# 309 Persist In Prayer!

The Book of Genesis

Day 309

Ge 32:24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.  25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.  26 And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!"  27 So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob."  28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."  29 Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there.  30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."  31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob's hip in the muscle that shrank.

The all night wrestling match coming to a close and the Angel of the Lord says, “Let go of me Jacob!”  But Jacob refuses to let go unless the Angel of the Lord blesses him. The blessing comes in the form of a new name for Jacob, and honestly there is no higher blessing than a new name bestowed on someone by God! Re 3:12 says,  "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.”

“Jacob” means “deceiver,” but from now on he is to be known as “Israel.” (The one who has struggled with God and man and prevailed.”) He is now like that overcomer mentioned in Rev 3:12!

The “El” by the way, in Israel is the Hebrew word for “God.” That’s important to know here because Jacob goes on to ask, “I have told you my name, what’s yours?” And the Angel of the Lord responds, “Why do you ask about My name?” In other words, “Pay attention Israel, for in renaming you, I have revealed my name to you, and you will find My name in your name!” You are now in me and I am in you!

Jacob is overwhelmed at this point because he realized whom he was tangling with and so he gives this place a name, he calls it Peniel (Peni El) for he knows he has seen God face to face, and his life is preserved.

Bring on Esau! Bring on the problems of this world! He has prevailed through prayer with God, and God has assured him that he will be preserved! Let there be no doubt in your mind about who Jacob wrestled with on this night. To this day, the Jews traditionally avoid eating the part of an animal that coincided with the area that the Angel of the Lord touched on Jacob. They do this because what God has touched is holy!

Jacob wrestled with God! He persisted in prevailing prayer and was blessed. Salvation, eternal life in heaven, is a monumental struggle between the deceiver (the devil) and the Angel of the Lord, (Jesus)  Mt 11:12 reminds us "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”

When the struggle comes in your own life (and it will) prevail with God! Be the overcomer mentioned in Rev 3:12 and by the grace of God, inherit heaven!