The hairy side of prayer

I used to think that prayer was only for the weak.

You know, for those people who couldn't cope with life, so they leaned on the crutch of thinking that there's some divine entity who actually cares about their meaningless little lives.

Boy, was I wrong! Prayer, when you use it to tackle real life, is like the trek up Mt Everest. Or like a safari into the wild with danger at every turn.

Or like bull-rider Ed Rowell's comment about the first time he ever preached a sermon - he had found a replacement for the adrenalin rush he got each time he was nearly killed in the rodeo (see Preaching With Spiritual Passion).

"Prayer" seems like such a tame word for such a hair-raising, heart-pounding, life-altering experience. It's like a pro football player saying he "bumps into people" on Sunday. No, he crashes into people!

So, maybe we should rename "prayer". Call it cosmic combat. Call it warfare in the spirit world. Call it encountering El Shaddai face to face. Call it venturing into demonic territory and destroying strongholds with mere words - words pulsing with faith.

Whatever you call it, true prayer is a draining, sometimes scary, spirit-twisting, world-changing combat operation that can alter the course of history, even Divine history.

The championship prayer warriors of Scripture knew that.

Daniel did some combat praying for three weeks while an angel, who was sent to answer his prayer, mounted an assault on Satan's territory and engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat in the invisible spirit world (Daniel 10:12-21).

While angels fought, Daniel prayed. And he didn't give up. He wouldn't quit, even when his answer didn't show up the first day. He understood that combat praying sets in motion overwhelming cosmic forces - like the President giving his OK to start the D-Day invasion of World War II. Once you engage the enemy, you can't waver.

And Daniel wasn't the only one. Paul praised Epaphras, the preacher at Colossae, because "He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured." (Colossians 4:12 NIV). This amazing preacher knew how to go to war in prayer for his flock.

And even Jesus won his greatest battle on earth by using prayer as his weapon against Satan - "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission." (Hebrews 5:7 NIV).

Are you one of those? One of those who can hold on and pray despite hell's attack? I've know people like that. And I've seen them get results.

But more than that, I've seen them touch the face of God through their unwavering courage in prayer.