Striving in Prayer (Romans 15.30-33)

Posted by on January 17, 2012 in The Pastor's Pen | 0 comments

On next Sunday morning, January 22, 2012, I will be preaching on Romans 15.30-33 where the apostle Paul asked the believers in Rome to strive together with him in prayer.

I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. (Romans 15.30-33 ESV)

So many questions to ask the Lord this week, but the initial ones include:

  • What does it mean to strive in prayer? What does striving prayer look like?
  • What does it mean to pray “by our Lord Jesus Christ” and “by the love of the Spirit”? How do those two things impact and change our prayer for others?
  • Paul’s specific request (verse 31) was that God would do something specific in Jerusalem, and that specific work involved changing the hearts, minds, and wills of other people. Can our prayers to God really impact the choices and directions of other people’s lives?
  • How does our striving in prayer relate to the will of God (verse 32)? If God wills something, do we need to pray for it? Does our prayer change God’s will or impact God’s will? Or does God simply will that He acts in concert with our prayer?

These are weighty questions, and the answers to these questions can be life changing. I invite you to stop by each day this week as I seek to answer these questions. I would be honored if you would share your thoughts along the way.

As we study this together, may we also consider the following.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. (2 Corinthians 1.8-11)

In situations of very real dangers, Paul sought out the very real help of believers striving together with him in prayer.  Oh, may we come to know what this means.

Father, open my eyes this week that I might see truth. Help me to understand what it means to strive in prayer. More importantly, teach me how to strive in prayer and what to strive in prayer for. Give me a vision for the power of prayer. 

You can follow the pastor’s study and preparation for this week’s sermon at his blog.