Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Rom. 1:1-3 “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God- the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His human nature was a descendant of David…”
Understand:
The gospel is the central theme of the book of Romans. Romans is a letter written to the church in Rome, which Paul had never visited. He took his time in the introduction because he is writing a letter to people who, for the most part, he has never met to carefully explain the most important news in history.
Paul established his credentials. He is a “servant” of Christ Jesus, just like the prophets of old. He is an “apostle” set about by the Lord to found the church on the gospel message.
This gospel is the “good news of God” because it is not something entirely new; it is the fulfillment of the revelation of God in the Old Testament. It is the fulfillment of an old promise.
Apply:
Jesus is unique in all of human history. History before Him pointed forward to Him. History after Him points back to Him. In addition, history as we know it has a conclusion. It is pointing forward to Him again. We live in between the advents (arrivals) of Christ. We live in the “already/not yet” kingdom of God. What we have experienced is fully “real” but not yet fully “realized.”
Your life as a follower of Christ has continuity with what God has done in the ancient past and with what He will do in the eternal future.
As you go about your day, see with the eyes of a historian and a prophet. A historian sees the past in the events of today. A prophet sees the future in the events of the day. Don’t be lulled to sleep today; it’s not just another twenty-four hours of endless life on a small, blue planet. It is not your “small” life in your single city. The God of history is moving in human history…including your history and your life. You must understand this so you will be prepared to join Him today. Be alert!
*From what you have just read and considered: What is a personal implication/application for your life today?
Live:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.