Sermon Tone Analysis
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Paul begs the Romans to strive together with him in prayer.
This comes right after Paul told them of his plans
Paul very casually expressed his plans to the Romans.
I will come to you on my way to Spain but first I must go to Jerusalem to deliver this gift to the poor believers their and then I’ll come see you.
However, this represents thousands of kilometres of travel in ancient times, The risk of travel in during this time was far greater than it is today.
With the many dangers and the prophecies that he would be arrested in Jerusalem knew the risk and yet he was confident.
Why?
I believe that Paul trusted that he would get to Rome if it was the Lords will and so he didn’t seem to worry.
But he did pray.
Not only did Paul pray but he urged the Christians in Rome to strive together with him in prayer.
Paul begged them to struggle together with him in prayer.
Paul’s Prayer Request
Three things that Paul request prayer for
1.
That he would be delivered from unbelievers in Judea
2. That his offering to the saints in Jerusalem would be accepted
3. The he would be able to come to Rome with joy by the will of God to be refreshed together with them
Not only was Paul praying these things but he calls for the Church in Rome to struggle together with him in prayer for these things.
This tells me that Paul believed that his prayers were more likely to be answered if
More Christians were praying
They prayed more diligently
What do the Scriptures teach us?
Do you believe that your prayers are effective?
Sometimes people will ask “can we change God’s mind with our prayer” But these are very different questions.
God is all knowing.
That means He knows all things from the beginning to the end.
Which means that God cannot change His mind at least in the way we think of it.
God cannot receive any new information so He knows what we will do and He knows what He will do.
But it is a very different question to ask if our prayers are effective.
Did God Answer Paul’s Prayers?
Acts 21:17–20 (NKJV)
17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
19 When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord.
So the prayer that his service would be acceptable to the saints in Jerusalem was answered.
Although it doesn’t say explicitly that they received the gift it seems to be implied it that they gladly receieved them.
It would seem that Paul’s prayers to be protected in Judea and to be able to go to Rome were not answered.
Did God not hear Paul’s prayers and the many prayers of the churches that Paul had traveled to and written to?
What happens when we do pray earnestly ad others struggle with us in our prayers and it seems that God it’s listening to us?
Firstly we must pray according to the will of God.
The promise that we have is that He will hear our prayers if they are according to His will.
Secondly we must know that God’s answer to our prayer may not look as we imagine that it should.
Let’s consider Paul’s situation again.
His prayer was that he would be protected from the unbelievers in Judea.
It was actually Paul arrest by the Romans that protected him from the Jews.
They were about to kill him when the Romans soldiers arrived.
We read later that the Jews plotted to kill him and again it was the Roman soldiers who protected Paul especially because they had learned that he was a Roman citizen.
What about Paul’s trip to Rome?
After Paul remained in prison for 2 years he requested that his case be heard by Caesar which was a right of ever Roman citizen.
They then escorted him Rome were he was under house arrest for 2 more years.
He was able to have visitors and write letters and minister and fellowship with the Roman Christians during that time.
So in fact God answered all or Paul’s prayers just not in the way that we might have expected.
So often we pray and we think that God has not granted out request or heard our prayer but time reveals that He brought everything to past perfectly according to His purpose.
God does answer our prayers so continue to struggle in prayer.
Prayer is our opportunity to be involved in the divine and eternal work of God.
Your prayers are effective.
Don’t ever give up praying for that lost loved one or that wayward child, or sick friend or family member.
God is able and willing to hear our prayers and do exceeding and abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine.
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