If grace means a freely given blessing or favor from God, it would do us well to first recognize that prayer (listening to and talking with God) is certainly a freely given blessing to us from God. God, in His abundant grace, blessed us with the privilege of listening to and talking with Him.
Paul ends the section, which started in Romans 15:23, by exhorting the Christian brethren to strive/struggle with him in prayer for the success of his future plans. The basis for their striving with him on these matters is their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and the love inspired and enabled by the Spirit.
It is not uncommon for Paul to pray for the recipients of his letters. In Romans 1:9, Paul said that he made mention of them; that is, the Roman believers, in his prayer always to God. But now Paul asks them to pray for him, which as it turns out, is a common practice of Paul. Think with me for a moment. Paul was an apostle (Romans 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Tim. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:1; Titus 1:1). He had seen the risen Christ on the Damascus road (Acts 9). He performed miracles (Acts 14:8-10, 16:16-18, 19:11-12, 20:9-12). He would write Scripture (13 letters). He was a great man of God, but he was not above humbling himself and asking for prayer. That’s commendable. Sometimes people feel, “I don’t want to bother others. I don’t want to ask them to pray for me.”
When the topic of prayer comes up in the community of the church or even in our time of solitude with Lord, feelings of guilt may be not too far away. For many of us it is perhaps due to the overwhelming sense that we are not simply praying enough. That guilt may prompt us to increase our frequency of faith but it is often short lived which, in turn, causes more guilt. When guilt is the motivation of our prayer it becomes short lived because we have, unwittingly, become the focus of our prayers since we seek to remove the unpleasant and unwanted guilt.
God wants us to move from the “guilt of prayer” to the “grace of prayer.”
Prayer, listening to and speaking with God, is an undeserved blessing that God has freely given to all of His children (grace). God, who is a relational God and seeks to have a relationship with all of His image bearers, created us to relate with Him. He created us with the ability and capacity to listen to and speak with Him. That creative design and work is another display of a loving God acting favorably on our behalf of His image bearers without our insight and assistance. That is grace. Listening to and talking with God is God's grace on display.
As we investigate the Scriptures, we find that Paul asked for prayer a small handful of times in his other letters. Read the passages below and make note (actually write down) of what Paul is asking the church to pray.
Ephesians 6:19-20
Colossians 4:3-4
1 Thessalonians 5:25
2 Thessaloninas 3:1-2
If you are meeting in a group, discuss what you found in those passages as it pertains to the content of what Paul wanted them to pray. It is difficult to miss the missional focus of Paul's requests for prayer (i.e. opportunities to share the mystery, boldness, proclaim, clearly - all words that express the missional focus of Paul’s prayer requests).
Ponderings and Promptings
Share about your understandings and questions you have about prayer?
Discuss the significance of God’s grace as it pertains to prayer?
Why is it essential for us to be motivated by God’s grace when we listen to and talk with Him?
How can you incorporate some missional prayer components discovered in the above 4 passages? (share practical steps that could be taken)
As a Bridge Community, what are some corporate rhythms that can be embraced as it pertains to having a missional focus in your corporate prayers?
Please read John 17 (Jesus’ prayer) and make note of and discuss what He prays about? Are there any similarities and differences from what we learned in Paul’s requests for prayer? If so, what are those similarities and differences?