Dysfunctional families – do you know any? You don’t have to look far to find homes in turmoil: divorces, absentee parents, sins of all kinds. American homes are in a mess, and that mess carries into communities, municipalities, and states. Even the current Congress has been called one of the most dysfunctional in history. Their relationship with the president is no better. High levels of tension result.

Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her.

Genesis 30:22

The patriarch Jacob’s home shows that dysfunction was present even (and often) among biblical heroes. His original sister-wives were envious of one another, each considering that Jacob cared more for her, and each wondering if God cared…or if He even listened to their prayers. Tension reigned supreme. Someone has said that God’s delay is not God’s denial. You see from today’s verse that God did hear; moreover, He acted.

When you come before the Lord today, pray for the families you know where lives are topsy-turvy to the point of dysfunction. Intercede as well for local and state governments where tensions permeate. Then call upon God on behalf of the United States Congress and for President Obama, knowing that God listens, cares, and acts in His perfect timing.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 102:1-12