The King's Church in Ilford
The following is the text of the talk given on 11th October 2009 by Georges Kisombola
"Wrestling in Prayer"
Reading: Colossians 4:12-13
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you (Striving for you), that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I bear him Testimony that he is working hard (had labored hard) for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Today, I have been compelled to preach about Wrestling in Prayer. Praying is hard work.
God gives us authority in prayer but there are many necessities of life that we allow to hinder what we do with prayer.
Laziness hinders prayer, Unspiritual attitudes hinder prayer, Carnal lifestyles hinder prayer, Spiritual warfare hinders prayer.
But in the grand scheme of things, we must pray to be effective in the Kingdom of God.
Because spiritual warfare is unrelenting, we must pray.
Because the days are evil, we must pray.
Because revival demands it, we must pray.
Because our families are protected by it, we must pray.
Because spiritual authority comes through it, we must pray.
Because it is a powerful weapon, we must pray.
Prayer is hard work! We cannot simply decide to pray. . . . we have to pray! We must labor in our praying.
Andrew Murray wrote this: We have far too little conception of the place of that intercession, as distinguished from prayer for ourselves, ought to have in the Church and in Christian life. In intercession our king upon the throne finds His highest glory too. Through it He continues His saving work and can do nothing without it. Through it alone we can do our work, and nothing avails without it… where we work more than we pray, the presence and the power of God are not seen in our work as we wish.
Another one called Arthur Mathews wrote in "Born For Battle" -- Prayer was never meant to be incidental to the work of God. It is the work of God…in all work for God; prayer is the working power of all that God could do through His people.
A great need of our world is to prevail in prayer!
Note in Acts 6: 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
Then notice the results of their efforts in prayer…
Acts 6:7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
This was Epaphras…He was always wrestling in prayer for his congregation. (Colosians1:7, Colosians 4:12, Philemon 1:23)
We are introduced to a man in Colossians that is frankly very obscure in the New Testament writings. In fact he is mentioned only three times. Twice in Colossians and once in Philemon. His name never enters the account of the Acts of the Apostles.
Epaphras' character was minor league. . . . His role was major league. He was a man who was willing to forget the identity factor and was willing to be lost in the task of praying for the church. He was willing to be forgotten for the cause of the Cross. Epaphras is Little known in the earth but well known in Heaven.
He spent his hours and his days prevailing in prayer. He was a comrade of Paul's. He was an Ephesian convert but his native land was Colosse. So when the call of expending ministry came to him, he became the pastor of the church there. He was a praying pastor and because of his concern for the church at Colosse he spent much time wrestling in prayer. He was a Servant.
A Servant
That is a noble title given to Epaphras… A servant of Christ. He was a bond-slave of the Kingdom. Servants have no rights and they have no choices in the direction of their life. One might ask what a servant looks like.
There are no mistaken thoughts when one comes into the presence of a true servant of the Lord.
They will look like a humble Joshua or Elisha who served their mentors.
They will bear the fragrance of the myrrh, aloes, and frank incense that has come with much suffering.
They will bear the aroma of the incense that comes from the altars of prayer.
They will have scars from the pruning processes of life that have made them more productive.
They will have to pour out the pure olive oil that came from the crushing of the will.
They will have to spend time in caves running from the mad kings that are intent on destroying them.
They will have to spend time humbling "self" under the hand of God.
They will have to endure much in the process of God adding things to their lives.
However, the focus of this particular message is not so much about being a servant but it is about being a wrestler and laborer.
A Laborer
Another description is also given to Epaphras. He was always laboring fervently in his praying.
The word, laboring, opens up volumes about who Epaphras really was. When Paul entered this description of Epaphras, it was like dropping a huge diamond against a backdrop of black velvet.
It means to struggle, to fight, to strive.
Literally it gives the connotation of competing for a prize.
Figuratively it means to contend with an adversary.
This word indicates that there is a location, a place, a setting where a battle is going to take place.
Great wrestling in prayer will require expenditures of time, of strength, and of commitment. He who will wrestle in prayer will alternate between wrestling and weeping… and weeping and wrestling.
Wrestling in prayer will cost you sleep.
Wrestling in prayer will consume some tears.
Wrestling in prayer will demand that you change.
Wrestling in prayer will leave you in great loneliness (because much is accomplished in private prayer).
Wrestling in prayer will set you apart from the world, from your friends, and from your comforts.
Epaphras was willing to have his mind, his spirit, his soul stretched in prayer. Every fiber in his soul was injured but he found much fruit in this kind of wrestling in prayer. He was worried over Laodecia, he was concerned for Heirapolis, and he was sacrificing in prayer for Colosse.
This word has another meaning that gives one more aspect that further defined who Epaphras was and what he was about.
It is a verb and it gives the indication that one is lead, pushed, driven, forced, induced, or carried to. There is that impelling pull of the force of prayer that can bring us to that place of wrestling in prayer!
Our generation wants to be eased of pain-God wants to transform that pain. The pain is what compels us to the place of prayer. Instead of allowing the painful situations of life to control us we must let the pain press us into the place of prayer. There is a depth of ministry of prayer that will be found when we are pushed into the place of prayer.
LET US DRAW FROM CHRIST IN GETHSEMANE
Gethsemane was the place of the olive press. It appears that Gethsemane had a certain comfortable and restful air about it. But the peace of the garden was about to be so disrupted by the most intense prayer that was ever prayed in the history of the world. Jesus' prayer. There are certain characteristics of "struggling" prayers:
They shatter the peacefulness of our surroundings.
They usher in pain and agony to the careful order of life.
They battle with our will.
They disrupt the meticulously groomed paths that we travel.
They sharply confront the production of our own ideas.
They are marked by urgency and intensity.
I would say that the problem we face is not the pain…Our problem may be the prayerlessness. Epaphras determined that he would strive for those in his spiritual care in the place of prayer.
Some say 'where are the miracles?'. . . I ask where is a laborer.
Some say 'where is the power?' . . . I ask where is the agony in prayer.
Some say 'where are the signs?' . . . I ask where are the olive presses of sacrifice.
Some say 'where is God?'… I answer: 'He has been forsaken in the labor of prayer.'
Brothers and sisters let me talk a bit about The Emotions of Prayer
The word "prayer" is found 114 times in the Bible, the word "pray" is found 313 times in the Bible. When you look into the context of the times that these two words are mentioned, one finds that much emotion will be poured out in prayer.
Crying out in prayer.
Prayer and fear.
Prayer and pleading.
Prayer and commitment.
Prayer and tears.
Prayer and desire.
Prayer and hunger.
Prayer and vision.
Prayer and grief.
Prayer and great cause.
Prayers of repentance.
Prayers of worship.
Prayers for glory.
Praying for power.
Praying for understanding.
Praying for wisdom.
Praying for guidance.
Prayer and sacrifice.
Prayer at night.
Prayer through the night.
Prayer and watching.
Praying with thanksgiving.
Praying in supplication.
Prayer in the morning.
Prayer and sacrifice.
Praying in unity.
Continually given to prayer.
Prayer without ceasing.
Prayer and demonic opposition.
Instant in prayer.
Prayer and fasting.
Effectual and fervent prayer.
There are many other situations and concerns that we find in association with prayer and praying in the Word. Paul was quite open when he began to tell us that our prayers would be accompanied at times with some very unreasonable things.
Tears.
Afflictions.
Difficulties.
Spiritual opposition.
Human obstacles.
Hindrances within.
Distractions without.
Pain.
Anguish of heart.
A mind that would be troubled.
If we are to be effective in prayer, it probably will be ushered in by an emotion that we may not want to embrace.
Where are the modern day Epaphras?
Our quick-fix generation has become so consumed with self that very little prayer is consumed on the needs of others. This is a challenge to us leaders. This is a challenge to you life group leaders. This is a challenge to you heads of families. This is a challenge to you all brothers and sisters. We need some leaders who are pray-ers!
Prevailing apostles produce prayer warriors. It is time that those of us who lead prevail in prayers in order to see a community of prayerful warriors to arise.
I will confess that I have not been praying enough as I ought to. How is your prayer life? Is it like mine? Is it like Epaphras?
These are challenging but necessary questions.
More than anything in life I have hunger to know Jesus better, to spend time with him in prayer and to see an apostolic power and passion arise among us.
May the Lord Jesus help us to navigate these treacherous times and pour on us the Gifts of the Spirit so that we may not labor following our own shallow charisma. But we may labor in prayer pulled, pushed and induced by the will to pray.
