Romans 1:9-12

Passage

For my witness is God, whom I venerate in my spirit in the good news of His Son, that without ceasing I make remembrances of you at all times upon my prayers while asking if somehow I will now be successful in the will of God to come to you all.  For I desire to see you all in order that I should share some spiritual gift with you in order to strengthen you all; and this is to mutually encourage you in the faith of each other, both yours and mine.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul tells the believers in Rome that he is remembering them in his prayers as he worships God.  This is a significant point, because to the best of our knowledge Paul has never met the church in Rome or any of the people who worship there.  Thus, what Paul is telling them is that he is praying for them regardless of whether or not he knows them in person.  This is another witness to their faithfulness in Rome.  God’s grace is so great in Rome that Paul feels the need to pray for their continued growth in God.

Whom do you pray for in the faith whether you know them or not?  Do you believe you need to know someone to pray for them?  What does it say about someone’s witness when you feel compelled to pray for them whether you know them or not?

Second Thought:

Paul also tells the Roman believers that he desires to come and see them in their faith.  He has wanted to come and visit them, but God has not yet given him the opportunity.  Of course, knowing Paul’s life we know the reason for his coming to Rome.  Paul has been arrested in Jerusalem and has appealed for Caesar to hear his case.  He is coming to Rome because he has no other direction to go!  Although Paul would have liked to have come to earlier, there was always more work to do.  Now, as a possible convict he comes to Rome.  Yet even here he doesn’t come in shame as he has been arrested for his witness to Jesus Christ in Jerusalem.

What can this tell us about Paul and his priorities in life?  What can we glean from this passage regarding Paul’s ability to differentiate between his desires and God’s will?

Third Thought:

Paul knows that when he comes, he and the Roman believers will be encouraged by each other’s faith.  The Romans are living out their calling from God in Rome: the heart of paganism in the known world at the time.  Paul has willingly asked to be on trial before Caesar in order that he might be able to reach into Caesar’s household with the Gospel.  Here we have two groups of people who are willing to do whatever it takes to be a part of God’s transforming the world.  There is much reason to think that they can encourage one another in the faith.

Who encourages you in your faith?  Why is community an important to encouraging individuals in their faith?  Why are individual testimonies of faith important to the overall community?

Passage for Tomorrow: Romans 1:13-15