knees

"The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. 

I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer... 

I mean those who take time and pray." -- S.D. Gordon

It all began ten years ago when our son, Aaron, contracted the flu. Standing up to his strong will, we urged him to stay in bed throughout the weekend. On Saturday morning I went to church by myself while my wife stayed home with Aaron and our daughter, Shannon. It was an uneventful morning -- until I arrived home from church.

As I walked into our front door, my wife rushed to meet me with these words: "You wouldn't believe what happened this morning. Aaron's fever shot up suddenly and he began to have a seizure." While I was enjoying worship at church, our house was filled with firemen and paramedics. It was a terrifying moment for Susan and our daughter as they witnessed this six-year old boy shake with convulsions. What a relief it was to us when the seizures stopped and the medical personnel felt it was safe to leave him.

The one incident that stands out for me that morning is when Aaron first began to have the seizure. Susan immediately turned to Shannon, who was three at the time, and said, "Start praying for your brother." This miniature prayer warrior promptly leaped up, ran to our bedroom, got on her knees and began praying for her big brother. Realizing Aaron was in danger, Shannon fervently prayed for God to heal him. She took prayer very seriously.

I want you to keep before you that vivid image as we think about wrestling from our knees. I want you picture our young daughter on her knees, pleading with God to take care of Aaron. Then imagine yourself kneeling by your bed, entering the throne room of the living God, and pleading on behalf of a person you love whose soul is endangered.

"On His Knees Before God"

Tucked away in the book of Colossians is the name of a man whom the apostle Paul held in high esteem. This man wasn't known necessarily for his great teaching. Paul didn't commend him for how he preached or for the many souls he won to Jesus Christ. His notoriety came not from how he stood before crowds and talked about the resurrected Lord, but how he knelt before the King of Kings and prayed for others.

His name was Epaphras. Paul mentions him three times. The apostle called him "a faithful servant of Christ" (Colossians 1:7) and "a fellow prisoner with Paul" (Philemon 1:23). The description of this godly man that stands out to me in bold print is that he was known simply as a man who was "always wrestling in prayer" for others (Colossians 4:12).

What about you? How would others describe you? How would they describe your prayer life? Are you wrestling in prayer for those you love? Why not start right now? Get a notepad and begin to keep track of those who need your prayers and begin praying for them every day.

-jim clark