Prayer's of Paul reading plan day 9.

       As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Tuesday's readings were 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, 2 Thessalonians 3:16.  

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort our hearts and establish them in every good work and word."  

       One of the common items that Paul prays for others is for comfort.  Here we see Paul praying that.  Notice the emphasis Paul puts on who is the one that is doing the comforting.  The one doing the comforting is the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father.  How encouraging is that.  The one that Paul is praying would provide comfort is Jesus Christ and God our Father.  There is no greater person to receive comfort from.  Than Paul, before he actually prays for comfort, reminds us who this God is... The God who has loved us and already has given us an eternal comfort.  In Christ we already have a comfort that is secure for all eternity and can never be taken away from us.  That truth should be a source of comfort.  After this Paul gets to praying for comfort and he prays that God would comfort our hearts and establish our hearts.  When the Bible speaks of the "heart" it is typically referring to the center or core of a person's desires, will, motivation, and emotions.  So it makes sense that Paul is praying for comfort for our hearts- for our emotions, our desires, our will.  But Paul doesn't just want us to receive comfort he also wants our hearts to be established in every good work and word.  Comfort is not just for the sake of feeling comforted.  We are comforted so that we can continue to live out the life that Christ has called us to live and comfort others as God has comforted us.  Who in your life needs prayers of comfort?  Use this prayer to pray for them today. 
 

2 Thessalonians 3:16

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.  The Lord be with you all."  

       Peace is the absence of conflict and turmoil.  To get a picture of peace think of a large body of water on a windy day-  that is the opposite of peace.  Next think of a large body of water on a perfectly calm summer evening- that is peace.  Paul here prays to the God of peace to give peace at all time and in every way.  This is an all-inclusive prayer that Paul is praying.  He wants the believers to experience peace in all situations and in every conceivable way one can experience and feel that peace.  What a great prayer!  Notice how Paul ends the prayer as it gives us an indication of how we can experience peace at all times and in every way.  He prays asking that the Lord be with you all.  It is God being with us by which we can experience peace.  The glorious truth that God is with us at all times means that peace is available to us at all times because He who is with us is the God of peace!  Who in your life is going through times of frustration and difficulty?  Who in your life is going through a season of turmoil?  Pray to the God of peace to give them peace at all times and in every way as the God of peace promises to be with them.  

What are you learning as we continue going through the prayers of Paul together?  

Prayer's of Paul reading plan day 8.

As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Monday's readings were 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, and soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."  

       God here is described as the God of peace and Paul prays to the God of peace for two things.  First, he prays that the God of peace would sanctify them completely.  Sanctify is a word that is not very common today but we could simply say that Paul is praying that they would become like Jesus in every way.  A big prayer indeed, but an important prayer.  We ought to be regularly praying that our brothers and sisters in Christ would be more like Jesus in every aspect of their life.  Secondly, Paul prays that they their whole spirit, soul, and body would be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul is praying that when Jesus Christ returns that the believers would be blameless and therefore able to enter into the presence of God.  Paul prays this with complete confidence as is seen in how he concludes his prayer... "He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it."  Why is Paul able to pray with such confidence?  Since what He prays for is already done because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Our blamelessness is already complete if we are in Christ because God looks upon us and sees the perfection of Christ.  So in this prayer Paul is praying that we would become more like Jesus in our day to day life and prays with full confidence that we will be blameless at the coming of Christ.  

2 Thessalonians 1:3

"We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing."  

       Here we read one of Paul's prayers of thanksgiving and as is typical with many of his prayers of thanksgiving he thanks God for the work that He is doing in the lives of others.  There are two specific things he thanks God for in this prayer.  He thanks God that their faith is growing and he thanks God that their love for one another is increasing!  Do you have people in your life whose faith and love are growing?  Have you seen your faith and love growing?  If yes, praise and thank God for that because those are things that only God can do in us!  

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."  

       Here Paul prays that the believers would live lives worthy of God's calling on there life.  What an important prayer that we can be praying for one another.  Too often we forget to whom we belong. We forget who are Father is.  We forget that we belong to the God of the universe.  Paul, here is praying that they wouldn't forget that and by remembering who we belong to that we would live a life worthy of belonging to God.  Why?  So that God would be glorified!  So let's pray today that you and I, and our brothers and sisters in Christ would walk more in a way that is worthy of the one who called us because as we do that Jesus Christ is glorified and exalted!  

What are you learning?  

Prayer's of Paul reading plan: Day 7

As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Sunday's readings were Colossians 4:2-4, Colossians 1:9-13.

Colossians 4:2-4

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.  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."  

       After Paul gives the command and admonishment for the believer to pray steadfastly and to be watchful in prayer with thanksgiving he asks that they would pray for him.  As is typical when Paul asks other to pray for him the primary request is that they he would be bold and clear in proclaiming the Gospel.  Paul here seems to be primarily focused on being given opportunities to proclaim the mystery of Christ, and when given the opportunity that his words would be clear and that he would speak as he ought to speak.  A prayer that we should all be praying for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Are you praying for opportunities for you and others to tell people about Jesus? Are you praying for you and others that when those opportunities arise that Jesus would be shared clearly as we ought to speak?  Spend some time praying for that right now.  

Colossians 1:9-13

"And so, from that day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  May you be strengthen according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his believed Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."  

       This is another prayer that is packed full.  I am going to simply list out what Paul prays for in this passage and would encourage you to pray for each of these things for those that God brings to mind, and along with Paul we will finish with praising God for what He has done.  

       -He prays that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  Notice the result of knowing God's will-  They will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, they will be fully pleasing to God, and will be bearing fruit in every good work!  WOW!  All of that is the result of being filled with he knowledge of God's will!  Let's be praying for that for one another!  

       -He prays that they would be strengthened.  

       -He prays that they would have endurance. 

       -He prays that they would have patience with joy.  What a great (and rare) combination. Be joyful in waiting patiently.  

       -He prays that they would be giving thanks, and finishes the prayer by giving thanks and praise to God for two things. 

               1.)  That we get to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  

               2.)  That we have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the 

               kingdom of his beloved son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins!   Praise 

               God indeed for this great truth!  

Many things to pray about and for in this passage.  

So what are you learning?  What are you praying for?  

Prayer's of Paul reading plan day 6.

              As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Saturday's readings were Philippians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:3-8.  

Philippians 1:9-11

"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so the you may approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."  

Paul here prays one of his frequent prayers in praying for the increase of love and unity amongst believers.  Here Paul is specifically praying that the believers love would abound more and more.  Are you praying that your love for God and others would abound more and more?  Do you pray this for your local church?  Do you pray this for the believers who God has placed in your life?  Do you pray this for the global church?  We need to be.  But we should also note that this isn't a love that is just based upon feelings or a love that is based on whatever feels good.  Notice what Paul says... That you may abound more and more in love, with knowledge and discernment.  This is a love based on knowledge, this is a love based on discernment.  Why does Paul pray that they would abound more and more in their love?  So that they might grow in others areas as well.  In this prayer it is clear that one who is abounding more and more in their love will grow in a few others way also.  

        First, they will better be able to approve what is excellent.  When we abound in love based on knowledge and discernment we will love that which is excellent, and not that which is empty, fleeting, or against God's word.  Secondly, we will become pure and blameless as we love more and therefore know that which is excellent and that which is not.  Thirdly, we will see fruit of righteousness in our lives.  As we grow in love we will see the fruit (the result) of being in Christ in our day to day life.  We will live differently.  So Paul prays for all of this to happen ultimately so that God would be given glory and praise for the work that he does in all these areas.  

       So a lot happens as a result of abounding more and more in our love!  So let's spend time today praying that people would abound more and more in their love and at the end of the day give glory and praise to God for the work that He has done!  

     

Colossians 1:3-8, 

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Chrst, when we pray for you, since we hared of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.  Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gopsel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole it is bearing fruit and increasing- as it also does among  you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.  Just as you learned it from Epaphras our believed fellow servant.  He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit."  

       Paul here offers a prayer of thanksgiving for the believers in Colossae.  What I want us to notice is that this thanksgiving is focused on giving thanks to God for the way in which God has been working in the lives of the believers!  It is clear that God, not the believers in Colassae, is the hero!  In our prayers of thanksgiving for others, and when we are actually thanking other people it is wise to present our thanksgiving in such a way that both of us see God as the hero for the good that has happened.  Paul specifically gives thanks for the way in which the Gospel has come to them and as a result of the gospel coming to them they are bearing fruit and increasing even more in bearing more fruit.  Do you have a friend or family member who you have seen having increased fruit in their life as the result of what God is doing?  Take time to thank God for that and tell the person that.  Just be sure to do it in a way that makes it clear that God is the hero and He alone is the one that deserves all praise for the work that is being done in people's lives.  

Prayers of Paul reading plan: Day 5

       As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Friday's readings were Ephesians 3:14-21, Ephesians 6:19-20, Philippians 1:3-6.  

Ephesians 3:14-21

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen."  

       Again, we have another loaded prayer for Paul that you would do well to spend more than a passing minute or two studying and what I am going to write here will only be scratching the surface.  Here are a few key observations about this prayer of Paul that is a prayer of praise, followed by a prayer for others, and than returning to a prayer of praise.  Paul begins by praising God as the one from whom every family in named- in other words the one from whom everyone comes from.  After the praise Paul prays for a few specific things.  

        He prays that the believers might be strengthened through the Spirit in their inner being.  Inner being here likely refers to one's heart and mind.  The places where ones desires,  motivations, emotions, and thinking come from and as a result of that strengthening that Christ might dwell in our hearts through faith.  

       The way this prayer is structured is in such a way that each prayer builds on the previous prayer.  So Paul has prayed that the believers would be strengthened in their inner being, through Jesus Christ dwelling in them through faith for a purpose.  The purpose or result would be so that they would be rooted and grounded in love and being rooted and grounded in love that they might together with all the saints strive to know the love of Christ which is beyond comprehension.  The way these prayers are structured make it clear that one cannot grow in knowing the love of Christ until Christ dwells within them, but once Christ dwells in them they can, and we should pray, that they would grow in their knowledge of the love of Christ.  

       Why, does Paul pray that they would know the love of Christ more?  So that they may be filled with all the fullness of God!  So the pattern of this prayer is as follows.  

           1.) Would be strengthened in their inner-being through the power of the holy Spirit.  

           2.)  That Jesus would dwell in their hearts through faith.  

           3.) That they might know the love of Jesus Christ more.  

           4.)  That the fullness of God might dwell in them.  

       In some ways Paul here is praying for people to experience and grasp their salvation.  Salvation begins with a work of the spirit drawing us to Himself and as we respond in faith Jesus Christ comes and dwells within us by which we will come to know the love of Christ more and the fullness of God will dwell in us.  This is a great prayer to pray for those who have not yet trusted in Christ, that they would so they could experience the love of Christ, and for those who have trusted in Jesus- that they might know more of the love of Jesus Christ.  

       Paul ends this prayer by affirming the God who is able to do abundantly more than we can ask or imagine!  How incredible is that truth!  He ends by affirming that all of God's work in our salvation, in Christ dwelling in us, in our knowledge of God's love, in the fullness of God in us, in the abundant work of God in our lives, all of it should result in us giving praise, glory, and honor to God.  

Ephesians 6:19-20

"and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak."  

     Paul asks the believers in Ephesus to pray for him.  He specifically asks that they would pray that he would be given the words to boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel.  This is an appropriate prayer to pray for all believers (including yourself).  We are image bearers of God and we have all been commanded to make disciples,  and to proclaim the truth of the Gospel.  So spend some time praying for people in your life that they would have the words to say and the boldness to proclaim the gospel.  Also, prayer this prayer for pastors, evangelists, and ministry leaders that you know.  

Philippians 1:3-6

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in your will it to completed at the day of Jesus Christ."  

      Paul here is thanking God for the partnership in the ministry that the believers in Philippi have had with him.  Who are those who are partnered with you in this life?  Thank God for them today!  

         

Prayers of Paul Reading Plan- Day 4

       As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Thursday's readings were 2 Corinthians 13:7-9, and Ephesians 1:15-23.  

2 Corinthians 13:7-9

But we pray to God that you may not do wrong- not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.  For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.  For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong.  Your restoration is what we pray for."  

        Pray here gives a prayer for the believers in Corinth that is intermixed with his mission.  Paul, prays two things for the believers in Corinth.  He prays that they might not do wrong.  What is the wrong that he is praying against?  It is not fully known, but could probably summarize it simply to say that he is praying that hey continue to follow Jesus Christ in all areas of life.  Just before these verses Paul is telling them to test themselves to make sure that they are in Christ.  So Paul is praying that they would not drift and stop following Jesus Christ, but instead that they would remain in Christ.  After this initial prayer Paul goes on to say that he wants them to do this so that it will not seem like they have failed.  Paul's ministry has always been about proclaiming Christ and Him crucified and calling people to faith and repentance.  So were the believers in Corinth to cease believing in Christ Paul would see his ministry to them as a failure.  Paul adds that they are glad when he is weak and they are strong because he sees in the pouring out of himself the outcome he aims for in his ministry taking place in the strength of the believers in Corinth.  Concluding this prayer Paul says, I pray for your restoration.  Their restoration is based on Paul's primary motivation in ministry which is restoration to Jesus Christ.  We, like Paul, ought to be praying that those who are in Christ would do what is right, would remain in Christ, and wold be restored.  Spend time today praying that those who are in Christ would do what is right and would be restored.  

Ephesians 1:15-23, 

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."  

       There is a lot in this prayer and if you have time I would encourage you to spend more than just a passing minute or two studying this passage and seeing all of what Paul is praying for here.  If you are interested you can listen to a sermon I gave on this passage here... http://www.bethelbaptistbrookings.org/#/sermons.  Once there click on "Launch the player" and  scroll down to March 1st, 2015 and you will find it there.  To hit on a couple aspects of this prayer here we first see that Paul is very concerned about their knowledge of God.  He asks that God would give them a Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.  This is one of the areas that from what I perceive where growth is needed.  We don't often put much of an emphasis on knowledge either in culture at large, or in our churches.  We focus a lot on experience, feelings, and if we focus on knowledge often times it is a focus on rote memory and not knowledge where what is known impacts the way we live our life.  So let's begin to pray for others, and ourselves, that we might grow in our knowledge of God.  A deep knowledge that impacts that way we live our lives day in and day out.  The other aspect of Paul's prayer here in Ephesians that I want to draw our attention to is his prayer that the believers would know the immeasurable greatness of God's power towards us who believe!  He goes on to explain that the power which is available to us who believe is the same power that brought Jesus Christ from the dead and seated him above all!  What a great and needed prayer.  Brothers and sisters in Christ might we know the power that is for us in Christ.  Might we experience that power more and might we believe in that power more.  Our fears, anxieties, and doubts would begin to fade away the more we believed in and experienced the immeasurable greatness of God's power towards us who believe!  Pray for that power for others, for you.  To be experienced, known, and trusted in.  

      

Prayers of Paul reading plan day 3

       As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Tuesday's readings were 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 and 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9, 

"I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge- even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you- so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, by who you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

       Paul here gives a prayer of thanksgiving to God on behalf of the believers in Corinth.  Why is Paul thankful?  He is thankful to God because the grace that God gave to the believers in Corinth by which they were enriched in all speech and knowledge, and not lacking any gift.  All of us have people in our life who are followers of Jesus and we have seen God work in their life in powerful ways and over the years to make them more into the likeness and image of His Son Jesus Christ.  Spend some time thanking God for the ways that His grace, His power, and His Spirit have been working in their lives!  Also, as you see growth in your life be sure to thank God for it!  If you fail to do that satan is more likely to use that growth to turn it into self-righteous pride.  So where do you need to give thanksgiving to God for the work he has been doing in peoples lives?  

2 Corinthians 2:14-16, 

"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in a triumphal procession and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing , to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.  Who is sufficient for these things?"  

       Paul here gives thanks to God that he (and all who follow Jesus) get to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere!  Everywhere we go we give out impressions of who God is by how we live and how we talk and Paul thanks God for this privilege that has been given to us even though at times it is not received well.  We too should thank God that He has given us the incredible opportunity to be used of God in helping others see who He is.  

2 Corinthians 12:7-9, 

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  

       Here we get a glimpse of Paul who prayed that God would remove a thorn from his flesh.  Many have speculated what this thorn was but we don't know.  What we know is that it was uncomfortable and difficult for Paul in this area and he went to God to ask God to remove it from his life.  An entirely appropriate prayer.  Do you have thorns in your life that you are praying that God would remove? I do.  However, in our prayers for God to remove the thorns in our flesh we need to ultimately trust that regardless of those thorns being removed, or not, that God is sufficient, that God is strong enough, that God has enough power to carry us through whatever it is.  Remember in our prayers our ultimate hope is not in God changing the circumstances that we find ourselves in, our ultimate hope is found in the glorious truth that we are in Christ!  So as you pray for the thorns in your life, and the life of others, don't forget to pray that we would confidently rest in God's power and strength regardless of our circumstances getting better, staying the same, or even if they get worse.  

So what are you learning from the Prayer's of Paul?  We would love to hear!  

  

Day 2 of Paul's prayer reading plan.

       As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Tuesday's readings were Romans 15: 5-6, Romans 15:30-33.

Romans 15:5-6, 

"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one-another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."  

       Paul frequently in his written prayers includes aspects of who God is.  This prayer is no different as we see that he declares God to be the God of endurance and the God of encouragement.  Great descriptors of our God.  It would be worthwhile to spend time thinking about how God being a God of endurance and encouragement should impact your life.  After declaring two aspects of who God is, Paul asks that God would grant the believers in Rome to live in such harmony with one another that in accord with Christ Jesus, that together they may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul here (and in a couple other places) prays for the unity, harmony, and love amongst believers.  While this is indeed a global picture of love for all follower of Jesus in all places, it it primarily practiced and lived out in our local church amongst the brothers and sisters in Christ that we see regularly.  The glory and worship of God is at stake in our ability (or inability) to live in harmony with one another.  With what is at stake it should not be surprising that satan often attacks to divide the unity and harmony of believers which is why Paul, and we, ought to make praying for the love and unity of believers a priority in our prayer life.  Pray for the harmony and unity of your local church.  Pray for the harmony and unity of the Gospel proclaiming churches in your community.  Pray that if you need to do some work to restore unity in your church community that you would do that for the glory and worship of God.   

Romans 15:30-33

"I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.  May the God of peace be with you all.  Amen."  

       Here we get a glimpse of what Paul was asking the church in Rome to pray for him.  He asks that he would be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea who were seeking to destroy Paul and his ministry.  He asks that his ministry would be acceptable to the believers in Jerusalem, and that soon he would be able to come and be with the believers in Rome.  I would encourage you to spend some time here praying for the leaders of the churches and ministries that you are involved with.  

Let me know what you are learning, and how Paul's prayers are impacting your prayers.