“The man bowed low in homage to the Lord.” Genesis 24:26
Here we have the Servant of Abraham recognizing and acknowledging the obvious movement of God in the tide of the affairs of men. (Some translations say “he bowed his head.” Whether he knelt, or bowed his head, “bowed low” expresses an attitude of the heart, not of the knee). The servant not only made a request of God, he also offered a prayer of gratitude once his request had been granted.
Prayers expressing gratitude are among the highest levels of prayer. Anyone can petition God (or people). The finest individuals are those who express gratitude after their request is fulfilled. It is almost impossible to overstate the power of gratitude. It is at the root of both goodness and happiness. Ungrateful people cannot be either good or happy. Indeed, such people are most often both bad and unhappy.
Paraphrased from The Rational Bible: Genesis, Prager
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