Letters to Christian

There are incredible prayers in the Old Testament. The list includes, among many, Jacob wrestling with God (Gen. 32:24-32), Jonah’s prayer out of the depths (Jon. 2), and David’s prayer of repentance (Ps. 51). Let me briefly consider these prayers. In this first example, we find Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed about meeting Esau when he returned to the land of his birth. You recall that Jacob deceived Esau to obtain the blessing of the birthright. It is a time of trouble, and Jacob calls upon God. In his prayer, Jacob acknowledges he is not worthy to be blessed; how merciful God has been with him in the past and expresses hope in the promises of God (Gen. 32:9-12). It is our duty, Christian, to call upon God in times of trial and trouble. Jacob was face-to-face with God, and he wrestled alone with Him for His blessing. Jacob had to give up in this struggle, but he got a new name (i.e., Israel). We struggle with God also, and by God’s grace we get a new name (i.e., Christian). We wrestle, pray, and cry out to God also in the grace experience of gaining our identity with God as a Christian. Amen. Jacob stirred up himself to take hold of God and was earnest in prayer, and we must be also.

I believe we wrestle in prayer the hardest and gain the deepest spiritual gift and knowledge of ourselves when we groan in pursuit of God’s blessing. We groan for freedom from sin by grace from heaven. Believers do not receive a spirit of slavery (i.e., bondage) to fear again, but a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! Father! The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom. 8:15-16). Having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope, we have been saved (Rom. 8:23-24). And in the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Rom. 8:26). It is a strength from God without words that prevails. We are surrounded and cut off and alone but not left for dead. The groaning is not evidence of failure against sin and death. The groaning is evidence of God’s love. Amen. The grace of God shines out strong on this spiritual battlefield, and He rescues His own. The crying out and the groaning is evidence of true eternal life. Amen. The soul is in so much trouble, sometimes it cannot speak, yet God can hear this prayer (Rom. 8:27). I think our spirit groanings are symptoms of spiritual life from our new man. We know we are not living where we should be and could be, and we suffer. The release of great pains in the soul are part of God’s work of grace drawing us to Himself. This is the demonstration of God’s love; we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Amen. He has made us to understand His love in the depths of our being, and this becomes I think the origin of our cause to love Him and be with Him in prayer. I think the pains of groaning in our souls are the birthing of our love for Him. He reaches deep into us. The pains we suffer in groaning are from God building the assurance in our mind that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. We are broken and drawn to faith in Jesus Christ by His presence and the power of His resurrection truth. We are His children and His workmanship (Eph. 2:10). Amen.

Another example of a prayer for help was made by Jonah. God put honor upon Jonah by calling him to go and prophecy against Nineveh, but Jonah refused to obey (Jon. 1). Jonah fled by boat to Tarshish and after a storm and discovery by God was cast into the sea and swallowed alive by a whale (Jon. 1:17). In the belly of the whale, Jonah called out in his distress and prayed to God (Jon. 2:7). We hope and pray and faint, because we experience the fear, guilt, and consequences of sin. We very often are like prodigal sons and seek the Father. We cry unto the Lord in our affliction (i.e., pray) (Jon. 2:2). We call out in our distress, by the grace of God, in humility, sincerity, and in the truth regarding the error of our ways. When Jonah was fainting, he remembered the Lord (Jon. 2:7). In the belly of this world, we can pray and cry to God, and He hears us. In hell there will be no hope of being heard. In this situation, Jonah recovered Himself by faith in remembering his God. I believe Jonah remembered God called him and equipped him for service. I believe you too have been called and equipped for God’s service. Jonah remembered God’s mercy and love in saving his soul. I believe you too will have experience and reason to remember God’s mercy and love in saving your soul. Jonah remembered that God’s ways of holiness and honesty were indeed truth. I believe you too, Christian, have experienced and will remember God’s truth and holiness. Jonah realized, based on previous experience with God, that what was required of him here was repentance and faith. I believe you too, Christian, know the place of repentance and the loving kindness and power of God to see you through this life. Remember Jesus has prayed for you, that your faith fail not (Luke 12:32).