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. 1:8-10, 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.”
Understand:
Why does Paul feel the need to call God as his witness? First, it would be hard to believe a man who most have never met would pray for them so diligently. “Constantly” means there is literally very little time between his prayers for them. Second, he tells them later that he is leaving for Jerusalem, which could give the appearance that he is not putting them first in his plans.
Apply:
It is challenging to pray for people you don’t know well or at all. How are we to pray for Christian brothers and sisters around the world? Their situations and their suffering seem so remote. Their needs often seem overwhelming. How can we pray specifically and consistently for them? What do we pray for them?
It can also be difficult to pray for people we know well. We can fall into the habit of praying “token” prayers…weak, half-hearted…“bless everyone, everywhere” kinds of praying. How do we pray with faith and with consistency and with conviction?
Maybe you could start by praying about your praying. Be honest with God about how you feel. Tell Him you find it hard to know what to pray. Maybe you find it hard to keep caring. Ask God to help you to better pray for others by praying about your praying.
*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.