Praying Through Romans 8Sýnishorn

Take a moment to stop and breathe. As you turned on this podcast, there were certainly many things on your mind, vying for your attention and stealing your focus away. Responsibilities, to-do lists, and anxieties can overwhelm us. We forget that pausing and praying for God to work in our lives is far more effective than rushing ahead and trying to do all of the work ourselves. Whatever those troublesome things may be, stop for just a moment and tell the Lord what they are.

Now, ask the Lord to go before you in those things. Ask Him to be your provision and your strength today. Cast your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.

Thank the Lord for His active presence in your life today. Ask Him to increase your awareness, sensitivity, and obedience to the Holy Spirit as you go through your day.

Yesterday, we read Romans 8, verses 5 through 11. We prayed through what it means for us to walk according to the Spirit and to set our minds on the things of the Spirit, rather than on the things of the flesh. Take a moment to pray that you would set your mind on the things of the Spirit today. Consider how you can walk more closely with The Spirit and ask the Lord to empower you to do so.

Yesterday, we finished with Romans 8, verse 11. Listen to verse 11 again now, and be reminded of the life offered to you in the Spirit.

“11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

In today’s passage, Paul continues to pit the Spirit against the Flesh, and takes the idea of belonging to the Spirit even further, by explaining that not only do we have the Spirit of God, but we have also been adopted by God as His very own children. Listen now to Romans chapter 8, verses 12 through 17, and take note of what stands out to you.

"12So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."

What part of that passage stood out to you? Take a moment to discuss it with the Lord.

Now we will reread this passage in smaller sections, in order to reflect on and pray through what the Scripture tells us. Verses 12 through 13:

"12So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

Take a moment to pray. Ask God to reveal to you any ways you may be living according to the flesh. Confess those to God.

Ask God to forgive you for the ways you are prone toward the Flesh, and thank Him for His mercy and grace.

Ask God to help you, by the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the Flesh in your life.

Listen to verses 14 and 15. Hear what Paul has to say about our standing before God.

"14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Spend a moment pondering the fact that through Christ, you have been adopted by God as His very own child. What does it mean to see God as your Father?

Consider your relationship with your own father. Maybe he was present, kind, and loving. Seeing God as a Father might be easy. Maybe your father was distant, absent, or hurtful. God being a father to you may be harder to conceptualize. Ask God to undo any misconceptions you have about Him, so that you may see Him and know Him more clearly.

Ask God to help you believe in His perfect, present, infinite love for you.

Paul says in verse 15 that you do not have a Spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but rather have a Spirit of adoption. What are some of your fears? Share them with the Lord.

Ask God to help you walk in the freedom that the Spirit offers you, rather than allowing your fears to consume your heart and mind.

And now, listen again to verses 16 and 17.

"16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."

Just as Christ suffered in His life, so we will suffer here on Earth. It is the rich inheritance promised to us that keeps us from losing hope. What suffering have you faced or are you currently facing in your life?

If you have endured seasons of suffering in your life, take a moment to recount God’s faithfulness in those seasons.

If you are currently in a season of suffering, ask God to remind you of the hope you have in Him. Ask Him to help you trust that He is working all things together for your good. Or, use this time to pray for someone you know who is facing suffering.

If we are fellow heirs with Christ, we receive what is rightfully His. This free gift of salvation means that we receive, with Christ, the unending love of God, unity with Him, and eternal life. Take a minute to ponder this amazing fact and thank God for adopting you as His own!

Throughout your day, take a few moments to stop and recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit with you. Continually remind yourself that being God’s child means complete, unhindered access to Him and a promise that you will always be received with love. Ask God now to help you believe more deeply in the fact that He is always available to you and is always loving you.

This week, we will continue to read through the book of Romans, as Paul expounds on what it looks like to live our lives in the Spirit and thereby find real, tangible freedom from our flesh. Tomorrow, we will see that suffering is a promise in the Christian life, but we will also compare those sufferings with the glory that is to be revealed to us and pray that God would help us to see His promise more clearly.