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--February 22 2017--

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Wrestling With God

Genesis 32:22-30 NIV
That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”




Wrestling as defined by dictionary.com 

noun 1. a sport in which two opponents struggle hand to hand in order to pin or press each other's shoulders to the mat or ground, with the style, rules, and regulations differing widely in amateur and professional matches. 

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in wrestling.
2. to contend, as in a struggle for mastery; grapple: to wrestle with one's conscience.
verb (used with object)
3. to contend with in wrestling.
4. to force by or as if by wrestling.
5. to throw (a calf or other animal) for branding.
noun
6. an act of or a bout at wrestling.
7. a struggle.

Wrestling brings to mind the thought of force into our prayers. We need to pray aggressively and wrestle with stubborn issues that the enemy has brought into our lives. We also need to wrestle with God for the blessings we desire. God will give them to us if they line up with His perfect will. 

Seek, Ask & Knock.

Wrestling is an orderly sport and our God is orderly in manner so that would bring us to believe that our prayers should be orderly. What is this order we are to follow, or the rules we are to follow? First we need to acknowledge that God is Creator and Jesus is His Son, then we need to repent of our sins or we will not be heard. 
Acts 3:19 NIV 
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

Obey the Lord!! We need to obey the voice of the Lord and do as He asks us.
Deuteronomy 30:10 NLT 
The LORD your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.

We need to pray all kinds of prayers in all kinds of ways. A wrestler has many different moves he can make in a match, yet often he is prone to a specific style or group of moves that works for him, but if he is wise and well trained he will throw in a move that is not of his routine in order to throw off his opponent. So with that thought, routine is important for us in praying and what good athlete can get by without training? None. We need to pray and pray building our spiritual discipline focusing on God's Word and what He desires of His children. 
 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV 
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
 Ephesians 6:18 NIV 
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.

Are you wrestling with God over things? I encourage you to keep on pressing in and don't give up. If you are not receiving an answer make sure your heart is in alignment with God's will and then maybe what is needed is a change of prayer pattern from the stalemate you are in.

Blessings,
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9 comments:

  1. Hi Sweetie,
    Well, this is certainly a new perspective ( to me at least) on a way to have a more effective prayer life! I remember wrestling with my brother when I was a kid...It always made us laugh and brought us closer. I can certainly see how God would like to see us really want what He has to give...The Lord has been showing me lately that He desires me to prosper and have good health (3John:2), but he would like for me to participate in these blessing a bit more in order to recieve them!
    ~God bless~ ((hugs))~ Lisa

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    1. Hi Lisa,
      Wrestling with God in prayer is a new perspective with me too and when I looked up the meaning of the word wrestling, I was impressed with it meaning. I wasn't looking at prayer as something to struggle, or force with but to ask. But when I looked at Jacob and how he wrestled with God all night long it dawned on me that yes, we are, sometimes, to wrestle with God over things. There sure is a lot to learn isn't there? :)

      Father wants to bless us and He has bountiful blessings for all who seek Him and chase after Him. He desires for us to be whole and physically healthy, but His desire for our spiritual health is even more important to Him. Our physical bodies one day will be gone, but our spiritual self will live on for eternity and this is what He wants healthy.

      LOVE the word verification!! That's awesome! Do you think He really is speaking to you? I do!!

      Blessings sister,
      <><

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  2. BTW: Thw word verification on that last comment I made was Fthwnts (Father wants)?

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  3. Hi child of God,
    yes He strengthens us and teaches us to overcome in a most amazing way, by using His word to encourage us to persist. We must not give up and must take all thoughts into captivity that would try to tell us that the promises of God are not 'yes' in Jesus. I know that everything works together for good for those who love God, and it is not coincidence that the word verification on Never Forsaken's comment is positively confirming your post. God can speak through anything, a person, an ass and even word verification. Praise His lovely name. I have had this happen to me too. God bless you.

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    1. Hi Brenda,
      The strengthening process hurts. My daughter has had a long time off of physical work but now, since her university courses have ended, she is working on the farm picking rocks. She has done two days of hard, physical labour and she is sore!! This makes me think about how Father is strengthening us in His Word through trials and such and the process hurts us spiritual but not in a bad way. I know very soon my daughters body will heal and she will be strong and fit in no time at all and will be able to do more work. God knows what He is doing by drawing us into spiritual wrestling matches with Him, He is training us. :)

      Yes!! Father wants!! He wants us to pursue Him, seeking His glorious face and run after His ways.

      Blessings sister thanks for always encouraging me.
      <><

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  4. Hi Child of God,
    Prayer is most important, and yet often neglected. Thank you for this encouragement to pray and may God bless you,
    Ken

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    1. Hi Ken,
      If we don't pray we are sinning. 1 Samuel 12:23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.
      Right now, I am really being taught how vital it is to pray for others and ourselves.

      Blessings brother,
      <><

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