Were you ever really stubborn when you were little? When I was around seven, I really, really, really did not want to go to bed one night. I fought, I kicked, I rebelled, I screamed, and still my mom managed to stuff me into my bed. I don't know how she did it; I think she was really superwoman in disguise or something. Even though she won the battle, my mom to this day, remembers our little battle. I probable remember it more, because of my desire to win it. How I struggled.

In Genesis, there was a guy a lot more stubborn than I've ever been. His name was Jacob. He struggled all his life. First, in an attempt to get ahead of his older brother Esau he steals his birthright, and then his blessing. After that, he goes for a stroll in his earlier years, amidst his work place and runs into a beautiful woman named Rachel. Enamored by her beauty he works seven years for her papa, just to get her hand in marriage. Jacob ends up with a boss as crafty as he is. The boss disguises his older daughter Leah, and he marries her instead of Rachel. Bound and determined, though, Jacob works another seven years for her. Wow, what women wouldn't want a man like that!!

Which brings me back to my point. There is a determination in Jacob that we as women should have in our times of prayer. All of us should become warriors, willing to wrestle for the things we desire and want in life.

It took Jacob fourteen years to get his wife! Some of us can't prayer anymore than five minutes. (Though I must say I really hope it doesn't take another fourteen years for me to get my husband.) In Genesis 32, Jacob faces his biggest struggle of all. A struggle with the most high God himself:

"That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.' But Jacob replied, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.' "

What is that?! Who in the world wrestles with God? If we were to take Jacob's wrestling, and see it the same as our persistence in prayer, there would be a whole different light. For you see, Jacob did not ask for riches, wisdom, a new spouse, even healing. He asked for the Lord's blessing. But he didn't just say, "Please God, bless my today," he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." He was stubborn and persistent, and he would not settle for less.

In 1 Samuel 1:8-20 is the story of a women named Hannah. She really, really, really wanted a son. She had a husband who loved her, he even favored her over his other wife, but she wanted a son so badly that she would not settle for anything less than that. She was mocked in her persistence of prayer, she even vowed that her blessing be given back to the Lord if she received it. God eventually honored her and answered her prayer. The son she bore was Samuel.

There are many ways we can wrestle with God, but often we don't pray and ask out of doubt, or lack of faith. We also don't think about how much God really desires to bless us. Did God just laugh and Jacob and say, "No way buddy, you wrestled with me-no more blessing for you! I've blessed you too many times already." Nope, God blesses him. In Matthew 7:7-11 it says:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to you children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him."

God wants to bless us. Not only that, he honors those stubborn obstinate ones, who won't leave him alone. In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus tells a parable about a widow, who comes every day to the court and pleads to a judge for justice. The Judge is the Lord, and we are the widow-presenting our daily prayers to the Lord. The judge in the parable eventually gives the widow what she wants because of her constant nagging. I don't know about you, but that's the kind of prayer warrior I want to be. I want God up in heaven saying, "Man! Ericka's asking me for that again!" All we need to do is ask.

Luke 18:27 says, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." So let's wrestle like Jacob, cry out like Hannah, and persist like the widow in our prayers. Then, God will shower those blessings down. Blessings dedicated for Him and his glory, and that will bring us to a place of joy in Him. Never let go!