Does prayer really make a difference?
Do you really believe that prayer has the ability to change circumstances and events in your life?
I want to challenge the way you may think about prayer and what you may believe about prayer.
Look at the picture above. Have ever thought about prayer like this?
Maybe you should.
There is a story in the Bible that I believe paints a picture of prayer similar to the picture above.
The main character in this story is Jacob. He is in a dire situation. He is preparing to meet his estranged brother Esau.
If you remember or are familiar with the story, Jacob and Esau are twins but Esau came first and thus was the first born. And because of his birthright, he was to receive the blessing of his father.
Jacob however ends up deceiving their father Isaac to steal his brother’s birth right. As a result of Jacob’s deception, Isaac pronounces this blessing on Jacob:
“Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons (meaning Esau) bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”
If you are Jacob you are feeling good about your future.
Esau however was furious because of Jacob’s deception and what had been taken from him. Instead of receiving that blessing Isaac told Esau:
“Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.
In Esau’s eyes, Jacob has just ruined his life and changed his future. Esau is furious. He devises a plan to kill Jacob. Jacob is warned by his mother Rachel though and flees.
Twenty years have passed since this family breakdown. Jacob and Esau haven’t spoken since that time. Now they are getting ready to meet.
Jacob is uncertain how his brother will treat him and his family.
Jacob sends messengers first to meet Esau. They return to Jacob and tell him Esau is coming to meet you and by the way there are 400 men with him. Not very comforting to Jacob. A force of this size suggests that Esau plans to attack Jacob.
Jacob plans for the worst. Jacob responds by dividing his family into two camps. To demonstrate his goodwill, Jacob sends Esau various droves of animals as a present. He sends waves of gifts as a peace offering before they meet face to face.
Jacob doesn’t know if Esau and his men are going to attack Jacob and kill them. It is here where we find Jacob.
He arises that night and takes his family and all his possession across a stream. We pick up this story in Genesis 32:24-28
“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, (And notice Jacob’s tenancity and persistence here) “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.”
How would you like that said about you? You are a person that has striven with God and men and prevailed?
Jacob’s injury in this wrestling match highlights not only the strength of his opponent but also his own resolve to prevail. He doesn’t give up. He is tenacious. He is persistent. He is intense. He is not willing to let go until he receives the blessing he is looking for.
As a result of the encounter and the all night wrestling match, Jacob’s name is changed. Jacob’s name meant to deceive or cheat. The name change to Israel is probably best understood as meaning “he strives with God.”
I think this encounter between Jacob and God gives a picture of the type of relationship and prayer life we should have. Prayer is personal communication and a personal interaction with God. Because of this, we should strive with God.
Listen, you can’t have this type of striving with God if you don’t believe God really answers prayer. You can’t have this type of intensity if you believe prayer really doesn’t matter, that it really can’t change events in your life, in the life of your family, your church, or world. You won’t pray like this if you don’t think God acts on behalf of the prayers of his people.
As a result, we often come to prayer without much tenacity and persistence. We come with passionless prayers that have no heart and soul. We come with a politeness. That is we say words but our heart and attention and engagement are lacking.
Many of you and all of us are going to face situations in life that are stressful and dire. If your marriage needs help, If you need help knowing how to parent and direct your kids through tough situations, if you are facing a major decision at work or at home, if you need God to bless your financially situation, if someone you care about is ill, if you need wisdom for any decision that is staring you in the face, if there is anything that is eating at you and causing you worry or fret, or lose sleep. Then you need to strive with God. You need to be like Jacob and not let go.
To pray like this means we have the faith and belief that God has the ability to change things, to bless us, to give us wisdom. Someone said that prayer changes us more than God and there is truth in that. However when we focus on that only it is easy to forget that prayer changes the way God acts and intervenes in our lives.
This doesn’t mean God is going to answer yes ever time. Sometimes God says No and we yield. Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane asking that this cup could be taken from him and he prays not my will but yours. Sometimes God says yes and he grants us our request. Sometimes God shows us that we should modify our request and ask something different. Or he may direct us to wait. The timing just isn’t right.
Prayer is about you asking a God that has absolute power and the ability to change things in your life. It’s will against will, not that we are opposing God but asking.
On the night of Jesus’ arrest and the day before his crucifixion, you see Jesus praying with this intensity and tenacity in the garden. He comes back three times asking the disciples to join him in this fervent prayer but they keep falling asleep. He asks Peter “Could you not watch one hour?” They aren’t following Jesus and Jacob’s example of wrestling with God in earnest prayer. Maybe they don’t fully understand the power of prayer and the urgency of prayer.
Jesus also taught about the persistence we should have in prayer in the parable of the persistent widow. He also taught us we should ask, seek, and knock. There is a tenacity and determination that we should express in our praying if we believe God can really make a difference.
There are instances in Scripture of God changing the way he responded to circumstances because of the prayers of his people such as in the life of Moses and Hezekiah.
James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
Prayer changes the way God acts. It is powerful and effective.
Now back to Jacob. For Jacob the outcome ended well with Esau. Remember he wrestled all night with God until daybreak. Jacob after a night of no sleep meets Esau.
Genesis 33 tells us of their meeting. Remember Esau is coming with 400 men. Will he attack Jacob and get revenge on him for taking his birthright and blessing? Will he kill his family too?
In Genesis 33:1-4 it says – “And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.”
The unreserved manner in which Esau greets and embraces Jacob reveals that he holds no animosity toward his brother. The description of their reconciliation may well have influenced Jesus’ account of the lost son returning to his father.
God has protected Jacob. God has blessed Jacob.
Here is the bottom Line. Be bold. Be persistent. Don’t let go when it comes to prayer because your prayers are powerful and effective.
Prayer truly changes circumstances, events, and people.
