Agonizing Prayer

Just something to share with my christian fellows...

The Prayer Starter - 30 - Agonizing Prayer by Bob Hill

As Paul closed his letter to the Romans he asked for their prayers. "Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen." Rom 15:30-33

"Strive together with me" is the translation of the compound word sunagonizomai. It has the prefix sun which means with or together and agonizomai which means to enter a contest: contend in the gymnastic games, to contend with adversaries, to fight, to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers, to endeavor with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something. We get our English word "agonize" from this Greek word.

Paul is asking the Roman Christians to join with him in agonizing prayer as He goes to Jerusalem. Paul must have had some idea of the possible problems facing him. agonizomai with out the prefix occurs seven times in the New Testament; lets look at how this word is used and how we might learn how to pray.

Luk 13:24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." Jesus preached a different Gospel than what is commonly preached today. Today it is an easy gospel, "come down forward and make a decision." The socially acceptable gospel is "God has a wonderful plan for your life that is free from pain and heartache." But Jesus says for us to strive or agonize to enter a narrow door, and many will not be able to enter. There is a kind of praying that can only be realized by great struggle. We are to continue in our Christian life, especially in prayer, with the same fervor and zeal with which we came to know our Savior.

John 18:36 "Jesus answered, `My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.'" Our word here is translated "fighting." Our praying is to agonize and contend, even fight, as we would strive for the safety of a friend of family. We should pray unselfishly and heroically for others.

1 Cor 9:25-27 "Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." Our word is here translated "competes in the games." An athlete in training is very focused and committed to his training and uses self-control in all things. Here we see that prayer is something worthy of this degree of dedication. We are to agonize in prayer as the athlete does in his competition.

Col 1:28,29 "We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." Paul's experience of the power of God working in him resulted in a striving or agonizing to proclaim the glory of Jesus. There is a similar experience in agonizing prayer.

Col 4:12 "Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly (agonizing) for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God." This is agonizing intercessory prayer. Most Christians never get past the "now I lay me down to sleep" prayers, except when there is a crisis, like a sick child or terminal illness, facing us. We pray for our parents, children or friends, but to agonize in intercessory prayer for kingdom issues, well, that is another level of prayer that is seldom realized.

1 Tim 6:12 "Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." This could be translated " agonize the good agony of faith." We are to strive and agonize as the good soldier does in battle. We need to pray as if it were a matter of life and death, because it is. There are souls that need to be plucked from the burning. If we prayed like a soldier fighting, we would see much greater answer to prayer.

2 Tim 4:6,7 "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;" No doubt that part of Paul's success was agonizing prayer. We will not be considered as successful and having kept the faith, if we do not agonize in prayer.

If what we have discussed here is real prayer, then most of have never really prayed. The best example of this kind of praying is our Lord the night before His death. In Luke 22:44 another form of our word occurs "And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground." Here it is agonia, which is the noun meaning a struggle for victory, wrestling, of severe mental struggles and emotions, agony, anguish. When our Lord saw the contents of the cup from which he had to drink He experienced great agony in soul. Sometimes we have to pray as He did, in great agony as we experience the will of God.

"… The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." Jam 5:16