Ann Spangler - Prayer Through Eyes of Women of the Bible

ZONDERVAN

Prayer Through the Eyes of Women of the Bible
Copyright 2000 by Ann Spangler and Jean E. Syswerda
ISBN 0-310-98415-7

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ePub Edition November 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-87046-3

Adapted from Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler and Jean E. Syswerda 1999 by Ann Spangler and Jean E. Syswerda (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999).

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Design Manager & Interior design: Amy E. Langeler
Associate Editor: Molly C. Detweiler
Assistant Editor: Heidi Carvella
Cover design: Tammy Johnson, Flat River Graphics

Contents

To Judy Weaver
Your faith has strengthened mine
Ann Spangler

To my daughters, Holly and Shelly
You have shown me the beauty of
young women of God
Jean E. Syswerda

Though the narratives in this book at times rely on fictional techniques to bring out various dimensions of a story and the characters emotional responses, every effort has been made to remain close to the original text, drawing out reasonable implications from Scriptures account.

Which means
chieftainess or
princess.

The name of Abrams wife was Sarai Now Sarai was barren; she had no children.

God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations.

Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Sarah said, God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. And she added, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.

GENESIS 11:2930; 17:1516; 21:2, 67

Her Character

Beautiful enough to attract rulers in the ancient world, Sarah could be strong-willed and jealous. Yet she was considered a loyal wife who did what was right and didnt give in to fear.

Her Sorrow

That she remained childless for most of her life.

Her Joy

That at the age of ninety, she gave birth to Isaac, child of the promise.

S arah was sixty-five when she began a journey that would lead her into uncharted spiritual territory. She and her husband Abraham moved miles south to Canaan, a land fertile with the promises of God but barren of everything cherished and familiar. God had promised the land to Abraham and his offspring. From him would come an entire nation.

If Abraham was to father a new nation, surely Sarah would be its mother. Yet she longed to give birth, not to a nation, but to one small child she could kiss and cradle.

Years passed and still there was no child. So Sarah took matters into her own hands. Following a practice common in the ancient world, she asked Abraham to sleep with her Egyptian maid. Hagar would become a surrogate mother for the promised child. Before long Ishmael was born, and peace vanished between the two women.

Later the Lord appeared to Abraham and said, Sarah herself will have a son.

Now Sarah, eavesdropping from inside the tent, laughed in disbelief and said, Now that I am old, will I still have this pleasure?

But a year later Sarah gave birth to Isaac, whose name meant laughter.Of course, the joke was not lost on the ninety-year-old mother, who exclaimed: God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.

Was Sarah ashamed, perhaps years later, of her harsh treatment of Hagar and Ishmael? Did she regret laughing when God told Abraham she would bear a child at the age of ninety? Did she appreciate the echoing irony in young Isaacs laughter? Did she have any idea she would one day be revered as the Mother of Israel? Scripture does not say. But it is heartening to realize that God accomplishes his purposes despite our frailties, our small faith, our entrenched self-reliance. Despite her skepticism about Gods ability to keep his promises, Sarah was a risk-taker of the first order, a woman who said goodbye to everything familiar in order to live an adventure that began with a promise and ended with laughter.

By faith Abraham, even though he was past ageand Sarah herself was barrenwas enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, So shall your offspring be. Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as deadsince he was about a hundred years oldand that Sarahs womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

HEBREWS 11:1112, ROMANS 4:1821

~For Prayer~

Sarahs dream was to give birth to a son. God hints at his purpose for you by planting dreams within your heart. Find a quiet place and spend some time focusing on your dreams. Ask yourself what dreams youve been too busy, too afraid, or too disappointed to pursue. Write them down and pray about each one. If you take the plunge, you might find yourself joyfully echoing Sarahs words in Genesis 21:6: God has brought me laughter.

Father, thank you for loving me despite the fact that my soul still contains shadows that sometimes block the light of your Spirit. As I grow older, may I trust you more completely for the dreams youve implanted in my soul and for the promises youve made to me. May I be surrounded by laughter at the wonderful way you accomplish your purpose despite my weakness.