Genesis 36:26

Dave Earley's book "The 21 Most Effective Prayers of the Bible" examines powerful prayers from Scripture that produced results.

The second chapter focuses on Jacob's prayer in Genesis 32:26, when he wrestled with God and did not let go of Him saying, “Bless me!”

Jacob's transformative prayer came at a moment of absolute desperation. Facing potential death from his approaching brother Esau and 400 men, Jacob had exhausted all his clever strategies and found himself alone in the dark. During a nightlong wrestling match with a mysterious figure, Jacob realized he was encountering God Himself.

Despite his past as a "grasper" who deceived others for blessings, Jacob's bold prayer demonstrated spiritual persistence that impressed God. Rather than condemning Jacob's audacious request, God granted him a multi-faceted blessing: transformation (changing his name to Israel, "prince of God"), revelation (a face-to-face divine encounter at Peniel), direction and protection for his future, and lasting impact.

The physical mark of a touched hip served as a permanent reminder of this divine encounter that changed not just how Jacob walked, but how he lived. This prayer teaches that God honors spiritual persistence, is willing to bless those who earnestly seek Him, and that His blessings are meant to flow through us to others. The experience transformed Jacob from a blessing-taker to a blessing-giver.

REMEMBER

1. God blesses the spiritually aggressive.

2. God is willing and able to bless those who ask.

3. God’s blessing is big enough to go beyond us to others.

4. Receiving God’s blessing should make us the “blessers” of others.

5. God reveals Himself to those who really want to know Him.