Romans 1:9: For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.
They did not know of Paul’s prayer support, but the Lord knew about it and honored it. (I wonder how many of us know the people who are praying for us?) One of the burdens of Paul’s prayer was that God would permit him to visit Rome and minister to the churches there. 1
I always remember you means that Paul always prays to God in behalf of the Romans. In this type of context remember must not be translated in such a way as to suggest that Paul had forgotten about the Romans. A more appropriate equivalent in some languages is “I always keep thinking about you” or “you are always in my mind.” 2
Application
- Consider writing the down the names of those that you want to pray for.
- Paul knew that God was his daily witness to all that he did. As believers, we should live with the daily knowledge that God witnesses everything we do.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for my prayerlessness. I pray for a more effective prayer life.
1. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
2. Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1973). A handbook on Paul’s letter to the Romans. New York: United Bible Societies., J. V. (1991)