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Genesis 3.8-13 – Praying through the Bible #1 – A Prayer of Accountable Confession
Not all examples are good examples, but they can be profitable examples. If prayer is defined simply by “talking to God” then Adam and Eve are “praying” in the garden. Prayer begins by the amazing discovery that God wants to “walk” with us in the garden of life He created (3.8). I love the phrase, “at the time of the evening breeze” (3.8) which emphasizes the reality of God in real life.
Separating God and us in this walk is sin; and that is when the “conversation” of prayer begins. God asks Adam, “Where are you?” (3.10). All need to answer that question. God knows, but people spend so much time hiding and fearing, pretending God doesn’t. Adam “prays,” “I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid” (3.10). This is the second time Adam and Eve hid. The first time they hid their sin by covering up with fig leaves (3.7). Then they hid themselves. Sin and fear cause people to hide themselves from God. We try to solve our own problems with fig leaves, but we know we are still exposed before God (3.10). Naked of righteousness we confess, but our confessions are too often naked before God. Adam halfheartedly confesses, “The woman You gave to be with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate” (3.12). Eve feebly confesses, “It was the serpent. He deceived me, and I ate” (2.13).
Prayer Challenge – Stop hiding, stop trying to solve our sin problem, stop blaming others and making excuses. Search ourselves and start by confessing openly, honestly, making ourselves accountable, baring our souls before God. Start praying.
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