Jacob Wrestling with God

My first impression on reading Genesis 32:22-32 was "How can a man wrestle with God?" not just that "He prevails God?" and "God lets him prevail?"

But wrestling is not the physical fight here. It’s the deep cry from Jacob's heart in anguish and desperation (Hosea 12:4-He strove with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor.) God had asked Jacob to go back to his homeland (Genesis 31:3-Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.") But in his homeland he has to face Esau whom he had deceived and thus might be eagerly waiting to kill him(that is what Jacob thought)(Genesis 32:6-7-And the messengers returned to Jacob saying, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him")

Are you wrestling with God now? Are you in a season that makes you feel you can't take it anymore? In spite of all the promises that God gave you, you can't hold back your tears when you are alone with God? Let the tears flow, repent for your sins and ask for God's favor because this is the season God chose to bless you. Don't give up on praying. Tell God that you won't leave until you bless me LORD (Genesis 32:26 - But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me.") Jacob's reward was great. A whole nation is named after his new name Israel. What a great blessing!!!

I Need You Jesus to come to my rescue. Where else can I go??

Such a beautiful song and prayer to one and only Savior  Jesus!!

You are the source of life

I can't be left behind

No one else will do

I will take hold of You

Cause I need You Jesus,

To come to my Rescue

Where else can I go

There is no other name

By which I am saved.

Oh capture me with grace

I will follow You 

My heart is Yours,

For Life I need your hand in mine

No one else will do

I put my trust in You

Cause I need You Jesus,

To come to my Rescue

Oh where else can I go

There is no other name

By which I am saved.

Oh capture me with grace

I need You Jesus,

To come to my Rescue

Tell me where else can I go

There is no other name

By which I am saved.

Oh capture me with grace

I will follow You 

This world has nothing for me

I will follow You

God Talks

God chooses to talk to us in several different ways-words(Bible), visions, dreams, people, nature, His Voice. How wonderful it is to have a privilege of hearing from the only Living Glorious God. 
Paul says- pray continuously(1 Thessalonians 5:17). But how can someone pray all the time? What is prayer? Prayer is talking to God. Our understanding of prayer can change a lot things. Prayer is having a communication with God. Not just one way communication. We often fall into this trap of one way communication. We give an excuse of busyness, tell God that we are busy, just say the list of needs and walk off. Think about a scenario-You make a call to your friend, he/she picks up the call, you keep on telling whatever you wanted to tell, cut the call before hearing whatever your friend had to say. Jesus calls us His friend(John 15:15). How are we treating our friend?

Lets change this perspective and habit of prayer. Prayer is a two way communication- Having a relationship with God. So you will be thinking will God talk to me? why not? David says 'I call on you, my God, for you will answer me... '(Psalm 17:6)'He will respond to the prayer of destitute...'(Psalm 102:7).
We see so many instances in old testament where God talks to his appointed ones. One of them is Moses.

Listen carefully to what I’m telling you.

"If there is a prophet of God among you,

I make myself known to him in visions,

I speak to him in dreams.

But I don’t do it that way with my servant Moses;

he has the run of my entire house;

I speak to him intimately, in person,

in plain talk without riddles:...."

Numbers 12:6-8

God chose to speak to Moses (intimately, in person) in plain talk and no riddles. Many think that God talks only to preachers, evangelists, leaders. But that is not true. God gave his Holy Spirit to all those who believe in Jesus and called us His sons and daughters. As sons and daughters of God, we have much more privilege than Moses to listen from God in the plain talks.

Now you know that God loves to talk to His children. He is always ready to talk to us. Its we, who are caught up in our day to day lives that we forget to acknowledge God.

After knowing that you can hear from God, big question arises-but how do I hear from God? Here is the answer- You will go through these phases:
1. Be expectant- desire with your whole heart to hear from God. 
2. Act - pray for it. Ask God to speak to you
3. Believe- Trust God that He will talk to you
5. Be Still- wait for God to talk.

These phases are applicable for any kind of breakthrough as well.