Romans 15:30: Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,
This is one of the most solemn, earnest, and serious appeals of Paul for prayer that we find in the Bible. Paul recognizes that he is facing enemies are on every hand. Paul had reason to fear, as succeeding events proved. He is asking for prayer in a very wonderful way, “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul realized that everything that was to come to him had to come through Jesus Christ. He asked the believers in Rome to join with him in prayer. He says, “I want all of you to pray through Christ—He is our great Intercessor—go through Him to God on my behalf.” By “through the love of the Spirit” he means that love is the fruit of the Spirit which joins all believers together. And, friend, we ought to pray for each other. “That ye strive intensely for me.” The Greek word for strive is tremendous. We get our English word agonize from it. Paul is saying, “Agonize with me.” How we need to pray like this—not just praying by rote or by going over our prayer list hurriedly. For the apostle Paul prayer was with great agony, great exercise of soul. He laid hold of God. This kind of praying is so desperately needed today! You and I need people who know how to pray for us. 1
Application
- Pray right now, with greater earnestness than ever before, for someone else.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for hearing my prayers and providing just the answer I need.
1. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Romans 9-16) (electronic ed., Vol. 43). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
