impacts my personal relationships, but As we’ll see today, performance-based living, it’s not what God has in mind for his children. Our message, it’s simply titled Protection. And if you’d like to follow along and take some notes, you’ll find Rabbi’s study guides online at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Let’s get started.
SPEAKER 03 :
What we’re doing is we’re dwelling into the type of relationship with God that moves him. Do you know it’s a powerful thing to realize, get this now, that your prayers can move God. Think about that for a second. Your prayers can move God. You know, sometimes we invest so much time and energy in trying to move other people. You know, we look at how human beings try to manipulate people, how sometimes we’ll find people even crying as a way to manipulate somebody else to move them. People screaming and yelling, trying to manipulate another individual, another human being. But think about the fact that you can move God. How much more powerful to realize that you can move God rather than focusing on how to move other people. You know, in life, sometimes even when people are praying, if they’re praying out loud, for example, oftentimes they’re not even thinking about moving God. They’re thinking about how to impress the people around them that are listening to them pray. Isn’t that ridiculous and preposterous? Let’s get rid of all that. Beloved, you can move God. The Bible tells us in the book of First John, chapter five, that when we pray in the spirit, according to God’s will, in other words, when our heart, when our soul is truly communicating that which is from the spirit of God, it moves the heart of the Lord. And God hears us, and he responds to us and answers our prayers. Listen to what the Bible tells us in 1 John 5, verse 14, beloved one. Hear the word of God. We find John writing this. This is the confidence which we have before him. that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. Listen to this again. He said, this is the confidence that we have, that if we ask anything according to God’s will, God will hear us, and He’ll grant us those things that we’re asking of Him. So we want to dwell deeper into the will of God for our lives. What are the type of prayers that we see prayed in Scripture that the Lord’s respond to? Prayers, beloved, that resonate with God. What we’re going to be looking at today, we’re going to go all the way back to the beginning of the Bible. As I continue on with this theme of prayer, we’re going to go from the Old Testament into the New Testament. But today, as I begin this series, I want to go all the way back to the book of Genesis, and I want to look in the Torah, which is the first five books of our Bible, and I want to examine with you, beloved ones, prayers that were prayed that God heard and responded to. So let’s begin today, first of all, just by praying to the Lord, and then we’re going to go to the book of Genesis. Father God, we love you today and we need you today. And Father, we worship you today in the name of King Jesus. And Father God, we pray right now that you would touch our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And Father, the words that I speak, Father, that they would be spirit and life, that you would use them to touch your people, Father God, that you would move their hearts, that you would help them to understand the types of prayers, Father, that you hear, and that you would give them confidence, Father, I pray, that when they pray according to your will, that you’ll answer them so that when they stand before you in prayer, they’re confident that you’re hearing, Abba God, and that their requests are being granted by you in Jesus’ name. Amen and amen. So let’s begin now. We’re going to the book of Genesis, chapter number 28, verse number 20 through 22. Hear the word of God. Then Jacob made a vow, saying… If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my Father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God, and this stone which I set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me, I will give a tenth to you.” So this is Jacob’s prayer here. And let’s take a look at it kind of piece by piece. Jacob here is praying, beloved, for security, get this now, and safety, for provision and safety. Let’s listen to this. Then Jacob made a vow saying, if God will be with me, he’s saying, God, if you’ll be with me and if you will keep me on this journey that I take. So let’s look at that first phrase. Jacob says, Father, if you’ll be with me, God, if you’ll be with me. and keep me on the journey.” So Jacob is looking for assurance, and he’s looking for confidence, number one, that God would be with him and that God would keep him. Do you know when we look at that very famous prayer that I pray at the end of every broadcast, beloved ones, it’s called the Aaronic Blessing from the book of Numbers, chapter 6. It begins by saying, the Lord bless you, get this now, and keep you.” This is the same thing that Jacob is asking for. Lord, if you’ll be with me and keep me. The Lord bless you and keep you. Isn’t that an awesome thing to know that when you ask God, to bless you and to keep you, that God hears that, that you were made to communicate with God in that way, that when God made you in His own image and He put a need in your heart for Him, one of the needs, beloved ones, that He put in your heart was that you would depend on Him to keep you. Listen again what Jacob says. If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, let me ask, Are you on a journey? You and I are on a journey right now. Our whole life is a journey, isn’t it? This life that we’re on, beloved one, it’s a journey. And we can pray that God would keep us on the journey. What about when you go outside your front door and get in your car every day, those of you that are driving? Aren’t we dependent on God as we’re driving on the road to keep us and protect us? That God would give his angels charge over us lest we dash our foot against a stone? So Father God, we ask you right now, Father God, Please keep us, Father God. Keep us, watch over us, be with us. Let’s listen again what Jacob prayed. We say in Hebrew, Yaakov. Let’s listen what Jacob prayed. If God will be with me, Jacob’s Hebrew name, Yaakov. If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take. and will give me food to eat and garments to wear.” So now Jacob, Yaakov, he’s pressing it even further. He said, Lord, keep me, protect me, watch over me, keep me safe and provide for me. Now he’s praying for provision that if, Lord, you’ll give me what I need to stay healthy, to stay protected, that I’ll have a roof over my head. If you’ll be a tabernacle for me, Father God, as I’m on the journey of life. Beloved, don’t you and I need that? And don’t we need the security to know that as we’re on this journey that we call life, that our God, the King Jesus, that Father God, is blessing us, get it now, keeping us and providing for us, that no matter where we go and no matter what stage of life we’re in, whether we’re 10 years old, whether we’re teenagers, whether we’re in our college years, whether we’re in our formative years, whether we’re in the stage of life that we’re in our 40s and working, whether we’re raising our children, whether we’re in our old age, That God wants us to know that we can depend on him, that we can trust him, that we can ask him to keep us and to provide for us. Aren’t you happy to know that Jesus is with you, keeping you, and that he’s going to provide for you? And he wants you. to ask him for that, not to take it for granted, but to believe him for it, to confess it, that he is keeping you, that he is providing for you and that he’s going to keep you and going to provide for you, but also to ask him for it. So we both confess it. Thank you, Father God, that you love me, that I’m your child, and that as I’m on this journey of life, that you’re keeping me all through the journey, that you’re going to keep me safe, that I don’t have to be afraid of the future. that I don’t have to fear what I’m going to face tomorrow, that even when my hairs are gray and I’m in old age, you’re going to keep me and provide for me and bring everything into my life that I need to lead an abundant life with you. We confess it, but also, beloved, we’re asking him for it. Father, keep me. Father, thank you today for keeping me. And Father, I pray that you’ll provide everything that I need. When you start asking God, beloved ones, to keep you and to provide for you, I want you to know that you’ve got a God that’s concerned about these things and that he’s going to be faithful to do these very things for you. These are biblical prayers. These prayers, beloved ones, resonate with God and you can trust Him when you’re depending on Him in a pure faith and true humility to grant you these requests, beloved, that He’s going to grant these requests to you and that your answers to prayer have happened in Jesus’ name.
SPEAKER 01 :
You’re listening to Discovering the Jewish Jesus and Rabbi will be right back. If you’re looking to better equip yourself in your study, pursuit, and growth in Jesus the Messiah, be sure to go online and explore our treasury of Messianic content. You’ll find Messianic teaching tools and videos, information about God’s seven annual feasts, the Hebrew names, titles of God, and so much more. This content is ready and available for you today online at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. To become a blessing in someone’s life today, get in touch to partner with us. Our mission is to prepare the world for Jesus’ return, and your financial gift is channeled directly toward this worthy cause. Take your first step today by calling 800-777-7835. That’s 800-777-7835. Or visit us at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Your contribution will equip others for Messiah’s return. And now here is Rabbi Schneider with the rest of today’s message.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let’s continue on and let’s read that once again right now. Genesis chapter number 28, verse number 20. Jacob made a vow saying, if God will be with me and keep me on this journey that I take and will give me food to eat and garments to wear and I return to my father’s house in safety, Then the Lord will be my God. And then he made a memorial with God. He made a covenant with God. And he said, and this stone, which I set up as a pillar, will be God’s house. And then he made a commitment to tithe. And he said, and Lord, and I will give you a 10th. of all that I have.” And so Jacob is pressing in, Yaakov, he’s pressing in now, and he’s saying, Lord, keep me safe. You know, he’s sharing with the Lord, he’s sharing with his father his deepest needs, his needs to feel protected, his need to feel secure, his need to feel safe. You know, I don’t know about you, but when I was a child, I really did feel safe. You know, when we’re newborn infants in the world, you know, we think that everything’s going to be okay, many of us. Now, I realize that some of you may have grown up in some difficult situations, and praise the Lord, God is more than sufficient. But the way that the Lord meant it to be is that, you know, as newborn infants coming into the world, as children, we do feel safe most often. You know, we feel that our mom and dad have the answers. We grow up, many of us, in what we felt like was a safe environment and a home where there were boundaries and there was structure. And many of you, as I did, when I was a young person, I felt safe growing up. I wasn’t afraid of the types of things that I’m aware of now, all the dangers that I’m aware of lurking in the world. As a young person, I felt safe. You know, David said in one of the Psalms that he had stilled his soul like a child at rest,” he said, on his mother’s knee. And he was talking about how he had come to the place of feeling secure and safe in his life through his relationship with God that even brought him back to that sense of, get it now, security and safety that he felt as a little child being held by his mother. And you know that God has an environment for us in Him that’s even safer than the environment that we felt that we had when we were even young children? Because when we were young children, we felt that everything was safe without realizing that the world was not as safe as we thought that it was, that murders were still happening, that kids were even being kidnapped, that people were getting in accidents on the road, that there was all types of diseases and sicknesses out there. Even though we felt safe because our parents shielded us from those things, in reality the world wasn’t as safe as we felt it was. But what God is saying to us is this, Now that you’re older and you’ve come to the realization that this world is a dangerous place without me, I want you to know that even though this world is a dangerous place, in me, I’m going to keep you safe. Remember David said, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy word and thy staff. They comfort me. So beloved ones, I want to encourage you as you’re praying, pray to the Lord about your deepest needs. I’m sure that for many of you, one of the deepest needs that you have right now is to feel secure and to feel safe. This is what Jacob, this was what Yaakov was praying for in the book of Genesis. Lord, if you will keep me, and bring me in safety and provide for me. And I know that right now that many of you that are sitting on your couch, I’m speaking right now to some of you widows and widowers and some of you elderly people. And you’re in a place where you’re fighting, feeling vulnerable. You’re fighting, feeling threatened by life. You’re fighting fears of sickness. You’re fighting fears of maybe even falling and no one even knowing that you fell. You’re fighting fears of going out on the road alone. You’re fighting fears of ending up in a nursing home. You’re fighting fears of running out of your finances. And I want you to know that God loves you. And even as he answered Jacob’s prayer, he’s going to answer your prayer. I’m going to pray with you right now that God is going to keep you that He’s going to bring you to the end of your journey in safety, and that everything that you need in the journey, He is going to provide for you because He’s the God of lights and every perfect gift comes from Him. And Jesus said, if God knows how to take care of the sparrows that are here today and gone tomorrow, If He clothes the lilies of the field more grand than Solomon, how much more will He take care of His own children? Jesus said, don’t worry about those things. Father’s going to provide. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without Him knowing it. He knows everything that you need. He loves you, beloved one, so much. He’s closer to you than you are to yourself. He’s closer to you than your next heartbeat. He’s closer to you than your next breath. He knows the next thought you’re going to think. And He loves you so much. He is going to take care of you, beloved one. And you are safe in His arms, and He’s going to keep you. Let’s pray. I’m going to close my eyes, okay, for a moment here. Father God, we love you today. And Father God, I want to thank you. I want to thank you, Father God, that you take care of your children. And Father, I speak shalom right now to every child of yours. Father, especially to the elderly today and the single women and many of our men that are struggling with insecurity. Father, I pray over them your shalom right now. And Father, we declare that you are a faithful God, that you will never leave us, that you are with us, King Jesus, according to your word, even to the end. that you know that we need a roof over our head, you know everything that we’re going to need in life, the food, the money, all that we’ve needed, Father God, according to that great hymn, your hand has provided. Great is your faithfulness according to the hymn, Lord, unto me. And so, Father, I speak. I favor and I speak confidence over every one of your children that’s listening to my voice right now. And Father, I declare that you are faithful, that you’re going to meet every need you’re going to provide for them, just like you provided for Jacob when he asked. You’re going to take them through this journey, even as Jacob said, if you’ll be with me on the journey and keep me, that you’re going to take each child of yours that’s listening to my voice right now, you’re going to take each one of them, Father, safely to the end of their journey on this life, that when they breathe their last, your arms are going to be surrounding them, and you’re going to take them, Father, into your eternal kingdom, into that place that you prepared for them, Jesus, in your Father’s kingdom. And so, Father, right now, I want to thank you that you’re keeping and will keep every one of your children listening to this broadcast right now. That you’re keeping them safe, Father God. Father, right now, I just ask for a bubble of your shalom around each and every listener right now. Father, that you would just give them a sense of inner security, knowing, Father, that you’re protecting them. Father God, that you are protecting them and keeping them safe. And Father, I thank you right now in Jesus’ name. Beloved, I want to thank you today for tuning in with me to Discovering the Jewish Jesus. I want you to know as we move forward, we’re going to dwell deep into Scripture and find out the type of prayers that resonated with God, going all the way back to the patriarchs, to the prophets, to those people that walked with God, and by studying their prayer lives, by looking at the types of things that they pray to God, and seeing how God answered them, by knowing this, you’re going to be able to pray before the Lord with confidence, knowing that when you pray according to His will, He hears you, and that He’s going to grant you, beloved, your request. Beloved, one of the things I’m always examining myself about and lifting my heart up to the Lord for is to make sure that I’m as much of a giver as He’s called us to be. I mean, we think about those first disciples in the book of Acts, and they were selling all their possessions and putting all the money in one pool. And we think about Ananias and Sapphira that sold their possessions and held back just a little bit of it and how God struck them dead. And when I read about that, I feel like, oh my gosh, Lord, You know, am I living right? I mean, I’m trying to be generous. I’m trying to show love to everybody, but I haven’t sold all my possessions and given them all away so that I don’t have a house or retirement or a bank account. And so I think there’s wisdom and I think there’s balance in this. But I’m always asking myself, Lord, am I doing enough? And so I would simply say the same thing to all of us. We need to make sure that we’re sowing our finances into the kingdom of God. And Yeshua promised it would come back pressed down, good measure, and running over into our laps.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen. Thank you, Rabbi. And friends, to take that step of faith right now and to sow into the kingdom through Discovering the Jewish Jesus, visit us online at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. You can also support this ministry by giving us a call today. Our number is 800-777-7835. As a token of our appreciation when you give, we want to make sure that you receive our latest newsletter in the mail. That will connect you to our community because each issue of our newsletter, it allows you to discover additional insights from Rabbi, along with personal updates from his wife, Cynthia, as well, who has an amazing heart for the Lord. You’ll also be able to read testimonies from listeners just like you and stay up to date on our ministry news. We’re also excited today because we want to offer you, our listeners, a complimentary resource package that explores the Aaronic Blessing. It’s absolutely free and it includes Rabbi’s detailed PDF guide that examines each element of the Aaronic Blessing. And you can learn more about how God’s covenant name, Yahweh, reflects his personal connection and protection in your life. You’ll also receive an audio message to go along with it, and it’ll help offer fresh perspectives for applying this benediction in your life today. Once again, it’s absolutely free, and you can get your copy at myfreegift.com forward slash peace. That’s myfreegift.com forward slash peace. Thanks for joining us today, and speaking of the Aaronic Blessing, here’s Rabbi to pray it over you right now.
SPEAKER 03 :
The words from the Aaronic Blessing in the book of Numbers, chapter 6, verses 22 through 27, helps us to realize how good God is to you and I personally. So receive His blessing into your life, and then beloved one, go bless somebody else in Jesus’ name today.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with His countenance. And the Lord give you, beloved one, His peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 01 :
I’m Dustin Roberts, and this program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. Be sure to join us again next time when Rabbi Schneider continues to share more about the prayers that resonate with God. That’s Wednesday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
