Prayer: Wrestling in Prayer

What sin keeps you from doing the will of God? Have you let some good work deprive you of the perfect will of God? Do invading thoughts sap your energy to do His will? Doesn't doubt make us wonder if we can do His will? Undue concern for personal needs blind us to the greater need. The ultimate prayer struggle centers in the will of God.

Individuals whom God has called to prepare for ministry come to our Bible college and think it will be a four-year revival. Some become disillusioned because it is a struggle. No place is immune from the struggle. We face the opponents of sin, doubt, work, and selfishiness wherever we go. But in every place we can also face God and stand firm in His will.

How can we stand firm in all the will of God and know the victory of dynamic prayer? Three clues are offered for help in the struggle. First, the struggle of prayer finds victory in the context of community. "Epaphras who is one of you," reminds us of the need of a strong fellowship with other Christians. Prayer partners and corporate prayer strengthen us for the struggle.

A second clue is "a servant of Christ Jesus." A life surrendered to Jesus has less trouble with prayer. Jesus is eagerly sought. Every prayer should begin with surrender to Jesus -- not my will but thine be done. Does Jesus rule your life? Jesus asks some things of us that our community of faith will never require. As a servant of Jesus every sin can have His forgiveness, every thought can be made captive to Christ, and each doubt overcome by faith.

The third clue is "always wrestling in prayer." Keep on praying! The pastor who baptized me said, "pray until you pray." When sin accuses you, turn it over to Christ. When work pressures you, keep praying. When thoughts invade, pray them into the captivity of Christ. When doubt creeps up, boldly and faithfully go again to the throne of grace. Pin the opponents again and again.

The gain is worth the pain. The result is worth the struggle. And what is that result? You will stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

1. People Weekly, March 23, 1992.

2. L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables (Pleasantville, NY: The Reader's Digest Association, 1992), p. 65.

3. Montgomery, p. 69.