Pugnacious Prayer
How do you picture the typical pray-er? I think most of us think of quiet sensitive people engaged in quiet dignified prayer. We think of grannies in rocking chairs, sensitive monks in cathedrals and patient dignified saints kneeling at their beds.Paul gives us another picture: Epaphras wrestling in prayer.
Epaphras was from Colosse. Elsewhere Paul calls him a "fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf" and "a fellow prisoner." Epaphras was a strong, courageous and gutsy person who shared in Paul's suffering for the gospel (and survived!) and is now imprisoned with Paul.
What is his attitude? Is he asking the Colossians to pray for his release? Is he bemoaning his fate? Is he feeling sorry for himself? Not a chance! He is wrestling in prayer.
In those times wrestling wasn't the media circus it is now. Olympic Wrestlers were all about tenacity, strength and skill. Prayer wrestling was disciplined strenuous work. There was spiritual grunting and groaning as Epaphras struggled in prayer because of his love for his home congregation.
I can imagine a burly Epaphras pacing up and down in the cell, crying out to God for his congregation - passionate and compassionate. I imagine him thinking about the false teaching that threatened them and grinding his teeth with longing to be with them. Longing is translated into action and Epaphras prays!
What does he pray for? Firmness of purpose that will lead to maturity and sureness of faith.
You might say: "This isn't prayer like breathing - This is prayer like gasping - it's hard work - it's exercise!" But in the case of Epaphras, he's praying like a wrestler because he cared a lot about his church family.
When you pray about the people you care about, you will pray like a lion... or maybe like a wrestler...
| Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. (Colossians4:12) |
