In Romans 15:30 Paul asks the believers that they "strive together" with him in prayer on his behalf. We understand "agonize" to refer to someone's personal pain, sometimes emotional, sometimes physical. But there was one particular group of people in the 1st century world to whom the concept of agonizing applied: athletes. For them "to agonize" meant to diligently strive for excellence in their sport, to be willing to pay the price in order to succeed.
We may be complacent about prayer, and perhaps it was a tendency among some believers of Paul's day. But Paul said to "strive", to "agonize" in our prayers. Prayer is powerfully transforming in our lives and the lives of others. This transforming prayer is worth striving together
We may think that Paul's request is for us to suffer in our praying. That is one aspect. But it reaches beyond our willingness to suffer pain and goes to the very seat of our will itself. It asks the question, "Are you willing to do whatever is necessary, even so far as to suffer, in order for your faith to be successful? Are you willing to even humble yourself, discipline yourself, to reach the goal of the calling you have in Christ?" To agonize, to take the measure necessary to live our faith powerfully, victoriously.
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