The last week of our study of Romans, and I highly recommend Romans: The Gospel-Centered Life by The Daily Grace Co. It was a life changing study.
In Romans 15:22-23, Paul addresses the topic of prayer. It was verse 30 which struck deeply:
“Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.†(NASB)
We are to strive with one another in prayer, carrying the needs of one another, sharing our burdens together before our Father.
“Prayer is meant to align our heart with the Lord. Because of this, prayer is often struggling and wrestling to allow our hearts and our desires to conform to the will of God.â€
(from Romans: The Gospel-Centered Life by The Daily Grace Co., page 170)
Prayer is not meant to be a list of what we want God to do, Rather it is meant to change us so that our desires and wants align with God’s will and purposes.
“The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.†(Proverbs 16:9, NASB)
“Prayer is not about changing God, but about changing us.â€
(from Romans: The Gospel-Centered Life by The Daily Grace Co., page 170)
It is truly as we submit, bending our wills to His, that He fills us with peace.
What situations are you currently wrestling about in prayer? Let’s be praying for one another this week. As we pray for one another, may we all experience the peace of God in our situations and lives.
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In Romans 16:17-24, we find Paul giving the church in Rome, and us, three commands regarding false doctrine.
We are living in days where false teachings abound. We are in dire need of discernment and the only we grow in this area is through knowing truth – God’s Word.
Paul’s three commands:
- Be on guard for these false teachers and those who cause division in the church.
- Don’t only avoid them, but flee from them. Don’t lend an ear once you realize they are causing division.
- Practice discernment every single day.
I admit that being deceived and false teachings scare me. They often sound so credible, and are close enough to the truth for us to accept them. I pray for discernment every day and this brings me comfort that the Holy Spirit will be with me, alert me, and protect me.
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (NASB)
Here Paul calls our enemy by name, lest we ever forget who he is. He also tells us God will crush Satan under our feet as we walk with God. God is committed to protecting us, to finishing the work He has begun in our lives.
These words today have brought such peace to my heart. We may not know what the future holds but we truly do know the One who holds our future!
The study asks: What are the three commands given to the church in this passage in regard to false teachers? What false messages do you see today that try to infiltrate churches?
Today cling to these comforting words from the study:
“The gospel that has saved us will enable us to persevere all the way to glory.”
(from Romans: The Gospel-Centered Life by The Daily Grace Co., page 179)
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We brought our study of Romans to a close. I’m amazed at how much I learned and how precious the book of Romans has become to me.
The study book breaks down the book into four themes and the more I thought about it, the more precious the study became to me:
- The Person of God: God is sovereign over all that occurs in my life. Even more so, He is sovereign over all that occurs in our world. Nothing happens without going through the filter of His will and purposes.
- The Gospel of God: In one word – Grace. All of life is because of His grace towards fallen man.
- The People of God: May we forever be grateful that we are chosen, forgiven, redeemed, restored, and adopted into the family of God.
- The Glory of God: May we live with all this in mind and to the glory of our great God.
Summarizing the above, brought just one thought …
We need the Lord every single day.
Photo 1: by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Photo 2: by Joel Muniz on Unsplash
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