Intercessory prayer is God’s way to extend His kingdom and defeat Satan.
God’s kingdom advances as the devices of the devil are dismantled. It takes time for Christ’s rule and reign to replace the powers of darkness. Satan’s hold must be broken. Donald Bloesch says, “Prayer is needed as a continuous violent action of the spirit lifted up to God. . . . Prayer demands combat to the last breath.”
What Is Wrestling Prayer?
I fear the idea of wrestling in prayer is often seen as a struggle against God. And our striving and perseverance are deemed necessary because it is thought that God withholds His gifts as long as possible. Prayer is looked upon as the means of persuading God to relent and let go of His blessings so we can get what we want. Therefore, successful prayer is conceived of as overcoming divine hesitancy—convincing God to stop withholding His favor and grant our requests.
But that view of prayer is more pagan than Christian. The false prophets cried and cut themselves in an attempt to get Baal’s attention, to no avail. Elijah simply repaired the altar of the Lord (which had been torn down) and prayed, and the fire fell (1 Kings 18:22–39). Therefore, biblical prayer is not about meriting an audience with God or overcoming divine reluctance. Nor is it mainly about securing the benefits we desire, or winning God over to our point of view. A. W. Tozer said,
We all tend to wrestle with God in prayer with determined hearts, trying to obtain the answer to our prayer our way and in our timing. We mouth the words and thoughts that we want God’s will in our prayer, but the reality is that we want our own way, which is never the divinely optimum. However, if we are anxious to pursue God’s will for our lives, He will allow us each to be hemmed in by some situation where there is no escape or solution apart from Him. It is in this tight place that prayer originates with the Holy Spirit as we submit to God (James 4:7–8).
Wrestling in prayer is an all-out attack against Satan’s strongholds. The purpose of wrestling prayer is to overcome the Evil One and his demonic strategies. Jesus has all authority, and He has granted that authority to all His followers. The weakest believer has no need to quiver or cower in fear of Satan. Christ’s throne is our viewing platform of victory. Our prayerful responsibility is to instigate prayer attacks on his strongholds and drive him from the field.
Every believer has delegated authority. Just as state troopers have the power of the state behind them, even so we are backed by the omnipotent power of Christ. Policemen don’t act on their own merit. They act out of the governing authority granted to them. Likewise, we wage our warfare with the very power of God behind us. Wrestling, like all forms of intercession, is to bring God’s plans to fruition on earth. Wrestling prayer is the supreme level of intensified intercession. And we should not be surprised that the forces of darkness are arrayed against intensive praying.
Paul appealed for prayer: “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake . . . that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me” (Romans 15:30). The word “strive” indicates that he was asking for others to partner with him in his struggle. He needed deliverance from the unbelievers in Judea to accomplish his mission. So, he asked the saints to strive, or join, with him in wrestling prayer. Ravenhill said, “Prayer is a battle for full-grown men, fully armed and fully awake to the possibilities of grace.” Possibilities can become probabilities when we avail ourselves of the full armor of God!…
*Excerpt from chapter 12 in NEXT LEVEL PRAYING by Harold Vaughan.
