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 that we have been adopted as God’s own children and no longer have a Spirit of slavery to sin. Now, when we obtain the inheritance promised in Christ, we are sure to face suffering, just as He did. Listen again to the end of our reading; Romans 8, 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."

Pause to pray for a moment, and thank God for adopting you as His own child.

Today, we will compare the sufferings Paul mentioned with the glorious new creation that is to be revealed to us, and pray that God would help us to see His promise more clearly. Though we have already been adopted as God’s children, we still wait for the day that our adoption is fully realized. Likewise, though the Earth has been subjected to sin, creation longs to be made new as well. Listen to Romans chapter 8, verses 18 through 25, and consider the longing for redemption and the hope of the redemption promised.

"18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope, we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

Romans 8:18-25

Take a moment to reflect on anything that stood out to you in the passage.

Paul has said that as children of God, fellow heirs with Christ, we will also share in Christ’s sufferings. Perhaps you are facing a season of suffering. Maybe someone you know. Take a moment to pray to the Lord, and name the suffering you see in your life and the world around you.

Now, listen again to what Paul has to say about those sufferings.

"18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

Romans 8:18

You just spent time thinking about the suffering you see in your life. Those are real and immensely difficult. But now, continue to consider the suffering you see as you listen to this passage from Revelation 21, which pulls back the curtain on this “glory to be revealed to us”, and think of your present sufferings in light of this promised future:

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. 5And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Revelation 21:1-5

Stop to reflect upon this beautiful picture of God’s redemption. How does this change the way you view your current situation?

Ask God to help you maintain an eternal perspective; to set your mind on these things and find hope and encouragement throughout your day.

Paul detailed in today’s passage that just as we await our final, fully realized adoption as God’s children, creation also longs for the day that all things are made new. You might think of our current state as being “already-but-not-yet”. We are sealed for adoption, and God has promised the renewal of creation, yet we do not yet fully see His redemption. Listen to what Paul has to say about this in verses 23 through 25.

"23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

God’s promises give us hope for the future! In Christ, the best is always yet to come. Ask God to help you have that hope today. Pray that as you face your day, you would remember the eternal promises given to you and that you would be filled with joyful patience and expectation.

Throughout your day, take some moments to stop and recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit with you. Continually remind yourself that you are God’s child, with complete access to Him through prayer. Remember the promise He has given you in Christ and let it fill you with hope. Ask God to help you walk in the Spirit today.

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, Paul will flesh out in more depth what hope means for us, and what we, as God’s children, have to hope in.