Choose women to marry, and have sons and daughters. Choose wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage to men, so that they can have sons and daughters – increase your numbers there, don’t decrease. Jeremiah 29:6
After admonishing the exiles to build houses and to plant gardens while in Babylon Jeremiah then went on to tell them to marry, for their children to marry and to have children. He tells them to increase and not to decrease. It was these two words that became the focal point of my own take away with this verse. We are to increase in the things of Adonai, in the Spirit and not decrease as we journey through this life and walk this walk with Yeshua.
There were many things that stood out to me that I should always make sure is increasing in my spiritual life; my faith, the fruit of the Spirit, my strength in Him and so on. There was one thing however, that really had me narrowing my focus, and that was prayer and seeking the face of Adonai. As I thought about my own prayer life, I had a realization that there were many times that I treated prayer like the drive-up speaker at a fast-food restaurant. “Yeah, God, I need an extra-large healing for my husband, I need a small blessing for my kids, I need a medium financial blessing for which I have a coupon that reads, ‘You have not because you ask not.’ And if you could supersize an outpouring of the Spirit for me, that would be great!” How much time have I spent in prayer focused on me and mine? Now, I’m not coming against praying for what we need as the Bible is very clear that we are to bring our petitions before the throne of grace. My point is this, how many times have I prayed where I did all the talking, telling Adonai what I wanted, what I needed, said “amen”, and then went about my business. If prayer is communication with Him, how many times have I done all the talking and not taken the time to listen. Not too long ago, I felt a check in my spirit that said, “Seek more, speak less.” Talk about a sobering moment.
Increase in Hebrew is rabah (raw-baw) and means be great, enlarge, grow, be long, multiply, yield, abundantly. It speaks of increasing in wisdom, knowledge, and faith. Brown, Driver, Briggs Hebrew Lexicon also lists two interesting notations with the word rabah; 1. Pray a long time – She (Hannah) prayed for a long time before Adonai; and as she did so, ‘Eli was watching her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart – her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard – so ‘Eli thought she was drunk. 1 Samuel 1:12-13 The story of Hannah is one that is well known. She was childless but loved by her husband, while his second wife who had children would taunt her. The scripture says that they had made a pilgrimage to Shiloh and did so every year to worship and sacrifice to Adonai. It was during such a pilgrimage that Hannah was at her lowest point, in a deep depression and left the feasting to go and pour her heart out to God. After her encounter with Eli, her countenance was lifted because she had assurance that Adonai was going to answer her prayer. 2. Talk not so much – Then Hannah prayed; she said: “My heart exults in Adonai! My dignity has been restored by Adonai! I can gloat over my enemies because of my joy at your saving me. No one is as holy as Adonai, because there is none to compare with you, no rock like our God. Stop your proud boasting! Don’t let arrogance come from your mouth! For Adonai is a God of knowledge, and he appraises actions. 1 Samuel 2:1-3 Another translation from www.sefaria.org reads, “Talk no more with lofty pride, let not arrogance cross your lips! For the Lord is an all-knowing God; by Him actions are measured.” While it appears that Hannah’s statement is aimed at Peninnah, her husband’s second wife, it holds a strong measure of truth for us as well. James 4:6 tells us “God opposes the arrogant, but to the humble he gives grace.” When we come to Him in prayer, it should always be in humility. Adonai, open my lips; then my mouth will praise you. For you don’t want sacrifices, or I would give them; you don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God, you won’t spurn a broken, chastened heart. Psalm 51:17(15)-19(17) At the end of Hannah’s story, we see that through the prayer of a broken heart, and fulfillment of her vow to give her child to Adonai to serve Him, that she increased. She would go on to have three more sons and a daughter.
As with the word praise, there are several renderings of the words pray and prayer in Hebrew. When looking at the different words and their meanings, we find that prayer is not just talking to Adonai and bringing our requests before Him. It is also about how our heart is crying out to Adonai as we pray and specific aspects of prayer. A couple of examples include:
· Na (naw) נא is an entreaty or exhortation. It is used by one craving a favorable hearing or consideration. It is “pray, now, please” and is used in entreaty or exhortation. We find a beautiful example of this in the book of Exodus. [12] Moshe said to Adonai, “Look, you say to me, ‘Make these people move on!’ But you haven’t let me know whom you will be sending with me. Nevertheless, you have said, “I know you by name,’ and also, “You have found favor in my sight.’ [13] Now, please, if it is really the case that I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways; so that I will understand you and continue finding favor in your sight. Moreover, keep on seeing this nation as your people.” [14] He answered, “Set your mind at rest – my presence will go with you after all.” [15] Moshe replied, “If your presence doesn’t go with us, don’t make us go on from here.” Exodus 33:12-15 Moses had such a passion for the presence of Adonai that he was not willing to go anywhere if the Lord wouldn’t go with him. He didn’t just want Adonai’s favor, but he wanted to know Adonai’s ways so that he would have a deeper understanding of Him. In chapter 34, we see again that Moses entreated of the Lord that he would go them despite Israel’s sins. [8] At once Moshe bowed his head to the ground, prostrated himself [9] and said, “If I have now found favor in your view, Adonai, then please let Adonai go with us, even though they are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our offenses and our sin; and take us as your possession. As I was reading verse 9, something jumped out at me. Moses says to Adonai, If I have found favor, then go with us. He requested that the favor granted to him would extend to all the people, not just himself. We find in Numbers 12:13 a more personal cry of Moses for his sister Miryam after she developed leprosy for criticizing Moses after he married an Ethiopian woman. Their brother Aharon entreated of Moses that they (he and Miryam) not be punished for such a foolish sin. [13] Moshe cried to Adonai, “Oh God, I beg you, please, heal her!” While she would be healed, Miryam would have to spend seven days outside the camp for her transgression.
· Palal (paw-lal) פלל is to mediate, intervene, to judge or arbitrate. It is also the root for tephillah (tef-il-law) which means intercession. When we go to Adonai in intercessory prayer, we are intervening and mediating on behalf of another. When I first received the call about my mother’s stroke, we had no idea that was what had happened. As soon as I got off the phone with my aunt, I felt an overwhelming urgency to pray for my mother right that moment. I hit my knees, and began to pray for her healing, tears streaming down my face. I contacted a prayer warrior I know and asked her to be in agreement with me, all the while not knowing the seriousness of the situation. I happened to be writing a post on praise entitled “The Battle is Adonai’s”, and the exact scripture that I was going to write on is what I prayed over her that day. To be able to pray over another is a beautiful gift that we have and to speak blessing, healing, salvation, joy, and peace over them an honor. In Daniel chapter 9:20 we see him interceding for his people, “While I was speaking, praying, confessing my own sin and the sin of my people Isra’el, and pleading before Adonai my God for the holy mountain of my God –“ He is told by the angel Gabriel in verse 23, “At the beginning of your prayers, an answer was given; and I have to say what it is; because you are greatly loved.” While we may not have an angel come to us and tell us that Adonai has already given an answer to our prayers, we can rest in knowing that He has heard them, and we are greatly loved by Him. The Bible is full of examples of prayer, but it is knowing that Yeshua Himself is interceding on our behalf that is one of the most extraordinary revelations. [31] What, then, are we to say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare even his own Son, but gave him up on behalf of us all – is it possible that, having given us his Son, he would not give us everything else too? [33] So, who will bring a charge against God’s chosen people? Certainly not God – he is the one who causes them to be considered righteous! [34] Who punishes them? Certainly not the Messiah Yeshua, who did and – more than that – has been raised, is at the right had of God and is actually pleading on our behalf! [35] Who will separate us from the love of the Messiah? Trouble? Hardship? Persecution? Hunger? Poverty? Danger? War? [36] As the Tanakh put it, “For your sake we are being put to death all day long, we are considered sheep to be slaughtered.” [37] No, in all these things we are super conquerors, through the one who has loved us. Romans 8:31-37 A final note about the word palal from the BDB. It takes us to the book of Nehemiah. Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the Angle and the tower that projects out from the upper part of the royal palace near the Courtyard of the Guard. Nehemiah 3:25 As we saw, palal has a deeper meaning than just prayer, it also means judge, or mediator. Palal was one of the repairers of the wall during the time of Nehemiah. He was a wall builder, and so too are we when we enter into intercessory prayer over others. We build up the hedge around them, we speak life over them, we become wall builders on their behalf.
The greatest example of prayer that we have is Yeshua. He took time every day, sometimes several hours a day, to get alone with His Father in prayer. He talked about the importance of getting alone with Adonai in prayer and during the Sermon on the Mount gave the model of how we should pray with the Lord’s Prayer, and that we should pray for HIS will to be done, and not our own. In John chapter 17 Yeshua pours out His heart to the Father just before His crucifixion while in the Garden of Gethsemane. As I read this prayer, I came to a verse that made me stop and read it a second time, and as the revelation of what it was saying washed over me it impacted me like it never has before. It is amazing how we can read something in the Word numerous times and then one day we read it and it is like scales have fallen off our eyes and it becomes really real. “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will trust in me because of their word, that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are united with me and I with you, I pray that they may be united with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.” John 17:20-21 While in the garden, knowing that He would soon be hanging on a cross, Yeshua prayed for ME. He prayed for YOU. He not only intercedes for me NOW, but He also interceded for me THEN, while He walked this earth. This Oklahoma girl who has never done anything the world would consider great, was considered great in the eyes of the Savior of the world to the point that He prayed for me and then gave His life for me.
Prayer is more than just words. Psalm 141:2 says, “Let my prayer be like incense set before you, my uplifted hands like an evening sacrifice.” This is echoed in Revelation “Another angel came and stood at the altar with a gold incense-bowl, and he was given a large quantity of incense to add to the prayers of all God’s people” Revelation 8:3 Prayer is precious to Him, and it should be precious to us as well.
Jeremiah continues in his letter, “Seek the welfare of the city which I have caused you to go in exile and pray to Adonai on its behalf; for your welfare is bound up in its welfare.” Jeremiah 29:7 As Israel was to pray for Babylon while they were there, so should we be in prayer about our nation. “Your welfare is bound up in its welfare” are words that ring true for us today. We live in times where our nation is in turmoil, and what is happening effects all of us to some degree or another. We should continually be lifting our country up in prayer before the throne of grace. Numerous sermons have been preached over one of the most famous passages of scripture concerning this, however rarely do I see the verse prior ever connected to it which reads, “If I shut up the sky, so that there is no rain; or if I order locusts to devour the land; or if I send an epidemic of sickness among my people; then, if my people, who bear my name, will humble themselves, pray, and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 How relevant are these verses for us right now? Are we not seeing an epidemic of sickness, massive droughts, and more? As Jeremiah admonished the people of Israel to pray for the city of Babylon, we should be laser focused on praying for our country in humility, seeking the face of an Almighty and righteous God. Prayer should never be an afterthought in our walk, but the center of it. May our prayers be in the will of our Father in Heaven, and may we know Him more each time we come to Him in that sweet hour of prayer.
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