October 19, 2025
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TEXT: Genesis 32:3-8,22-30; Luke 18:1-8
TOPIC: Persevering Prayer
SERMON SUMMARY:
Wrestling with God: The Gift of Persevering Prayer
In college, I had a friend who loved professional wrestling—all fake, all entertainment. As a former high school wrestler, I knew real wrestling: six exhausting minutes that leave you completely spent. That's why Jacob's story always puzzled me. How could he wrestle an angel all night?
Jacob's wrestling match was a divinely arranged turning point. He'd been a cheater and manipulator his whole life—his very name meant "he cheats." He'd stolen his brother's birthright and blessing, burned bridges with family, and now returned home wealthy but fearful. God had to transform him from Jacob the deceiver into Israel, "one who has striven with God and prevailed."
Three aspects of this match reveal profound truths about spiritual breakthrough:
First, wrestling all night goes beyond normal limits. The point isn't the physical impossibility—it's that Jacob persevered until he had absolutely nothing left. Breakthrough often comes when we've exhausted everything: physically, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually. Think of Jesus fasting forty days, Paul suffering beyond strength, Christ's agony in Gethsemane—the oil press where intense pressure forces oil from olives. What if those seasons of crying out to God aren't meant to escape, but to endure and later thank Him for?
Second, Jacob wasn't wrestling to defeat the angel—he was clinging to get a blessing. When Paul writes about wrestling against spiritual forces, he means standing firm in God's armor through persevering prayer. We don't contend with darkness directly; we hold onto God. The more we have Him, the less darkness controls us.
Third, Jacob's injured hip became his gift. Before the match, he had tireless energy for scheming. Afterward, he walked with a limp—a constant reminder to lean on God's strength, not his own.
What door is God calling you to keep knocking on? Kingdom breakthrough comes through persevering, contending, clinging, and crying out to Him until you have nothing left.
Ordained in the Anglican Church more than 20 years ago, The Very Reverend Rob Holman has led congregations in New York and Los Angeles with sound biblical preaching, prayerful discernment, and trained organizational management skills. Besides his role as Rector of St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Montrose, CA, Fr. Rob is also Dean of the Greater Los Angeles Deanery in the ACNA’s Diocese of Western Anglicans. During his tenure in Los Angeles, he has run Kingdom Conferences for the Diocese and been a speaker at the Deanery’s annual Next Steps in Mission training day. Fr. Rob received his Master of Divinity at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA and is a graduate of the University of Virginia (BS Engineering '87 and MBA '91).
For over a century, the congregation of St. Luke’s has followed Jesus Christ through ancient forms of worship and spiritual growth presented in a contemporary style. St. Luke’s celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024. The original stone building, made of stones from the local mountains, still stands on Foothill Blvd in La Crescenta—though the Anglican congregation has moved to a new building just a few blocks away near downtown Montrose. Retaining its biblically faithful foundation and liturgically rich worship service through the move, this long-standing Los Angeles church also carries on a tradition of warm welcome for newcomers. St. Luke’s is part of the Diocese of Western Anglicans, Anglican Church in North America, and the Global Anglican Communion. We invite you to join us online or in person this Sunday!
