peniel in the bible Peniel: A place of encounter with God

Peniel: A place of encounter with God

Text: Genesis 32:22-30

Key Verse: Genesis 32:30, “So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared,” (NIV).

Peniel is a place of meeting with God. Jacob encounter with God at Peniel is very significant because it brought about a divine shift in his life, thus, Peniel is a place of divine shift. The Bible says in Genesis 32:25, “…He touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket” (NLT). Jacob’s spiritual life was totally transformed and shifted as a result of the penile encounter with God. God touched his hip and it pulled out of its socket. Peniel is a place where you are alone with God. Memorable times may come into our lives when we, like Jacob, are “left alone” (v.24). Jacob instructed his wives, his eleven sons and his entire household to go across the ford of the river Jabbok. Then Jacob sent across all his possessions (v.23), his goats, ewes, rams, camels, cows, bulls and donkeys in two or three herds shepherded by all his servants.

All of them had disappeared into the darkness across the river Jabbok and Jacob was left utterly alone. Everything that was dear to him was on the other side of the river and Jacob was by himself without possessions, without wives, without family. Jacob was running away from his brother, Esau and was afraid he will kill him having deceitfully taken his brother’s birth right. That was the reason of sending away all his earthly possessions including his wife so that Esau will not kill all of them at the same time. But Jacob came to a point he had to confront his past and asked himself, how long will I continue to run away from my brother?

He was alone with God to deal with issues confronting his life and he prayed that God should deliver him from the hands of his brother. He wrestled with God until God blessed him. Are there issues confronting your life and are there challenging situation in your life you want God to change? Is there any area of your life that you need divine shift? If your answer is yes, then I invite you to come to Peniel, a place of alone with God. I promise you that your life shall never remain the same after Peniel encounter. Jacob had a testimony after Peniel encounter with God. God changed his name from Jacob to Israel (Genesis 32:28). His situations turned around for good and his life experienced a divine shift. Jacob called the place of his encounter with God “Peniel”.

You must learn to go on personal retreats and have a quiet time with God during challenging times. Peniel affords you that holy atmosphere. You need to retire at some points in your life so as to be able to refire. At the age of 40, the eagle realises that it is old because the feathers are no longer fluffy. At this stage of the eagle’s life, it flies to high mountain and stay there for seven (7) months to rejuvenate. Within the 7 months, the eagle goes through a period of pain, shedding off weight and growing new feathers. After this process of 7 months, the eagle lives for another 30 years. A personal retreat affords you the opportunity to review and renew your strategies. It refreshes you and helps you to renew your strength.

Umn ministry