He prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today.” Genesis 24:12
Is it wrong to pray for success? There are some things that our world is obsessed with, and success is one of them. Go to the library and look for books on success. You will find shelves of books filled with hints to be optimistic, passionate, persistent, flexible, educated, and focused, or to be open-minded, streetwise, willing to give back, committed to your journey, and ready to change.
We all want our lives, our careers, and our relationships to be successful. After all, who wants them to be failures? But how can we learn the steps to success?
First we must realize that true success goes well beyond a book or an idea. To be truly successful we need to have God in the mix. But would it be right to pray for it? We can certainly learn from Abraham’s servant Eliezer.
Abraham was old and wanted a fitting wife for his son Isaac, so he sent Eliezer on a journey to go to Abraham’s homeland and search for a wife for his son. Eliezer and his caravan set off on a long journey. The Bible account is fascinating to read. Five times in Genesis 24 we find Eliezer searching for success in his mission.
Eliezer knew exactly where to find the recipe for success. It was in the hands of the Lord. He knew God holds the keys to success so he went to the Lord in prayer. “Oh, Lord,” he prayed, “give me success today.” God answered his prayer in finding the wonderful wife Rebekah.
True success is not found in books, or on computer monitors. True success is not measured in things but in peace of mind and heart. We find true success only when we place ourselves in God’s loving hands. Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33).
Eliezer’s trip was a success because he relied on the Lord’s will and prayed for his help. Eliezer knew that every blessing comes from the Father who created them. We should never feel ashamed to ask God to help us be a successful parent, student, or businessperson. Proverbs 16:3 (NLT) says it well: “Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.”
Don’t try to succeed without Christ.
From The Gift of Prayer