Travailing Prayer

Jesus compares being baptized in water in Jesus name and being filled with His Spirit to birth. (John 3:5)

The spiritual mother is the church, baptizing in water in Jesus name. The spiritual Father is Jesus, filling with His Spirit.

In the natural, travail is a word that describes a woman in labour giving birth to a baby. In the spiritual, it follows that the church must also go through travail. We can see this travail as being strong prayer.

Travailing prayer is physically consuming prayer, prayer with tears, praying in the Holy Ghost, speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance.

"For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." - Isaiah 66:8

Such strong prayer not only births souls but also brings rebirth of backsliders.

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you," - Galatians 4:19

Travailing prayer is not only crucial for the spiritual birth of souls, it is also effective for the work of the ministry for the preaching of the gospel which leads to the spiritual birth of souls. (Acts 2:38-41, 1Corinthians 15:1-2, Romans 10:13-17) Thus, travailing prayer for the ministry is also in order.

Apostle Paul recognized the vital necessity of strong prayer – praying in the Spirit - for his ministry to the lost, putting in a prayer request to the church at Ephesus along with his instruction on the armour of God.

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel," - Ephesians 6:18-19

"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." - Acts 4:31

When tears accompany the planting of the seed of the gospel, there is spiritual reproduction.

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." - Psalm 126:5-6

When we covenant with Jesus by water baptism taking on His name, it is not simply a religious experience, it is a relationship. Jesus promises with our covenant with Him that He will fill us with His Spirit, and our new life together begins. (Acts 2:38)

"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine..." - Song of Songs 6:3

Just as when we marry our spouse, we face together with Jesus the trials and tribulations of life, the good times and the lean times. In our commitment to each other, we remain true and faithful and our relationship grows stronger. (Ephesians 5:22-32)

Apostle Paul said, in everything we do and go through, we show we are faithful, true partners with God, supplied with His armour, His power working in us through trials and tribulations, coming close to death, yet still alive, no matter what we go through having the joy of the Lord, as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. (2Corinthians 6:1-10)

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." - Revelation 19:7 (John 1:29, John 3:28-30, Ephesians 5:22-32, 2Corinthians 11:2)

The Holy Ghost truly is a gift from God!

By the gift of God's Spirit in us, we can sit in heavenly places.

"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" - Ephesians 2:6 KJV

And this is just the earnest of our inheritance!

"Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." - Ephesians 1:14 KJV

God promises He will give us this precious treasure of His Holy Ghost in our humble, human, “earthen vessel.” It is beyond comprehension to think that God Almighty would live within us!

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." - 2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." - Acts 1:8 KJV

Is there someone you haven't forgiven, even if they haven't told you they were sorry (Luke 23:34, Acts 7:60)?

Do you have family, friends, loved ones, that you haven't told you love them?

Is there something the Lord has put on your mind to do for Him that you have ignored, delaying by “putting it on the back burner”, and haven't done it?

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." - Ephesians 5:16-17 KJV

“Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” - Ephesians 5:16-17 NLT

When we turned our life to Jesus, started a new life baptized in Jesus name, Jesus gave us the promise of His Spirit. (Acts 2:38-39) When we received His Spirit, the Holy Ghost, we received the joy of the Lord in our soul. The world didn't give us this joy, Jesus did, and the world can't take it away!

We have God's joy no matter how bad the circumstance, no matter how hard the trial. The joy of the Lord is our strength. When we hold on to His joy, and praise Him in our tribulation, it opens the door to great miracles. We have joy because God is good, we love Him, we have faith in Him, and trust Him. This is when God does great things.

"And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

“And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

“And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

“Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

“And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

“And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." - Acts 16:23-34 KJV

In the Song of Solomon, a book in the Bible of the love between God and His people, there is a verse that is in the midst of verses.

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." - Song of Songs 2:15 KJV

Another translation reads,

"Young Women of Jerusalem Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!" - Song of Songs 2:15 NLT

The definition of “foxes” is “burrowers.”

In the New Testament, Jesus describes the relationship of Him and His people as a vine and branches. If our relationship with Jesus is ruined, we cannot bear fruit. The little foxes need to be caught that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. ... If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." - John 15:5, 7 KJV

What can ruin our relationship with Jesus? We know, of course, sin ruins our relationship with Him.

What could be those little foxes that spoil the vines?

These “little foxes” could be the thoughts that enter our minds that can lead to sin.

Just a little thought. A little fox. Yet what begins as little thought can “spoil the vines.”

"And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" - Matthew 9:4 KJV

Thoughts that are ungodly, accusing, unforgiving, hateful, lustful, prideful, lying thoughts… so many little foxes that can spoil the vines. (Mark 7:21-23)

"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." - James 1:14-15 KJV

"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." - John 15:6 KJV

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." - John 15:2-3 KJV

To keep the little foxes out of our relationship with God, we guard our minds.

"(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" - 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 KJV

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober [think clearly and exercise self-control], and hope to the end for [look forward to] the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" - 1 Peter 1:13 KJV

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

“Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." - Philippians 4:8-9 KJV

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