Lesson 20 Warring Against Our Flesh - Pray!
Questions 3 and 4
Perhaps you wonder what I mean by earnest prayer. There is a way to pray for freedom, with such earnestness and intensity, that we might feel like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed so intensely His sweat was like drops of blood. We need this kind of spiritual fervor, this white-hot passion in prayer.
In addition to being very serious in prayer, we also need another critical element that Jesus taught us in prayer -perseverance! Notice a few examples of this:
Jacob wrestled all night with God saying, "I will not let you go unless you bless me!" (Genesis 32:26). Jacob prevailed and was blessed with a new name. That night, Jacob, the deceiver, became Israel, the overcomer! In Jacob's case, there was a physical latching on and grappling to be endured, but it is spiritual for us. Paul wrote, "I...take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12) This taking hold is where you will get your victory too, friend, through wrestling with God in prayer.
Question 3. What can we learn about prayer from considering Jacob’s night of wrestling with God?
If you have not found freedom from gluttony, then learn how to wrestle! Latch on to God in prayer! Take hold of Him! Tell Him that you are going to hold on to Him and not let Him go until He blesses you with an effective plan for freedom, and the spiritual power to implement it!
In Luke 11:5-7, Jesus told a parable of a man that went to his friend at midnight to get some bread, but the friend was in bed and didn’t want to get up to give him the bread. But notice the point of Jesus’ parable: “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence and boldness he will get up and give him whatever he needs” (Luke 11:8 AMP).