Agonize and Organize

I have to admit this past week has been a struggle…not a bad struggle, but none the less, a struggle. I've been on my face wrestling in prayer with a greater intensity than before. The question has been burning in my heart, "So how badly do you want those prayers answered? If you are asking for more, are you willing to truly agonize and wrestle for more?" Tough questions, and my flesh cries out, " No, I can't take it. I can't sacrifice anymore sleep, I can't give up anymore time…" But God's Spirit calls.

It's a sweet battle and God is getting the victory. Although there are many more mountains to climb, I'm excited and hopeful for the things He's doing in my life and for how He is taking me deeper.

And so today, as we begin a new week, I want to challenge you all as well. Wherever you are in your walk with God, it's time to take it to the next level. It's time to pull up those tent stakes and start asking for more. After we've reached a milestone or achieved a goal, it's easy to settle and get a bit comfortable. And then, even if you have succeeded in climbing a higher mountain, once again the spiritual flab (as my friend Eric calls it) can begin to set in. We must not allow any spiritual flab in our lives. We must keep pressing onward and upward!

As I've been studying, I'm so amazed to see how often Jesus and others wrestled all night in prayer for the salvation of souls. Are we willing to wrestle more hours for those that you love? Are we willing to loose more sleep if that meant that our cousins, relatives, and unsaved friends found the peace of Heaven? We can stay up entire nights working on projects, having parties, or doing other trivial things! How come it's so hard to stay up and pray when this is what we need the most?

Here's a couple powerful punches for this new week. The first one is from the book, That I May Know Him, p. 34.

"We must look to Christ; we must resist as He resisted; we must pray as He prayed; we must agonize as He agonized, if we would conquer as He conquered."

"Where are the men who will work and study and agonize in prayer as did Christ?" Medical Ministry, p. 303

"Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for His blessing, will not obtain it. Wrestling with God—how few know what it is! How few have ever had their souls drawn out after God with intensity of desire until every power is on the stretch. When waves of despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how few cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God." Great Controversy, p. 621

As one friend puts it, "Pray as if everything depends on God, and work as if everything depends on you!" So that is my challenge for this coming week and weeks to come. :-)

Review: 

• Bible Thought: If I want the prize, I have to wrestle…it is not easily won because we are in a battle between the power of darkness and the Kingdom of Light! 
• Blessing: So Thankful for God's grace that is sufficient in my weakness. 
• Battle: To keep praying and not give up, even when I don't immediately see the answers I pray for!