By Pastor Christ Oyakilome
And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up
himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast
consumed us, because of our iniquities (Isaiah 64:7).
The Prophet Isaiah was speaking
to God in the verse above. Israel was in dire straits because none sought the
Lord; no one stirred himself up to "take a hold" of God. That means,
as Christians, we can stir ourselves up to take a hold of God, to take a hold
of His words, and make them real in our lives, through prevailing prayers.
It brings to mind, Jacob’s
encounter with the Angel of God’s presence. After His sojourn with his Uncle
Laban, Jacob knew he needed a miracle to escape his brother, Esau’s wrath,
having deceived their father, Isaac, to obtain the inheritance in place of
Esau. Jacob divided his family and everything he had into two groups and sent
them ahead of him to entreat Esau such that, if Esau smote a particular group,
the other group, perhaps, could escape and be spared (Genesis 32:4-8).
Subsequently, Jacob was left
alone, and the Bible says he wrestled with an angel all night long. Jacob
wouldn’t let go of the angel until he received a blessing from Him (Genesis
32:24-26). In the book of Hosea, the prophet explains that the angel that
wrestled with Jacob was actually the Lord: "…and by his strength he had
power with God: Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and
made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us;
Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial" (Hosea 12:3-5).
Jacob stirred himself up to take
a hold of God through prayer, to take a hold of God’s blessings. This is
something we must learn to do as Christians, to stir ourselves up and take a
hold of God’s Word for us and for others through prayer. We must remain
importunate as we intercede for lost souls, and for those who have strayed from
the faith. We must prevail in prayer for them until Christ is formed in them.
Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, I
thank you for the privilege of prayer; a place of heartfelt communion, to stir
up myself and take a hold of your Word for my life. Thank you for giving me the
ability to effect changes through prevailing prayers, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further
Study: Ephesians 5:18-21; Ephesians 3:20-21; 2 timothy 1:6
1 Year Bible Reading Plan : 1
Corinthians 3 Psalms 109-112
2 Year Bible Reading Plan :
Philippians 4:8-13 Jeremiah
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