Prayer: God’s Invitation to Wrestle Him

This month I cover various topics on prayer. Many of them were inspired by ideas found in a little-known book on prayer, Long Wandering Prayer by David Hansen. It has become a new favorite.

Hope Mom, nothing can shake our faith than the loss of a child, am I right?  After William went to heaven, I had more questions than ever about God’s character, His plans, and His love for me. I also wanted to give Him a piece of my mind. How about you? 

What do you do with your questions and frustrations? Do you ask other saints, other Hope Moms, your pastor? Do you ask God Himself? 

One of the common messages threaded throughout the entire Bible is about God’s desire for us to come to Him, for everything. In fact, He doesn’t want us to come to him timidly and with restraint; He actually wants us to engage Him head-on with our biggest hurts and hangups. 

Over and over Scripture points us to God engaging with His people and inviting them to doggedly wrestle with Him. A few examples in the Old Testament include: Abraham pleading for his kin in Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:22-33), Jacob wrestling the mysterious man (Gen 32:22-32), and Moses directing his anger at God (Num 11:11-15).

The New Testament provides examples in the Canaanite woman (Mt 15:21-28), the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8), and Jesus Himself: During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission (Heb 5:7).

Have you ever read the parable of the persistent widow found in Luke 18? This woman brought a case to her local judge, who was infamously unjust. Per his reputation, the judge refused to hear her claims even though she pursued him day after day. However, her persistent requests wore him out (the Greek word means “hit in the eye”) and he finally gave in, just to get some peace and quiet.

God’s point is that if a crooked judge can grant justice to someone tirelessly badgering him, how much more would our good, just Maker respond to His beloved chosen ones…especially when they come to Him with faith that hits Him square in the eye.

How do we develop that kind of faith? Our biblical examples show us that greater faith can take root in the soil of frustration; so, God sometimes acts like an unyielding opponent, inviting us to batter Him.

God’s stubbornness towards us grows our faith: it forces us to learn what we really think and sharpens our arguments. In the case of the Canaanite woman (Mt 15), Jesus initially ignored her multiple requests to heal her daughter. At first we may be appalled at His treatment of a suffering woman; however, we soon see His responses actually engage her in a battle of wits and end with Him praising her faith and granting her request. Her daughter was not the only one healed that day; battering God results in more than we can ever imagine. 

God’s seeming resistance to our pleas and requests promotes greater intimacy with Him. It turns us inside out, allowing the Spirit to dig deeply. In his persistent requests for God to spare a wicked city just for the sake of just a few kin, Abraham attempted to move God to mercy (Gen 18). However, through such tenacious wrestling, Abraham actually moved into God’s space, experienced the Almighty in a deeply personal way, and walked away satisfied that God would remain true to His character. Such wrestling brought peace among tumultuous circumstances. 

I know it can feel cold, or cruel even, for God to take this posture with someone suffering and grieving. But, we aren’t alone: the Canaanite woman had a daughter who was “severely” demon-possessed, the persistent widow was one of the most vulnerable people in 1st century society, Abraham was fearful his nephew would die, Moses bore the responsibility of over two million (stubborn) people, and Jesus Himself…well, we know He went through the ultimate suffering. 

Yet, through all of their persistent back and forth with God, these saints’ faith was shaped and encouraged. They also walked away with something greater than their suffering: relationship with the Eternal One. And that is what He wants for you, too. Only in relationship with Him can we find comfort for our greatest sorrows.

God knows sometimes the best way to heal us is to invite us to wrestle; this faith-refining exercise will ultimately reveal more about ourselves and more about Him. So, go ahead – batter God with your prayers. Become the persistent widow, make your case before Him who loves us the most, and watch what beauty He creates. 

Some ideas to get you started:
– Remind Him of His own nature, promises and covenants (Gen 16; Ex 34:6-7; Ps 5:1-3; Neh 1:8-11)
– Call Him to glorify His name through His actions in our lives (Ex 32:11-14, 2 Ki 19:14-19)
– Recollect how He has dealt with His people in Scripture (Ps 74:2; Ps 77:11-15; Isa 51:9-10)
– Claim the mediation, righteousness and covering of His own Son Jesus Christ (Jn 17; Ro 8:34; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 9:24)

Kelly is the Ministry Support Lead for Hope Mommies. She and her husband Dan live in Brenham, TX with their two earthside children, Annabelle and Eli (and lots of pets). Their firstborn, William, went to Heaven in July 2017. To balance out the fullness of life, Kelly enjoys gardening, yoga, and sipping on some matcha while reading historical fiction. She considers herself beyond privileged to share the amazing news of Jesus’ Hope to all who need it, and loves that William gets to be a part of that message.