(By A. J. Tomlinson White Wing Messenger, February 1, 1941)
This means that one is determined to win in whatever he undertakes, no matter how hard he has to work. The statement indicates strong opposition, but there is to be no inclination toward giving up or withdrawing from the struggle. A retreat is not to be considered. The word “strive” means to make strenuous effort and labor hard. Strenuous means urgent, zealous, ardent. Calling for strong effort or exertion. To strive to do something is not to merely drift along at an easy pace, but to go at it, whatever it is, like you mean business and expect to win.
In the case of Jacob, when he was wrestling with the man for the mastery, he said, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” And in the fray, Jacob was wounded. His thigh was put out of place which caused him to limp as he walked. This showed that the conflict was severe, and he struggled so hard that his thigh was dislocated which made him lame.
While Jesus was going through the land, giving information about the kingdom and salvation, one raised a question by asking, “Are there few that be saved?” Jesus answered this important question by the use of the following words: “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24).
It seems that He meant to show that the reason so many would fail to enter into the kingdom was because they would not work hard enough to enter in. He meant to show that it was no easy job to get saved. It would take strenuous effort and hard labor on the part of the seeker to get saved. It would mean a hard struggle. And Jacob is often given as an example of persevering prayer as he was crippled in his struggle for victory. “As Jacob in the days of old, I wrestled with my Lord, and instant with a courage bold I stood upon His Word.” Jacob’s struggle was a severe one. But it is held as an example of persevering prayer, and he prevailed. Even after the Lord had touched Jacob’s thigh and put it out of joint, and He had told Jacob to let Him go, Jacob still held on and shouted, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” Jacob became desperate and held on in his striving. Then the Lord changed his name from Jacob to Israel, saying, “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel: for as prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”
It is evident that the reason men do not get saved any more than they do is because they do not strive as they should. Jesus still says, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate.” Strait means narrow, tight. Press through the tight way by striving and struggling in prayer. In desperation, shout out to God in prayer like Jacob, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”
An example of striving in prayer for others is given by the apostle Paul. This appears to be one of the ways to help others and compel them by the power of God to measure up to certain standards. Read from Paul on this subject: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis” (Col. 4:12, 13).
This is another good lesson for the ABM workers. Labor in prayer for those on you band—pastors for the entire membership. Strive, labor, work hard in prayer so you will have no backsliders. It is a sad thing for the pastors to let their members backslide, right while they are supposed to be with them and preaching to and feeding them. The members should all be kept. Yes, we must not stop until we are fully able, and do keep them all. This can and will be done by more powerful praying—striving together in prayer.
Those who are watching for souls and taking care of them as real active band leaders are not expecting to merely visit their members and talk to them with the object of encouraging them. That is a part of it all right, but it is not enough. Powerful and mighty prevailing prayers are needed also. In these prayers, there must be striving, and whatever it takes to prevail with God, so He will entwine His love and care around the members until they just cannot get away. As a special reminder, in connection with praying with all prayer and supplication for all saints that is always very necessary, important and really essential, I wish to give one of the special points of instructions that is worth referring to quite often by the pastor and his band leaders: Take all the members of your band on your heart and pray for them every day. Do your best to feel responsible for them, and as far as possible, be able to say to God by and by, as Jesus said to His Father: “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition.”