Become Radical Like JesusSample

DAY 3: WRESTLE

“Let’s wrestle, Dad!” my 5-year-old daughter Kailey routinely declared when I came home from work. Then we would fake-wrestle for a few minutes.

This continued for years, and as Kailey got older I asked my wife if it was still OK. She replied, “Come on, Greg. That’s just her way of being close to you.”

I will never forget her statement. Having been a wrestler when I was younger, I knew this to be true. You are never closer to someone than when you are wrestling with them.

Wrestling with Jesus

Take a look at Jacob and his mysterious wrestling match with a stranger in Genesis 32:24-26. A guy shows up out of nowhere in the middle of the night to fight, and later Jacob makes it clear that the opponent was God (Genesis 32:30).

After the match, God gave Jacob a new name and all the blessings that came with it (Genesis 32:28). Fast-forward 1,600 years, and we see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane wrestling with his Father in prayer.

Amidst olive trees and sleeping disciples, Jesus faced his worst nightmare—the anticipation of experiencing God’s wrath for the sin of humanity.

So, Jesus desperately prayed, asking God for a way out, looking for a clause in the atonement contract. Jesus prayed the same prayer again and again. He prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42

What was this cup Jesus was talking about? It is God’s cup of wrath. After three hours of wrestling in prayer, Jesus tapped out. He surrendered to the Father and said, “Yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Tapping Out to God

Jesus’ wrestling led to a revolution of radically changed lives—including Kailey’s.

She is now 18, but from the time she was a young teenager, she has struggled with anxiety. One day she asked me, “Dad, why does God allow this anxiety to attack me?”

Looking into her eyes I said, “Kailey, God has allowed you the privilege of wrestling with him in prayer, because it’s his way of being close to you.”

Perhaps you are wrestling with anxiety, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, fear, anger, regret or shame. Whatever it is, remember to wrestle with God in prayer. It will bring you closer to Him.

Radical Like Jesus Challenge

Find a quiet, isolated place and “wrestle” with God in prayer for an hour, regarding a specific challenge you are facing.