Push Back Prayer

This is Stu Epperson from the truth. Talk podcast connecting current events, pop culture, and theology, and were so grateful for you that you've chosen The Truth Podcast Network it's about to start just a few seconds. Enjoy it and please share around all your friends. Thanks for listening and thanks for choosing the truth. Podcast network. This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at anytime about anything and encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling product and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to mom and now James will help fund feedback on encouraging prayer to be talking about pushback, prayer and because you probably never heard about like me will start out with an explanation.

James cleared using a few places in God's word. My favorite example of all this is again back in the Old Testament where were Jacob wrestles with God and I won't let you go unless you bless me the amazing thing is not blessed. It's amazing that God would let Jacob wrestle with them at all means, let alone bless him, but he does in God changes his name to Israel because he dressing for God and man and is overcome, but not many of us could ever say that we were in a wrestling match quite like that. James so what does prayer look like like in everyday life like this, we have to take a step back and look at what's really happening here.is made promises to Jacob and you know Jacob isn't sure that they're going to happen because he is about to meet his brother and he's afraid that his brothers in the killing, and Jacob very boldly reminds God of the promises he made that old missing prayer is something that were all to Hebrews 416) boldly before the throne of grace but but the important thing to realize is that this boldness isn't about selfishness or just wanting our way, with God boldness because of his kindness to us because we know him. We know his character.

And what's so fascinating about this is that God lets Jacob not only wrestle with him, but he also lets him win. In that sense of letting him hang on until he gets a blessing and we ask ourselves what a the obvious answer to that question is a common wants to say what you think God wants to what just that question alone.

You notice that observation that God wants us to wrestle that something is I think it's because God loves it when we exercise faith and again I'm not talking about a name claimant, faith is all about us. This this is about him about his character and of course that involves us because our lives are wrapped up in him, but you'll notice that when Jacob talks to God. In Genesis 32 is very humble. He tells them you know I don't deserve anything from you but I won't let you go unless you bless me like a God you're so good you have to be faithful to your promises not to give up praying, until I see that in my life and even then I'm not going to give up praying to praise you for available. I think we talked about this before, like how Spurgeon said that one of the most perfect and pray as you promised gone yet that's right you promised me think about the impact that comment has on the parent who's made a promise and think about how a perfect God who loves us her perfect father in heaven must want to respond to his own children we engage in like that we talking about here is the kind of prayer that doesn't necessarily feel good. I mean, it hurts to wrestle.

But that's also how you can get stronger and really learn how to win yet that's right again, remember what we see is is prayer is in Scripture again and again and it's real and it's raw and it's down to earth, but it's also the kind of prayer that often really gets results. No not always you know we have to point out that Jesus prayed a critical pushback prayer you know father you will hear no this cup pass from me.

And of course it is God's will, but he still pushing back right. What this means is that you're taking God seriously you're engaging him, praying with faith.

I really like the Scottish philosopher PT foresight was also pastor wrote about this.

He couldn't resist God in the sense of rejecting God and you will not be able to resist any evil. You know it's like pushing back and in the wrong way, but resist God in the sense of closing with God cooling to him with your strength, not your weakness only with your active and not only your passive faith and he will give you strength, cast yourself into his arms not to be caressed, but to wrestle with. He loves that holy war.

He may be too many for for you and lift you from your feet, but it will be to lift you from earth and set you in heavenly places, which are tears who fight the good fight and lay hold God as their eternal life. While is a lot of special event about coming to God.

Not only was he weakness with your strength.

I see this coming to God, affirming that we are his children and really believing in all that means, and who doesn't love to wrestle with her dad in the board exactly this is red-blooded prayer that takes God at his word. But again, remember bold and humble at the same time and that's important because if you think about it.

Jacob came away from that wrestling match with all God did was touch his hip and he was ranked from a socket right that's a lot of force and just to touch it really is.

Again, this is always happy praying. Sometimes it hurts you may find yourself weeping or shouting or asking why because you're clinging to God you're hanging on your wrestling but again this is prayer that comes only with a blessing. Foresight summed it up this way. Prayer is wrestling with God and it is better to fall into the hands of God and of man. Even her own.

It is a resistance that God loves. It is quite different from the godless self-willed client resistance resistance of love a quite different thing. That's what this comes down to probably the resistance of love, if you will.

It is truly interacting with God from the heart and we can pray this way because we are loved you when you see that circumstance and and you wonder what you up to – and, and, for example, it may be that prodigal that you have prayed for four years and nothing's happened engaging with passion go to him and cry out to him. Don't give up keep going. So saying. Pray hard right. Give yourself to it.

Yeah that's right again look at some of the birth of Abraham and Jacob and Moses and Jesus and you see each one of praying humbly, but all the time. I'm sorry but also praying, strong prayers and and you see God doing great things.

As a result some awesome. Let me wrap up things with the prayer that we will all learn to pray like that. So Jesus, thank you so much for what you put on James is hard on pushback and I pray that you would give us that kind of faith to see your goodness.

When we do hang on in wrestling with you for what we know you goodness pray that you would give us that kind of faith and an opportunity asked us to hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you to pray. This is the Truth Network