May the mumbling commence!
Welcome to the WPWF (The World Prayer Wrestling Federation). Have you ever thought of prayer as wrestling – a strenuous activity? If you haven’t, ask Jacob. Jacob wrestled with God on the banks of the Jabbok. Jacob would not let God go until God blessed him (Genesis 32:24-30). Maybe we should wrestle more often for our blessings. Maybe we would appreciate our blessings more that way. Maybe we would be more likely to use the graces that God has given us through Jesus Christ. I invite you to read to example of prayer from Paul’s letter to the Colossian church:
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (1:9-12)
Growing in our knowledge of God is more than academic. Growing in the knowledge of God through the Holy Spirit means living a transformed life worthy of God, bearing fruit in every good work, and being strengthened by God to have great endurance and patience. It is no wonder that giving thanks to God would be so joyful! Through this active waiting, we are qualified by God to share in the inheritance of the saints in the coming kingdom of light. Praise be to God! It is worth wrestling for… as you will see in the passage from Colossians below:
My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. 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. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. (4:10-15)
Indeed prayer is an active sport. Epaphras wrestled in prayer for the Christians in the Colossian area. He worked hard alongside his prayer to be sure that the people of this area would stand firm in all the will of God and that they would reach full maturity in Christ with full assurance. Praying as a last resort?!? Many Christians speak of prayer in this way. Sometimes I catch myself doing the same. Prayer is powerful with the might of the Lord. Prayer is a first resort – at all times.
Prayer can transform relationships gone awry. Look to the personal words of Paul about Mark and Barnabas – the two men that went separate ways in mission because of Mark. Now Paul is speaking well of both men and exhorting the Colossian church to welcome and care for them if they come to visit.
The power of prayer is not diminished today. So, let’s pray for one another and for our communities as we wait in this season of Advent. And neither prayer nor waiting is passive. Pray and wait with strenuous action to look and see the answers that God will provide for our prayers. God’s answers will not always come as we ask them. Sometimes God answers our prayers even better than we can ask or imagine.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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