November 12
And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD. Genesis 4:26
Seth was the first man to pray. When he prayed, he had no idea where it would lead him, nor what effect it might have on his own life. Seth’s prayer life began as a tiny trickle on the pages of human history, and that is how all who pray begin. We see our influence with God and on world events as insignificant – so small that no-one will ever notice. But every river begins as a trickle high up in the mountains. As it flows, it gathers momentum. Five generations later, Seth had a great, great, great grandson named Enoch who was the first prophet to the human race. Soon after that there was a preacher named Noah. Jesus said that we ought always to pray and not to lose heart – Luke 18:1. We falter in prayer when we think we are having no effect. There is no more discouraging thought than to think that we live, work, preach, pray and have no influence on those around us. It is knowing that we are making a difference that keeps us going. Here, God lifts the veil for us to see the link between praying people and His activity in the earth. There is no prayer that is not answered. It is one of the foundations of the universe that there is a God in heaven who hears and answers prayer. A Chinese proverb says that dripping water will break a stone; the prayers of God’s people – our prayers – will shape and change the world, and one day the veil will be lifted and we will see what we have believed.
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