GENESIS 4:1-5
Reading:
Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth
to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought
forth a man." Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now
Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time
Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to
the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn
of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain
was very angry, and his face was downcast. (Genesis 4:1-5)
Time: Approximately 4000 BC
Characters: God, Cain, Abel
Place: Outside the garden
What's Happening: Adam and Eve have two boys. Sibling rivalry
begins.
Prayer
Dear God,
Lord, I know the importance of giving an offering to you. I know
that the Bible says a tithe is approximately ten percent of my
income. When I give to you, I am reflecting your heart that is
always giving to me. If I'm not giving to others, then I am only
giving to myself, making me self-centered, selfish and self-indulgent.
However, I may be dropping dollars in the offering plate and writing
big checks to the church and still not be giving properly. You
don't want me to give out of obligation, but love. You crave that
my offering be an expression of my heart, not my bank account.
You do not yearn for cents but sacrifice. You don't want dollars
but desire. A poor widow gives only pennies, but sacrifices more
than a rich billionaire writing a million dollar check. I must
examine my offering-not for the amount of money, but the amount
of love.
ADDITIONAL PRAYER
"I like to give to…"
"I have a hard time giving to…"
"Help me be a joyful giver…"
GENESIS 4:6-7
Reading:
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is
your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be
accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching
at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.
(Genesis 4:6-7)
Time: Approximately 4000 BC
Characters: God, Cain, Abel
Place: Outside the garden
What's Happening: God confronts Cain.
Prayer
Dear God,
Lord, what you said to Cain, you say to me. Sin is waiting for
me. Sin watches me, looking for a weakness, an opportune time
to strike, to take me out. Sin wants nothing more than for me
to say "yes" to something you've clearly said "no"
to. You call sin a lion, with the power to tear my life and the
lives of those around me to shreds. However, even a lion can be
tamed. I can master sin but not alone. I would be stupid to enter
a lion's cage for the first time by myself. In the same way, I
can master sin only if I approach it with prayer, your Word and
the Holy Spirit. With those three things, sin turns into a helpless
kitty cat.
ADDITIONAL PRAYER
"I have anger towards…"
"I feel sin is crouching at me door in the area of…"
"Help me master over the sin of…"
GENESIS 4:8
Reading:
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field."
And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel
and killed him. (Genesis 4:8)
Time: Approximately 4000 BC
Characters: God, Cain, Abel
Place: Outside the garden
What's Happening: Cain kills Abel. The first homicide.
Prayer
Dear God,
God, to think that the first offsprings of this planet are involved
in a murder says something about our human nature. We have in
all of us the propensity to kill. While I hope I'm never involved
in a murder investigation, I do know this…I kill people all
the time in my mind. By attacking their character and despising
their behavior, I choke the life out of them, leaving them as
good as dead. I am guilty of mental assassination because of my
hate for others. By forgiving, I give life back to them. Help
me to stop murdering those who get in my way. Make love a knee
jerk reaction in my heart.
ADDITIONAL PRAYER
"I mentally assassinate (who)…"
"I want to pray for my siblings…"
"Help love to be a natural reaction to others…"
GENESIS 4:9-16
Reading:
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's
keeper?" The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen!
Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you
are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its
mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you
work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You
will be a restless wanderer on the earth." (Genesis 4:9-12)
Time: Approximately 4000 BC
Characters: God, Cain
Place: Outside the garden
What's Happening: God confronts Cain and sentences him. He promises
to be with Cain the rest of his life.
Prayer
Dear God,
Lord, my sins have consequences. I know that if they begin to
stack up, I am forced away from my work, my family, my home, restless
and confused. Whether I am running from the law or running from
the truth, I may be forced to wander aimlessly about, never really
setting down my roots. However, I do know that if am wandering,
you are watching over me. You watched over the murderer Cain and
the Israelites in the desert, all of them disobedient, but still
very much close to your heart. You love the fugitive despite their
past crimes. I pray that I don't become a criminal on the run,
but I know that if I do, you will be there with me. I pray most
of all that I stop wandering and find my home with you.
ADDITIONAL PRAYER
"I feel the consequences of my sin
of…"
"I feel you with me most when I…"
"I don't want to be a restless wanderer. I want to settle
down…"
GENESIS 4:17-26
Reading:
Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and
named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child
in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." Seth also had a
son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on
the name of the LORD. (Genesis 4:25-26)
Time: Approximately 4000 BC
Characters: God, Adam, Eve, Seth
Place: Outside the garden
What's Happening: Adam and Eve have another son. Seth. Another
chance to get it right.
Prayer
Dear God,
God, sometimes my first attempt at something is a failure. Everything
falls apart-relationships crumble, feelings shatter, tempers flare.
Thankfully you are a God for second, third, fourth…chances.
Adam and Eve's first children are involved in an ego-driven murder,
Cain kills Abel. After that, why would you want to create any
more people? But you allowed Adam and Eve to have another son,
Seth. Then Seth had a son named Enosh, who, in some way, turned
people's hearts to you. In my life, thank you for not throwing
up your arms at me when I make a mistake, but you see the successes
in my future and allow me to experience them.
ADDITIONAL PRAYER
"I have failed in the area of…"
"I have been given a second chance…"
"I want a second chance in the area of…"
