So far, we have explored some aspects of Biblical prayer against the backdrop of the false notions that prayer is an office and a gift for special people…not true,

…that God only speaks to His prophets, not to all His children…not true,

…that prayer is about lengthy times of wrestling to get answers from a reluctant God…not true!

Now let’s explore what the Bible says specifically about “wrestling” in prayer.

Nowhere does the Bible teach us that prayer is about wrestling with God. On the contrary, Jesus taught His disciples that,

Luke 18:7-8 NIV
[7] “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? [8] I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Our Father is not reluctant to give us anything within the boundaries of His promises. He releases everything we need to us as we affirm His promises with a hearty “amen”, not a lengthy begging and pleading or explanations and instructions.

Matthew 6:7-8 NIV
[7] “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Prayer is also not about wrestling with the devil. Jesus did this for us at the cross. He exposed the lies that Satan uses to enslave us, the broken law and its penalties. He paid the debt for our sin and set us free from Satan’s power to live by His Spirit in us.

Contrary to the ides that Paul was addressing this kind of wrestling in Ephesians 6…

Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV
[10] “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. [11] Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. [12] For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

What is this struggle in which we are to stand firm? It’s not a fight! It’s a determined occupation of the truths on which we stand, against the enemy who use lies and deception to throw us off balance. It’s God’s Word that assures us of who we are, whose we are, and His salvation from sin and its power. Hence the emphasis is that we are guarded and protected by truth which operates in our minds and spirits.

Paul uses the same argument in 2 Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV
[3] “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. [4] The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. [5] We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

The real struggle in life is not a struggle with powers outside of us but with the battle within, not only to survive but to reign over our own unruly hearts. Our greatest battle is not against people, circumstances, or the devil but against the evil desires that rage within us. Prayer is about overcoming the obstacles to real faith, the fleshly appetites and desires that shadow our every thought and move.

Galatians 5:16-17 NIV
[16] “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”

Herein lies our wrestling, learning to surrender, to submit, and to entrust our lives and circumstance to the perfect will of a loving Father. You see, until we submit to the Father in our darkest hours, our spirits will rise up in rebellion against the people who offend us, the constant injustices we face when our will clashes with the will of others, and even the circumstances that cause our struggle and over which we have no control. The flesh will demand revenge. Our desires will promote self above others. We will demand our own will above God’s will, even questioning His love and wisdom when stuff happens.

We will disqualify ourselves from receiving God’s answers because His passion for submission and trust clashes with our fierce independence. His will is to recreate us in the image of His Son, not to restore our comfort and ease, and to develop faith and persverence against all odds, not to give us our own way. Our will demands that our wants be satisfied. God’s will is that we submit to His discipline.

What do you make of this verse?

Colossians 4:12 NIV
[12] “Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”

It seems that Epaphras, a fellow believer in the Colossians church, understood the nature of this wrestling, and identified with this church in his prayers for them. He wrestled, not with God or with the devil, but for them!

Can you see the difference? He understood that the sinful nature rebels against submission and obedience to God’s will. So, his prayers were directed towards victory over that struggle which would free the Colossian believers from the ravage ofcl self to become strong and mature by fully embracing God’s will. Perhaps, in this battle for their spiritual growth, he identified with their struggle, knowing and understanding the war that raged in his own heart.

To be continued…