The Apostle Paul, a man of prayer.

The ungodly consider prayer a waste of time. Christians are considered weak since they seek deliverance outside of themselves. We who are Christians know that prayer is not a matter of weakness but faith. We have transferred trust from ourselves to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

As we come to the conclusion of the study of Romans, I am refreshed by Paul’s commitment to prayer. Romans 15:22-33 pictures Paul as a man on his knees who encourages others to do the same. This is the same Paul who described himself in Romans 1:1, Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, and in 1 Corinthians 9:1, Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? Also, consider his comments in 2 Corinthians 11:25, Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;

Paul was a strong man who depended on prayer not on his accomplishments. He was an apostle but he coveted the prayers of others that he might have success in ministry. He is probably the greatest evangelist of all time but he asked others to pray for him as he proclaimed the Gospel, Colossians 4:3-4, At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

Paul knew that living and proclaiming the Christian life is not just difficult but impossible without God working on his behalf through the prayers of brothers and sisters in Christ. Prayer was not an afterthought but was at the forefront of his ministry. Warren Wiersbe catches Paul’s prayer focus, . . . our praying must not be a casual experience that has no heart or earnestness. We should put as much fervor into our praying as a wrestler does into his wrestling! Hear John Calvin, (Paul) shows how the godly ought to pray for their brethren, that they are to assume their person, as though they were placed in the same difficulties.

Paul knew that his ministry was greater than himself. Any of us who have ministered in the name of Jesus Christ would agree that ministry is a cooperative effort, not a one man show. John Witmer gets it, A Christian’s intercession is a means of sharing in the ministry of others. Not everyone can travel the world sharing the Gospel but every Christian can get on his or her knees and become a missionary through prayer.

We are near the end of our study of Romans but at the beginning of applying what we have learned. Join me in the study of Romans under Books of the Bible tab. Let’s commit to more prayer for ourselves and others in this New Year.