THE STRUGGLES OF PRAYER
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when hesaw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. (Genesis 32:24-28)
Jacob wrestled with God until God changed him. Not only did God change his name from Jacob to Israel, which means “prince with God” or “power with God,” but God also changed Jacob’s walk, by wrenching his hip.
A popular expression in Christian circles is: “Prayer changes things.” The truth, however, is that God changes things. Granted, He may do it through prayer, but it is still His power and not our prayers that are truly transformative. When it comes to God changing things through our prayers, the main thing He changes is ourselves. Nothing makes a bigger difference in our Christian walk than time spent in our prayer closets.
According to Genesis 32:31-32, Jacob limped away from his prevailing with God in prayer. He never walked the same again. In addition, his descendants, the people of Israel, never again ate the sinew of the hip. Notice, along with changing him for good, Jacob’s prevailing with God in prayer also resulted in God changing others for good.
Nothing is used by God to make a bigger difference in our lives and the lives of others than prevailing prayer. Consequently, the absence of change in our lives and churches is traceable to the lack of prevailing prayer in our prayer closets and prayer meetings. Until we get serious about prayer, we need not expect things to change.
“I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God; it changes me." (C. S. Lewis)
Don Walton
|