How the Gospel Affects Our Prayers
8Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. 10One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you.
Romans 1:8–10 (NLT)
Recognizing the Gospel as both the salvation Jesus has accomplished for us and the call to respond to the Lordship of the Son of God profoundly shapes our approach to prayer, as Paul demonstrated in Romans 1:8-10. You can meditate at the verse and answer these 3 questions for yourselves
- How does the Gospel shape our thanksgiving to God? (v. 8)
- How does the Gospel shape our persistence in prayer? (v. 9)
- How does the Gospel shape what we ask for in prayer? (v. 9 & 10)
(If these questions are too hard for you to answer, check the comments below for some ideas).
In the end, Talk to Jesus about what He is teaching you from those 3 verses today.
First, recognizing the Gospel’s work in our lives and the lives of others leads to heartfelt gratitude. Paul starts with thanksgiving, acknowledging God for the faith of the Romans. Unlike me, Paul’s understanding of the Gospel prompted him to give thanks for His work in the global body of Chris, the faith of the believers “reported all over the world.”
Second, Paul’s commitment to “serve with his whole heart in preaching the gospel” is coupled with his constant intercession for the believers in Rome. The Gospel not only informs the content of our prayers but our commitment to pray continually. As we grasp the depth of Jesus’ Lordship, we are motivated to intercede regularly for others, knowing that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in and through His people. If I don’t talk to God about people, I can’t really talk to people about God. And the phrase “God willing, to come at last to see you” meant that Paul didn’t get what he prayed for right away either. But he kept praying.
Third, in verse 9, Paul said he prayed “for you and your needs”. The Gospel helps us to see our deep needs of walking in the Lordship of Jesus, rather than just the circumstantial needs in our lives. Then in verse 10, Paul expresses his desire to visit the Roman believers, praying that God might “at last make it possible.” His prayer is Gospel-driven, longing for opportunities to strengthen and encourage the church in person. Recognizing the Lordship of Christ and the power of the Gospel, we too are encouraged to pray for open doors to share the Gospel, support fellow believers, and grow in our faith together.
Lord Jesus, let our prayer life reflect the Gospel we received! Amen.
1) The gospel shapes our thanksgiving to God in that we recognize the magnitude of God’s grace at work in our hearts and lives which leads to sincere gratitude, and a recognition of that very same grace working in the lives of others.
2) The gospel shapes our persistence in prayers in a similar fashion, as we recognize the grace of God and His sovereignty, we are compelled to pray on behalf of others. Persistence develops as we become aware of the redemptive process by which God works, as well as the spiritual forces at work in the world that would stand against it. But, here too, we pray “without ceasing,” knowing that the power that raised Christ from the dead can, has, and will overcome.
3) The gospel shapes what we ask for in prayer in that we come to the understanding that the deepest and ultimate need that anyone has is to be made right with God and drawn unto Him through faith in Christ, and all other needs are secondary to this. That is not to say that other needs are not important or cared for, but rather that God works through the redemptive process in His way and in His time, all for the eternal good of His people.