Vayashev

“God does not stand afar off as I struggle to speak. He cares enough to listen with more than casual attention. He translates my scrubby words and hears what is truly inside. He hears my sighs and uncertain gropings as fine prose.” ~Timothy Jones

Avinu Malkeinu,

Thank you for showing me how favoritism can cause division among our children. Teach me how to be equitable, to encourage their strengths, speak life into them, and foster an environment of peace that nurtures hope and unity, so they can be close without competing for love and attention.

I love that you speak to some of us in dreams, and I pray that we exercise wisdom in deciding whether to keep our conversations with You to ourselves or to share them to build up the faith of others, without instigating jealousy or envy. Help us to always give credit to You and Your Spirit for insight, wisdom, and understanding, like Joseph.

Again and every day, help us to steer clear of deceit and to avoid setting off a domino effect of hiding, shame, and more lies. Teach us practical ways to respond to malicious intentions with compassion and integrity-such as speaking truth gently, praying for our enemies, and seeking reconciliation-so we can turn harmful intentions into opportunities for healing and growth.

Thank you for teaching us how to be ‘wise as serpents’, like Tamar, when dealing with injustice. Thank you for defending her in her predicament with Judah, for giving him the strength to take accountability, and for blessing her actions with life, justice, and validation. As we learn from Tamar and Joseph, fill us with deep understanding and empathy so we never shame others. Help us always to seek ways to cover those in our lives with love, knowing that shame is the heaviest burden to carry and does not produce life.

As the third day symbolizes salvation, deliverance, new life, sustenance, victory, and justice in the Bible, thank you for bringing Pharaoh’s butler, Joseph’s brothers, and Yeshua up from the pit, from darkness into light, from slavery to sovereignty, from suffering to serving, from death to life, on the third day.

Help us to see the blessing in every trial we face, to recognize that every season of suffering ends in strength and power. May we endure the dark times with the hope that there is joy in the morning if we learn, grow, and persevere through the night. Remind us of every glimmering star that You have placed in those dark seasons to give us enough light to find our way through. Help us to have the trust and faith of Joseph, who, at every injustice and evil he faced, possibly said, “This too is for my good.”

Love,
Brianna