Travailing in Prayer
I wanted to continue on the thread I’ve been on about hearing from God, revelation, and mystery, but I felt like I need to take a short break and interject this post. I spoke with a good friend of mine the other day who is a missionary and we were talking about prayer.
I was telling him how God has brought a few people into my life who are Christians but are struggling heavily with things that are drawing them away from Christ. Some of these are men who I spent alot of time with in the past and poured into. Others, God brought into my life through other unique ways. In any case, my heart aches for them…
My friend then pointed out a verse to me that spoke about our responsibility as believers for people like this in our lives. Galatians 4:9 states, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth AGAIN until Christ be formed in you…
My missionary friend told me that we need to move from casual prayer to intense prayer. He reminded me that it’s not just “prayer” that does good, but fervent, intense prayer from someone in right standing with God. See James 5:16.
When done the right way, under the power of the Holy Spirit, this type of prayer takes on the look and feel of a woman travailing in child birth. This type of prayer takes time, it takes focus and intensity, it takes labor. I have heard it once said that, “Prayer IS the Work.”
As I think about ministry, I realize that it’s really the unseen things that make the kingdom of God move on the Earth. Yes practical things need to be done, steps taken, and goals accomplished. But the real work takes place in people’s lives behind the scenes.
Pray to your Father who is in secret…and He will reward you openly.(Matt 6:6) What better things could He reward us with than the lives of our brothers and sisters? So, be encouraged.
Labor in prayer for them, until Christ be formed in them AGAIN.
I think of travailing prayers as those prayers that give birth to something…a ministry, a new deminsion in God, a church, a move, something.
Hi CB, Thanks for your comment. You’re right, travail, ie intensity in prayer, can be used to bring forth an answer to prayer in anything you are believing God for. In the verse I quoted however, it’s clear that Paul is saying that he travails in birth for his “little children” or those who came into faith through his witness. It’s amazing to me that he says that he must travail in prayer AGAIN so that Christ may be formed in them. He is implying that he had done it for them at first and would continue to do it for them until Christ was formed in them. Reminds me of what John Wesley once said, “It seems that God will do nothing except through prayer.”
Excellent! Let’s get back to the basics…I believe in the power of prayer, because I have seen the hand of God move. When you come before Him, you have to believe that He is and that He is a rewarder that diligently seeks Him! The more we pray, the more we understand this fellowship that we have with Him. It breaks my heart, because I am not sure that we understand the power of prayer. Prayer clears your head. It gives you focus, and it gives you an opportunity to have the Lord “share” the burden with you. Keep praying and letting folks know how important it is in regards to communion with the Lord and fellowship with saints and sheer victory in Christ! I am a believer in prayer.
Need prayer for complete healing of asthma.
Thank you somuch’
Jerry