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When Jesus spoke of the "last days" before His return to earth, He mentioned several things that would characterize those times. When He used the
term "beginning of sorrows," He was using one of the Greek words for travail the pains that a woman experiences in giving birth to a child. Jesus was prophesying that a new dimension of His Kingdom
His New Millennial reign would be "birthed" with travail. In a similar way, Romans 8:22 speaks of all of creation being in "travail" waiting for the Christ's full revelation as well as the full
manifestation of His people. Times when "travailing" prayer is called for:
- When God is birthing something "new" of Kingdom dimension
- When there is a crescendo of things that have been developing over a long period of time
- When God is doing something out of His sovereignty
- When the Holy Spirit indicates that this type of praying is what is required
- When other types of praying have not been effective
- When the "contractions" begin to come
"Travailing prayer:" (Is 26:17-18; 37:3; 53:8-11)
- Is initiated by the Holy Spirit and accomplished in the "heavenlies" through Him
- Involves a "bearing down" in prayer
- Involves intensity and a deep sense of burden
- Usually comes "in waves" and is usually for a short (rather than longer) season
- Is an extension of the "travail" of Jesus on the cross (as a point of release, not redemption)
- Not the "best" or "highest" way to pray; it is simply one way to pray
- Is a ministry of joy, just as a mother rejoices over the birth of a child (Heb 12:23)
Paul's experience of "travailing in prayer:"
- Ga 4:19 -- "My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you..."
- Phil 3:10 -- "that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings..."
- Col 1:24 -- "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions."
(Reprinted with permission.) |
