#LikeFatherLikeSon: Priesthood Through Prayer
But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” — Genesis 22:7 NKJV
June 2004/5, my father called me into his room. I’ve been running from attending the children class organized by Grail Movement of Nigeria, Onitsha circle. I will excuse myself from the class and disappear, only to reappear after the classes are halfway through or ended. My father would rebuke me and the next Sunday, there will be a repeat. For the ones I had the patience to sit through to the end, I will be dissatisfied. Instead of answers, I had more questions.
This particular Sunday, he called me into his room and sat me down and ask; “do you know how to pray?”
I was not surprised but I wasn’t anticipating it either, not at that time. I can’t deliberately miss the children class and yet, have one at home. No way!
I can’t recall my exact words but whatever it may be, it didn’t spare me the grilling lecture I was about to receive. I sat down and that was the beginning of over one-hour teaching on prayer. It was quite a thrilling meeting that will soon become a temporary ritual. He made me report myself after each class and share with him the teachings of the day.
Very odd but interesting. He gifted me a copy of the Grail Message text; In The Light of Truth by Ab-Dru-Shin (Vol. I & II). And for the next ten years, it became my companion. I read the book, consumed every page of it to understand and to know, the deep things about The Grail Movement. My curiosity birthed extra study that I had to get the Volume III.
The imprint of a dad will forever remain on his son.
2015. He summoned for a family study (lecture) on the Grail Message beliefs. The speaker, I know him. One of my instructors in my days of class skipping. The meeting ended, not on a good note. After 14 years, I’ve known better. I’ve become a believer in the gospel of Christ and an advocate for his Kingdom. What was to be an ethical conversation ended with a debate on the truth of the Movement; doctrine and philosophy. After the class, my then instructor called me and said that should there have been an argument to the hypotheses and dogmas of the Grail Movement, it shouldn’t be coming from me. Knowing very well that I was once in his class and a boy in the days he taught me. He insinuated that my silence would have been fair.
Nevertheless, it’s been a year and ten months since he died — my father. He was a good man and he loved his son.
“My father…look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Of all things Abraham might have done wrong, this he did right. The question from Isaac says of a father who has taught his son his pattern of worship. Isaac knowing so much about how to worship God, knows what was missing. To Isaac, it was not a new path and should anything change, he should be aware. He knew the route to the mountain, he knew the tools needed, he knew the alta and he knew what was missing in his father’s backpack. If anything should miss, this shouldn’t because this is proof that this mission will be achieved. This illustrates how well Abraham taught his own son, Isaac — on the ways of God. His patterns and how to offer an acceptable sacrifice and not Cain’s portion. He instructed him aright and Isaac learned well.
Many sons feel intimidated and unsure of trying to follow in the footsteps of their own father. Isaac must have felt that way. Abraham was such an outstanding leader that Isaac could have gone wrong. He could have resented his father for offering him as a sacrifice, yet Isaac was an obedient son. From his father Abraham, Isaac learned the invaluable lesson of trusting God (obedience) and worship (prayer). Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were “covenant heads”, who offered sacrifices as their family’s priest. For a son, for a father, for a grandfather, it has become an access to the heavens because The Ways — a father taught his son.
My father may not have prayed WITH me every day but that unusual event never left me. It became an impression that that was stuck with me forever. Even when I didn’t really understand the theory of prayer as baby Christian — I prayed. As an adult today, I’ve made my mistakes and learned my own lessons from life and most illuminating today — to pray as my father instructed me. It was not about how well he prayed or whether he was right. The most fascinating part is the awareness that he taught his first son that in all things, you should pray. He will in later years, counsel me through his words and urge me to be steadfast in prayer and be strong and while it didn’t look like he did all he had planned to do, he made things right for his son. That’s to be his legacy.
If you carefully study the men of old in the scripture, you will discover they are men who provided leadership through prayer. The closet men. Men who seek the face of the Lord on behalf of their families. Men like Abraham, who through their faith secured a generational blessing from God.
Men like Job, who endured all suffering for what he believed in. He said, “even though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,” Job 13: 15. He was a praying Dad too; And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually (Job 1:5).
Men like Daniel, who will still pray even when the ruler of darkness raised a decree against prayer. He still prayed. That’s Daniel. Men like David, a man after God’s heart because he, David, understands how to worship (pray) God. David, though a man of war, was also one in prayer. Men like Joseph who will be resolute and stand against all odds because they love God. “Elijah was a man, a father and yet he prayed earnestly that no evil rain would fall upon his home, none fell. It hasn’t.” [James 5:17 paraphrased].
Men ought to reduce the prayer points in their family by leading through prayer.
When a man leads in prayer, the prayer time is less because he will be performing his spiritual role. The son learns, too.
Men ought to pray.
Imagine a home that prays and the man is leading in that effort, such home is the abode of the Holy Spirit. A man who teaches the son the rudiments of prayer. The best place a child learns how to pray is from the home and fathers should teach them. Husband, teach your wife and kids how to pray. Let your son see you kneel and pray in the morning. Let your son see you pray for his mummy and let your daughter see you pray for her too. The boy that saw his father pray for his mummy won’t abuse a woman. He will extend the love (prayer) as his father did. The daughter who saw the father pray for her mother will ONLY seek to be with the man that will pray for her and not abuse her. Sons learn first from the home and to validate love, they look to their father. When they cannot find a HOME in their them, they look elsewhere. The ripple effects of this carelessness of the man are obvious in our society today. Any man that desires to be the head should be a prayer giver for his family. That’s the best love you can give without pain and stress.
God loves a PRAYING MAN.
Teach your son, today, the of priesthood through prayer.
