By this time, Alma already had a strong relationship with the Lord. Yet, instead of faithfully requesting help in his missionary endeavors, he labors much in the spirit, even to the point of wrestling with God. This shows his great concern for the welfare of the people; he could not bear that any human soul should perish (Mosiah 28:3). Such a spiritual wrestling match was necessary in order to win back the hearts which Satan had such a hold of. Alma's spiritual struggle is a great lesson to all missionaries.
Many missionaries can relate to serving in an area where the power of Satan seems much greater than their small influence. When a missionary is faced with this sort of trying situation, he has a few options. He can give up, or he can pray for help, or he can do what Alma did—labor much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer. The easily frustrated missionaries will try the former and think more about dusting off their feet than laboring in the Spirit.
Ironically, after Alma's great spiritual struggle, the people reject him again. But his prayer does not go unanswered. As the next several chapters show, he and Amulek perform a great work in Ammonihah which brings about the salvation of many souls. As Mormon explains, they also had power given unto them, insomuch that they could not be confined in dungeons; neither was it possible that any man could slay them (v. 31).
Hugh Nibley
"Wrestling with God? Does God resist you? Do you have to resist him? No, you have to put yourself into position, in the right state of mind. Remember, in our daily walks of life as we go around doing things, we're far removed…You have to get yourself in form, like a wrestler having to look around for a hold or get a grip, as Jacob did when he wrestled with the Lord. You have to size yourself up, take your stance, circle the ring, and try to find out how you're going to deal with this particular problem. You're not wrestling with the Lord; you're wrestling with yourself. Remember, Enos is the one who really wrestled. And he told us what he meant when he was wrestling; he was wrestling with himself, his own inadequacies. How can I possibly face the Lord in my condition, is what he says.
"…It takes great mental effort to confront the Lord in all seriousness. We do it at various shallow levels, by routine. We have a prayer here because we feel we should. If we're going to make it really serious, we have to work on it harder…and very few people are willing to do it, but it really pays off because you know exactly what you want and where you stand." (Teachings of the Book of Mormon, lecture 47, pp. 301-2)