Jethro, continued:
Other possible encounters
- Numbers 10:29 – Hobab
- Same as Jethro?
- Judges 4:11 – same Hobab? Same lineage?
- We know some of his family went with Israel
- Settled in the promised land
- Used by God to liberate Israel from oppression
- Judges 4 – Jael versus Sisera
Jethro’s legacy
- We can learn from his character
- Hospitable
- Polite and gracious
- Constructive criticism
- Willing to trust
- Willing to release Moses
- Wise use of resources
- Daughters as shepherds
- Wise counsel on delegation
- Selectivity of those right for the task
- Making God the final authority
Prayer
- Difficult to put into one lesson – why?
- How much is it mentioned?
- 334 times
- Believe (all its forms) – 328 times
- Obey (all its forms) – 222 times
- Repentance – 74 times
- Who prayed?
Prayer is a requirement
- Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6) – pray:
- To praise God (Matthew 6:9)
- For God’s will to be done (Matthew 6:10)
- For physical provision (Matthew 6:11)
- For forgiveness – both giving and receiving (Matthew 6:12)
- For deliverance from evil (Matthew 6:13)
- Also pray:
- For our leaders – spiritual and political (Hebrews 13:17; I Timothy 2:1, 2)
- To live a peaceful life (I Timothy 2:2)
- For gospel preachers (II Thessalonians 3:1, 2)
- To open opportunities for the gospel (Colossians 4:3)
- For other Christians and for the church (John 17:17-21)
- For the sick (James 5:14-15)
- For sinning brethren (I John 5:16)
- In thanksgiving (I Thessalonians 5:18)
Some remarkable prayers in scripture
- Luke 18:13 – short but effective
- Numbers 6:24-26 – scripted by God
- II Kings 20:3 – Asks God to remember his thoughts and deeds
- I Kings 8:23-53 – long, but thoughtful and to the point
- Jonah 2:1-10 – prayer with immediate results
- Daniel 9:4-19 – begging forgiveness for his nation
- I King 18:36-37 – calls God to open people’s eyes
- I Kings 3:5-10 – asks God’s help to lead
Who prayed?
- Men everywhere – I Timothy 2:8
- Women gathered by a river – Acts 16:13
- Epaphras – Colossians 4:2
- Jabez – I Chronicles 4:9-10
- The tax collector – Luke 18:10-14
- Hannah – I Samuel 1:10-11; 2:1-10
- Jesus – 25 accounts in the gospels
Subject of this series
- The little-known or lesser known
- Does prayer fit this description for you?