“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.” Colossians 4:12
Wrestling is not new. The sport had its start in the Greek and Roman world. The word wrestle means “to agonize over” or “to engage in a battle.” Interestingly the Bible associates the word wrestle with prayer. There are several Bible people who agonized over their prayers. Abraham wrestled with God over the fate of Sodom. Jacob wrestled all night with God over a blessing. Moses wrestled with God in his prayers for the Israelites. And, of course, Jesus agonized in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
There is a fascinating man who steps into the ring for a few verses in the New Testament and then disappears. His name is Epaphras. He is only named three times. We are told that he is a comrade of Paul’s and a fellow preacher and prisoner with Paul.
There is one comment about this man that gives us pause to consider his prayer life. Colossians 4:12 says that Epaphras was “always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” Epaphras was a prayer wrestler who frequently went to the mat for his fellow believers. His prayers stormed the throne of God with a flow of pleas for others, imploring God for forgiveness, strength, guidance, and comfort. His prayers were constant and strenuous, rigorous and forceful.
How do we compare to Epaphras? Do we storm God’s throne with our requests, or do we use our prayers like exercise bicycles, slowly and thoughtlessly?
Perhaps Epaphras was given a special calling in his love and concern for fellow believers. He may have had a unique ability for fervent prayer. It may also be that Epaphras lacked talents given to other Christians, but who can deny his love for praying?
Perhaps we will never climb through the ropes and enter the ring like Epaphras, but there is a lesson here for each of us. Prayer is an active, not passive, activity. It flows from hearts that are intent, breaking, thankful, stressed, besieged, and lonely. It reflects our Savior who is fervently praying for us. When is the last time we agonized over prayer? When is the last time our wrestling in prayer left us exhausted or invigorated? Perhaps Epaphras could teach us a few moves!
Can you think of a time when you needed to wrestle with God in prayer?
Dear Savior, hear us when we call,
To wrestling prayer an answer give;
Pour down thy dew upon us all,
That all may feel and all may live.
John Newton
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