Genesis 25

Key Verse: “Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.” (Genesis 25:21)

Isaac and Rebekah encountered the same problem that Abraham and Sarah did: Rebekah was barren, and they could have no children. Instead of turning to his own means as his father had done, Isaac approached the Lord and prayed to him on his wife’s behalf. Isaac prayed diligently for twenty years—and for twenty years, they had no sons. During that time, God grew Isaac and Rebekah as a man and woman of prayer; it was training for them to be patient and wait for God’s timing. They learned to seek God in their struggles, to wait on Him, and also to talk to God in humility and closeness. Finally, God blessed Rebekah and she was pregnant, eventually giving birth to twins Esau and Jacob. When the babies were still in the womb, they struggled constantly, and Rebekah approached God with her practical problem. Her training during the last twenty years paid off, for even after her major problem was taken care of, she still was able to come to God in her need. Because of her faith, God blessed her and showed her a vision of her sons’ futures: that “'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

When Isaac and Rebekah prayed and were diligent in prayer, God blessed them not only with an answer to their prayers but also by showing them part of His plan for the future. They sought Him with their lack of children, and God blessed them with not one but two sons. When Rebekah suffered in her pregnancy and approached God with it, He explained her suffering and showed her a glimpse of her sons’ futures. At the same time, He even blessed them through their spiritual training, to be able to be close to God and able to talk with Him about all their deepest desires and their struggles.


I need to be able to approach God with my own issues. God seeks my honesty when I come to Him, and He desires a close relationship with me. Through daily prayer life (which I struggle with), I can become closer to Him and share my struggles and desires; He, also, can show me what He desires, and as my purpose is to obey and glorify Him, I can learn more about Him and makes His desires my own. Also, in having prayer topics, both specific and general, I learn also to be patient in waiting for God’s answer and to communicate with Him better, even when the answers to my questions are unknown.

Isaac and Rebekah waited twenty years for a son: however, I cannot even imagine what my life will be like twenty years from now. Even ten seems so far away—I would be thirty-two then, and my life then could be dramatically different from now. Even in a single year’s time, my life can change so much. However, there are several goals I can set for myself that can apply to any situation: to have graduated from college and earned my degree, to be financially solid and have a stable job; to have married and started my own “house church,” and to be serving at least two college students of my own who come to Bible study faithfully and whom I can help understand the Bible and know God. These are my “ten-year prayer topics,” and no matter my situation or physical location, I know God can provide. I pray that through this, God may teach me to not only have a vision for the future, but also to learn to wait on Him and be open to His training now. Things, especially spiritual things, do not happen overnight; I need to prepare now for the things to come and have patience.

One Word: A Godly vision for the future.