SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: KJV

In the heavenly places there are found a great many spiritual blessings (mercy, grace, sanctification, revelation, wisdom, etc.) that exceedingly surpass those that are temporal and material. And the weight of scripture suggests that such spiritual blessings will chiefly be realized and accessed through prayer. And Jacob’s wrestling with the heavenly messenger demonstrates much to this end. (Genesis 32:24-32)

Jacob’s wrestling with the manifest presence of God himself in the form of an angel was a unique moment in the history of Judeao-Christian faith, for the resulting spiritual blessing of this wrestling was God’s eternal identification of His people as Israel. Nevertheless, the patriarch’s wrestling contains the same characteristics of those who would labor in prayer to access “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

First, having done all that ought be done (and could be done) in preparation for facing Esau, Jacob “was left alone, and there wrestled…” Genesis 32:24 Like Jacob, Paul and even our Lord, heartfelt, fervent prayer availeth all the required spiritual blessing that is necessary in the face of trial, and it often resembles a violent, intense wrestling. Secondly, the heavenly messenger served as a strong adversary who stood in opposition to Jacob’s blessing. (Though holy heavenly messengers are not to be classed with demonic, evil beings–as in the case of Daniel, Job and Zechariah and Joshua, the priest–contrarily, we find heavenly messengers contending with such forces in order to render some benefit on behalf of God’s people. Hebrews 1:14)

Thirdly, Jacob wrestled for quite some time, for the messenger relayed, “Let me go, for the day breaketh.”(While there are a great many prayers–short and long–those who would labor for unseen spiritual blessings will often labor long and persistently.) Lastly, Jacob would not let go until he experienced some tangible spiritual blessing: “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” (Without fail, one will always experience a tangible, manifest spiritual blessing in the inner man after such travails in prayer, for whenever one draws nigh to God, He will draw nigh to you James 4:8.)

Jacob leaves us with no misunderstanding. Spiritual blessings require spiritual prayer: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”-Ephesians 6:12