Prayer Can Be a Wrestling Match

We encounter a wrestling match in the very first book of the Bible. A match that lasted a whole night. The contestants?  Jacob, whose name would soon be changed to Israel, and God Himself (see Gen 32:22-31).

Jacob fought bravely and would not release his opponent until he received a blessing. Due to his patience and perseverance, God did bestow His blessing upon him, but before doing so, Jacob’s sciatic nerve was wounded. For that reason, the following day, he was seen walking with a pronounced limp.

The Church Fathers and the Catechism have interpreted this Biblical passage as a miniature depiction of the nature of the spiritual life. Our life on earth is truly a battle, a constant fight. Our enemies are principally three: the devil, the flesh, and the world. As Scripture reminds us, “If you want to follow the Lord, prepare yourself for battle.”  

Part of the constant spiritual battle is fighting for authentic growth in our prayer lives. Prayer is the easiest thing in the world in the sense that we can pray at any time, in any place, in any posture, using any words, language, or even silence. But at the same time, it can seem like every obstacle tries to impede us from entering into it authentically.

Perhaps thinking, Later! I am wasting my time! Prayer never seems to help me. God does not listen. First work and then pray. All of these objections and more may surface when committing oneself to prayer.

This being the case, we would like to offer some suggestions on how to overcome the major obstacles in prayer, to be ready to fight the good fight and gain the merited crown that the Lord has prepared for His faithful spiritual wrestlers.

1. REALIZE ITS IMPORTANCE. Become convinced of the utter importance of prayer for our conversion, sanctification, perseverance, and eternal salvation. Meditate upon the proverb: “What air is to the lungs so is prayer to the soul.” No prayer; we suffocate. A soul without prayer withers and dies!
2. DEFINE IT. The Catechism uses Saint John Damascene’s definition of prayer: “Prayer is the lifting up of the mind and the heart to God.” The first female Doctor of the Church (known as the Doctor of Prayer) asserts that “Prayer is simply spending time in silence with the Friend that I know loves me.” Yes, prayer can be as simple as that—two friends enjoying each other’s company.
3. PLACE YOURSELF IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who wrote the Spiritual Exercises, suggests that we start off our prayer by imagining that the Lord is looking at us with great love.
4. BE PERSONAL. Saint Teresa of Avila strongly encourages us to contemplate the Humanity of Jesus. Imagine Jesus in His human nature: tired, thirsty, sad, happy, rejoicing, fearful. From this place of understanding and empathy, offer to Him all your thoughts, experiences, emotions, and desires. He wants a close relationship with you.
5. USE HOLY IMAGES. Paintings, images, icons, statues, photos, art—these can be very helpful in prayer. Find the image that captivates your mind best and utilized it to catapult you on high in your prayer life.
6. GO TO CONFESSION. Sometimes prayer is difficult because our conscience is not at peace. To remedy this unrest, go to confession to clean the windowpane of your soul. Then you will be able to hear God’s voice and see His Face more clearly. “Blessed are the pure of heart for they will see God” (Mt. 5:8).
7. READ. Saint Teresa of Avila strongly encourages spiritual reading so as to educate us on the art of prayer. As Mother Superior of the Carmelites, she would not allow a woman to enter the convent who could not read because she saw it as a necessity in the spiritual life. Sacred Scripture, the Word of God ought to be our primary source for prayer. Pay special attention to the Psalms for developing your prayer life!
8. GIVE PRIME TIME TO PRAYER. It’s interesting to note that Saint Mark presents a typical day in the Public Life of Jesus by highlighting the fact that Jesus rose and got up to pray before dawn. Some may notice that, if delayed, prayer is often omitted or done poorly. To keep this from happening, let us follow Christ’s example and give to God the first moments of our day.
9. ASK GOD FOR HELP. The great Saint Augustine stated, “We are all beggars before God.” This means that we are truly dependent upon Him for everything. Jesus said, “without me you can do nothing,” but also “all things are possible for God.” Therefore, let us beg God for the grace to learn the art of prayer and to put it into practice. Rely wholly on the Holy Spirit, and He will quickly come to your aid!
10. ASK OTHERS FOR PRAYER. Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Mt 7:7). Let us have the humility to ask others to pray for us so that we can grow in our own prayer life. Saint James pointed out, “The prayer of a just man is very powerful before God.” Asking for help includes the intercession of the saints—especially Mary—and angels—especially your guardian angel, too!
11. FIND A SACRED PLACE. Even Jesus had a special place for prayer, the Garden of Gethsemane. So too should we have a designated space for talking with God. Find some place that’s regularly accessible and quiet, with minimal distractions.
12. PRAY IN FRONT OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. Venerable Fulton J. Sheen was famous for promoting the Daily Holy Hour, “The Hour of Power,” in front of the Blessed Sacrament—the real Presence of the Eucharistic Lord. He prayed this Holy Hour every day of his life and see how the Lord used him for promoting the Kingdom!
13. SEEK SPIRITUAL DIRECTION. All the saints are unanimous on the need for adequate spiritual direction. Ask the Lord to lead you to a good spiritual director. The spiritual life is not meant to be walked alone. Jesus walked with His disciples; therefore, we ought to seek spiritual accompaniment ourselves.
14. LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. A key element for growing in deeper relationship with God is by living in awareness of His Presence in all times and places. Saint Paul in Athens quoted one of their poets using these words: “In him we live and move and have our being.” May God grant us the grace to be aware of Him in people, in nature, as well as in all circumstances of life.
15. NEVER GIVE UP. One of the classic sayings of Saint Teresa of Avila is that “We must have a determination to never give up on prayer.” Jesus put it in these simple but powerful words: “He who perseveres until the end will be saved.” Most certainly this applies to prayer. Even when discouraged, distracted, or stuck in a dry period, never give up on prayer. Realize that these are the times to pray more intensely. In these moments of difficulty, the Lord wants to speak with you.

Picture your own life like that of Jacob wrestling with God, acknowledging the struggles and difficulties. With these 15 tools, however, your wrestling will lead you towards that prize for faithful prayer-warriors: Heaven!

Image from Wikimedia Commons