Thursday, July 14, 2005
Boxing. Now, some people like it and some people don't. But those ever-present "Rocky" movies seemed to give us boxing as a mythical battlefield between the nice guy underdog and the not-so-nice favorite. A lot of boxing fans thought it was sort of a Rocky matchup when several years ago Evander Holyfield went against Mike Tyson for the WBA heavyweight championship. Holyfield was a 25-1 underdog when the fight was booked. Tyson was the almost invincible "Iron Mike" then - called by some commentators "the baddest man on the planet." Well, much to everyone's surprise including Las Vegas, where a lot of money was lost, the underdog Holyfield soundly defeated Mike Tyson. USA Today's lead sports story carried this headline, "Holyfield puts faith in more than his fists." It went on to tell about the boxer's strong emphasis on prayer before and during the fight. In fact, let me quote an amazing perspective from that article that goes way beyond boxing. "Holyfield sang along to a gospel tune on his CD player before leaving his dressing room, leading his camp in a joyous, revival-style celebration. One fighter said, "It was as if the fight was a preliminary. He had already won the main event in the dressing room!"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Winning the Fight Before it Begins."
The new champion acted as if the fight had been won before he ever got in the ring because of his spiritual preparation. I think many a bout - with much higher stakes - is won that same way.
James 5:16, our word for today from the Word of God: "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." If you translate that verse more literally, with the original word order in there, it comes out something like this: "Much the prayer of a righteous one has power to do as it works effectively." Big word - prayer. That's what ultimately gets the job done!
Paul obviously recognized the outcome of his ministry was largely decided by the prayer that his friends offered to God for him. For example, he said in Colossians 4:3, "Pray for us that God may open a door for our message." If Paul didn't find an open door when he went somewhere to present Christ, the message wouldn't get through. He implied that the openness of the door would be determined, not by his presentation, but by the door-opening prayers of his friends. He went on to say, "Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." Will Paul's preaching be clear and powerful? That would be decided by the prayer that preceded his ministry.
And so it goes throughout Paul's letters - appeals to pray for him as if the outcome would be decided in those prayers. Two thousand years have passed, but the deciding factor in spiritual battles is still the same. It's not what personality we book for the meeting, or the promotion, or the politics of having the right connections, or excellent planning, or a great program. There's no power in any of those by themselves. The power is in prayer - in God's people praying down the power and blessing of God as they boldly go into the Throne Room of the one who rules the galaxies.
In other words, the battle isn't won in the planning meeting or the public meeting. Spiritual victories are pre-won in a prayer meeting. All we do "in the ring" is pick up the victory that was won on our knees, in the heavenlies, before the fight ever began.
Whatever your battle, don't make the mistake of depending on your "fists" to win it. Make prayer your number one way of getting things done. If you've won it in God's Throne Room, it's only a matter of time before you win it in the big fight. That's how an underdog can defy the odds and beat what seems unbeatable!