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Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
 This morning my intention is to show you the necessity of prayer, and the openness of our hearts to the will of God The first thing we notice as we read this passage, is that to call God as a witness to a statement about praying
reveals the intensity and sincerity of the apostle, it reveals his spiritual moxie
Why did Paul use such passionate expression? Because they didn´t know him personally, so he called God as his witness
and he wanted them to understand that apart from God’s continuing provision even strong faith falters.
Prayer is one of those apparent paradoxes of the Bible, because God says that He knows what we need even before we ask, so why pray?
Even Jesus, being God incarnated, prayed incessantly to the Father and on behalf of His disciples
24 Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. (John 17)
Paul assured the saints of Thessalonica that
“we pray for you always” (2 Thess. 1:11–12).
He likewise counseled the Ephesian believers to
“18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. ” (Eph. 6:18).
That is why we give so much importance to our prayer time, we don´t do it out of rote,
it is essential that we pray for each other
We have to be seized with the reality that our prayers will move God´s heart, and will have eternal consequences
Do you know why the apostle Peter persevered in his call, or why he didn´t wound up in some deep depression after betraying the Lord?
“31 "Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat,32 but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22)
Well, you may say: that is fine and dandy, but I have been praying for this job or for my children,
but things are not working out the way I have asked, if prayer works, why God sometimes doesn´t answer me?
Read what Paul, the prayer warrior, told the church in Rome:
“10…and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
Stuart Briscoll puts it this way:
“Sometimes out of frustration we try to manipulate our circumstances and, not infrequently, out of earnest zeal and enthusiastic commitment, we leave no stone unturned in our efforts to accomplish what we desire to see accomplished. But there is always the danger that our manipulations may lead us into situations inferior to God’s best and circumstances related more to our design than to God’s will.”
As we pray, we need to be open to God´s timing and will, God, sometimes, doesn´t give you what you ask because He loves you
God´s love is too sophisticated for us to fully understand it immediately
because His love is far sighted, and we, as children, sometimes, will have to just wait in Him
So let me invite you, as we approach the table of the Lord, that we spend some time in prayer, examining ourselves
We know that God will answer this prayer, because it is His will that we do that.
Let us pray
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