Heart Prayer

Genesis 24:45"Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'

This is from that delightful account of Abraham's servant who set out to find a wife for Isaac. First the whole sequence of events happens: the servant heads for the old hometown in the old country, parks the camels by a well, and prays for God to send Isaac's wife along. And she soon appears, beautiful cousin Rebekah. As things fall into place, the servant bows down to worship God, right in the middle of unfolding events. The verse above comes along as he recounts the entire story to Rebekah's brother Laban, including the prayer for God to let him know he had found Isaac's wife. He specifies to Laban that he was praying in his heart, maybe to emphasize that the answer was from God. He hadn't influenced Rebekah with an audible prayer. To her he had merely appeared a traveller with ten thirsty camels, and God moved her to offer water.
An offer of water...very interesting. That happens now and then, too, doesn't it...all the way through the Bible, up to Jesus offering water to a woman. Water, symbol for the Spirit, for salvation, for life. The servant asks God for an offer of water, to take the guesswork out of his quest, and God graciously gives it. God wants us to have direction... and it helps if we're always praying from the heart...