PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER: WRESTLING WITH GOD

Photo CR: Megan Brooks

Persistent Prayer Series: Part I
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When we think about wrestling, we often think about such activities as the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). Or friends horse playing around to outdo one another. Rarely do we give consideration or allude to wrestling concerning our emotions. Or even us as an individual, wrestling with God.
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The mere thought of getting into a battle or a wrestling match with God is absurd. Nevertheless, this is exactly what some of us need to do. Let me first explain where I am going with this by sharing a Biblical account and then try to tie that back in with my main point about persisting in prayer. 
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Persistence for the victory

When we read Genesis chapter 32, verses 22 and 32, we see a lot of important events taking place with Jacob. Let’s look at these verses and then get into our discussion.
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Genesis 32:22-32 reads
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Wrestling with god - And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

So He said to him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Jacob.”

And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”

And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.
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So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.
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We see in verse 24 that Jacob engaged in a wrestling match with a man (v.24). During the battle, this man touched Jacob’s hip socket and it caused Jacob’s socket to temporarily dislocate itself (v.25). And yet, Jacob still refused to let him go. Why? Because Jacob wanted this man to bless him (v.26). So in v.28, finally, after they have wrestled all night. Just before daybreak, the man asked Jacob what is his name. It was at this point that Jacob’s name was changed from Jacob to Israel – because Israel (Jacob) fought or struggled against God, and won (prevailed) (v.28).
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Imagine that! A mere man won a battle, a struggle against God’s authorized representative. Resulting in the man blessing Israel (v.29). And from that very day, Israel walked with a limp because the angel had dislocated Israel’s hip socket during their struggle (vv.31-32). 
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why the name change from jacob to israel
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Israel's former name Jacob [H3290 (Ya’ăqōb)] meant “heel holder” or “supplanter”. Time will not permit here to explain this part of Israel’s name. But we need to understand when God changed Israel’s name from Jacob to Israel, which means “Prince of God”, it was a very significant strategic move on God’s part concerning Jacob and his future.

Also, we need to keep in mind the name change was not so that Jacob would forget or abandon his former name for the new name that God consecrated him with. Jacob was not to forget who he was or where he came from that was represented by his former name.

Jacob’s old name denoted a dishonorable part of his former lifestyle. Therefore, the new name God gave Jacob through His angel was a symbolic gesture associated with Israel's change of heart, mind, and spiritual condition.  It represented the new man he had become – a man who is now sanctified and devout in character to God and the things of God.
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I personally can relate to the significance of such a dramatic change on God’s part to take concerning those He has called for special assignments. For in November 2019, He too changed my legal name to establish a significant change and turning point in my life similar to Israel. 

Photo CR: Image taken from Newford Ministries' archives

Just as my birth name carries a unique distinction and difference from any other common name. So too, the new name that was given to me by God. In my 52 years of life, I have only encountered 1 person with the same spelling as my first name. But no one pronounces their first name the same as mine anywhere on this earth. No one. Interestingly, there is a similar distinction with the name God has given me in the Spirit to my legal first name. I don’t know why this is the case. I don’t even know what the name God has given me actually means. But like any other name in the Hebrew culture – one’s name carries a lot of weight. It also reflects the significant meaning surrounding one’s life, their life path, and even describes their relationship with God.
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Here's another interesting fact between Jacob’s name change by God and mine that are similar. We both had to wrestle with God. Now my wrestling with God back between 2018 and 2019 compared to Jacob’s was for different reasonings and served a different purpose. But the outcome was the same. WE BOTH PREVAILED. Again, imagine that! Wrestling with God and winning. Jacob did. And I did. Therefore, so can you. And if you have not wrestled with God – you need to. 
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Injury during spiritual battle

Let’s not overlook the fact that this man Jacob was wrestling with not just any man, but an angel of the LORD. After Jacob, in his travels, helped his wives and his family safely cross a river, Jacob felt a need to get away privately to commune with God to express his concerns and fears to the LORD in prayer. It was during Jacob’s intense prayer time that he encountered the angel of the LORD and engaged in this wrestling match with God’s angelic officer. This angel and Jacob engaged in a hand to hand combat. It was Jacob’s strength, power, and wit against this spiritual creature. During this battle with this strong angel, Jacob pleads for one thing. What was that? For this angel to bless him.

Jacob was carrying a lot of responsibilities up to this point in his life and they all were weighing on him. So much so that he felt it was worth confronting and battling with God to help bring about a peaceful resolution to his emotional stress and anxieties. He needed to know that God would bless him through it all. To ensure this blessing, Jacob was willing to fight a fight that he knew under normal circumstances he could not win. Nevertheless, he was persistent and endured to ensure his victory.

Jacob stood his ground. And although it was a struggle, he came out victorious against God’s angel. Jacob did not let the power nor the anointing of this angel kept him from obtaining what he felt rightfully belonged to him. The angel could have easily taken Jacob out. But Jacob was determined to not be shaken nor be silent by this angel.

Although Jacob put up a good fight, the angel displayed his pure strength and ability by simply touching Jacob’s hip socket. Resulting in Jacob’s socket disjointing itself. The angel of the LORD was making a point to Jacob by doing this. That this was insanity on his part to keep on pursuing a battle that Jacob actually could not and should not actually win. But this did not deter Jacob. He continued his pursuit against God. For he was determined to receive his blessing from God.

Now we have to be mindful that all this wrestling with God started from Jacob positioning himself to pray to God about his concerns and fears. His prayer time became so intense that it caused or triggered an angel of the LORD to appear before him. When Jacob saw the angel of the LORD, he saw an opportunity to gain God’s favor. But he soon realized he was going to have to fight, or wrestle to gain that favor.
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Today, many of our circumstances are no different than Jacob’s. Some of us need to position ourselves during our prayer time with God and invite God into our personal wrestle match. We need to challenge God in order to gain His favor and to become victorious in our walk with Christ. For life will present before us situations where we too must set aside time to have intense conversations with God. And when it does, we need to be persistent in our prays to gain God’s favor. This may require on our part to take God on as did Jacob. We may need to wrestle with God in order to obtain our victory. But we must be mindful that sometimes in our wrestling we may be injured. That injury can leave a very noticeable limp like Jacob’s. But like Jacob, we can limp away knowing we not only wrestled with God for God to bless us concerning our future endeavors. But we can also win. We can prevail against a mighty angel of the LORD to obtain favor with God.