Growing Closer to God Pt 36
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As we continue through our journey of Romans we come to where Paul speaks against Anti-semitism. Going through Paul tells them about their debt to the Jewish people. We aren’t going to spend a lot of time on this but please understand anti-semitism or Christians against Jews is an anti-biblical state. Paul states that the Christian church owe the Jews their work and prayers as well as their monetary assistance. In Paul’s day when Jews Became Christians they lost everything including their homes and their farms. They had to start over. Today we don’t see this, but our duty is no different to the nonChristian than to the Jew.
This brings us to the main point of our verse this morning.
Romans 15:30
I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,
The word strive here isn’t just a struggle with, but rather could be likened to wrestling with. The Idea is Paul is asking them to wrestle with God in prayer so that he may further the gospel.
I believe we need to do this as a church. God has been pressing on my heart that we need to be in continual prayer for the church. Not just a few prayers, but rather wrestling with God.
We see this Idea of Wrestling when Jacob wrestled with God
Genesis 32:22
The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had.
And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.
When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.
Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”
Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him.
God had promised to bless Jacob once before at Bethel. In God promised to bless Jacob with Material things and God has. This wrestling and blessing has nothing to do with monetary blessing. I believe God wants to financially bless his people, but we don’t wrestle with God over finances.
Paul didn’t ask Rome to wrestle in prayer that he may find wealth, but rather Paul asked the Romans to wrestle with God that he may spread the gospel.
Jacob wrestled with people his whole life—people tried to stop the call on Joshua’s life his entire life. From Esau, to Isaac, Labana, and even Jacob’s own wives. Jacob wrestled with people. It’s no surprise that God came down to wrestle Jacob.
Jacob spent his life resisting God’s will and not believing he was who God said he was. So the night Jacob was most broken, terrified and without faith God met him and physically broke Him.
The Lord cannot fully bless a man until He has first conquered him.
God had to bring Jacob to the point of submission in order to bless him. God asked Jacob his name: It wasn’t because God didn’t know, but he was asking Jacob if he was living up to his name. Jacob’s name meant schemer and deceiver. Up to this point Jacob was trying to do life on His own.
To wrestle with God is get to a point of surrender.
To wrestle with God is get to a point of surrender.
This was Paul’s abomination: Wrestle with God so souls will surrender.
Solitude is the audience-chamber of God
This wrestling and brokenness Jacob found himself in started a new beginning. God showed Him his calling through changing his name to Israel.
When we wrestle with God new beginnings happen, tides change, and victories are had. This isn’t a fight we engage in like we have to pry God’s blessing out of his hand, but rather it’s the idea that we must diligently seek after him. That in looking for Him doors will open. In looking for him path’s will be made known.
Daniel went into spiritual wrestling when he prayed and a fought took place in the heavenlies. His prayer time fought a spiriutal battle he knew nothing about—a battle that was resisting the will of God from going forth into the land.
It is only by diligently coming to God that we will free the blockades that hinder new believers from coming to Christ. It isn only through seeking him that you will find victory in your life. Paul knew the key to overcoming his current situation was prayer and it’s the same in your life and the life of the church.
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
Those who wrestle in prayer will find the will of God. Open the alters for prayer.