Travail

While not a biblical word, “travail” is a biblical idea. The first known usage of the word was in the 13th century and it described work of a painful or laborious nature. Synonyms were agony, torment, distress, tribulation, woe. Some modern translations of Gal.4:19 and Rom 8:22 describe “the pains of childbirth” by using the word “travail.” Not sure when Christians first began to use the word related to prayer, but we have ceased to use it with the same frequency as our forefathers. While most prayer is joyful, some prayer includes exhausting work. Hezekiah and Isaiah “cried out to heaven” (2 Chron. 32:20). The Sons of Israel “cried out” to God in confession of sin (Neh. 9:28). Hannah was “in bitterness” and “wept in anguish” in her prayer (1 Sam. 1:10). According to the writer of Hebrews, Jesus prayed with “vehement cries and tears” (Heb. 5:7). Indeed our Lord prayed with such intensity in Gethsemane that “His sweat became like great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44). Paul asked believers in Rome to “strive together” with him in prayer (Rom. 15:30). Epaphras was “always laboring fervently” in his prayers (Col. 4:12). Our forefathers in the faith spoke of “importunity” in prayer. Today, we speak of “agonizing” or “wrestling” in prayer. It is all a form of travail. Serious prayer warrior, I ask you a question. How long has it been since you travailed in prayer? When was the last time your sweat appeared as blood? Pray on!

Join me this week in praying for the following global concerns:
• Pray for missionaries all over the world as they host Thanksgiving meals in order to serve their friends and tell of their thankfulness for what the Father has provided.
• Pray for Collegiate discipleship groups started on three German campuses this month (Hamburg, Jena, and Braunschweig).
• In Luke 10:2 Jesus instructs His disciples to “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Join with those who are praying at either 10:02 a.m. or 10:02 p.m. each day for workers to be called and placed in the metro Vancouver (Canada) harvest field?
• One of the largest Muslim celebrations is this week. It is called the “Celebration of the Sacrifice”. Muslims are encouraged to sacrifice a lamb in remembrance of the lamb Abraham sacrificed to God. Pray for those who work among Muslims and attempt to share Good News of the true Sacrificial Lamb.