about wrestling in prayer

There can be a misconception about times of prayer. The Lord needs us to be in prayer regardless of how we feel physically, emotionally, or spiritually. There are times of prayer when we must have the spirit of a warrior for there are times when we distinctly do no feel like praying. In some person's lives, if they waited until they felt "good" to come to God in prayer, they might never pray, for they are in battles of various kinds all the time.

What God wants when we pray is effort. If we are in a state of physical, emotional, or spiritual hardship we must still pray in spite of the hardship. The Lord wants us to wrestle with those things that keep us apart from Him. The Lord wants us to never shrink back from sending up prayers and petitions no matter what the cost might be to us, because the Lord loves the person who is a warrior…a prayer warrior battling against the dark forces. Adversity of many kinds tries to kill the spirit of prayer but we must not shrink back. When attacked by the dark forces we must come to the Lord with a humble heart. If we face physical pain in our prayer time we must push on and surely know the Lord understands our difficulties. If we are faced with threats or punishments that distract us from being with our Lord in spirit and in truth, we can extend our hand to Christ while we speak to Him…and He will help us.

When we do not receive answers we feel we so desperately need, we must persevere and keep calling upon the Lord to touch our heart and enable us to do His will and not our own. When it seems that we are out of contact with the Lord and we are only speaking to ourselves when we pray, we must seek His healing love. When we seek His healing love, we must open our hearts to His overflowing hope…an overflowing hope that fills the silence. In all ways and in all times we must remember the power of His hand brings love, compassion, and mercy.