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Slip into Prayer—and Bring a Friend
Paul ends his plea for unity by bringing the people in the church at Rome to the Father. Paul quite naturally and easily slips into prayer. He could have ended the section with an appeal to his authority, but instead, he simply and beautifully invites us into the presence of God, as if to say, “Okay, we’ve talked about important things. Now, Father, impress into our souls what is true and help us to live in these truths.”
This is a good lesson for us: that we would naturally and easily slip into prayer with our friends. Paul prays to the “God of hope.” What’s hope? It is living in the knowledge of what God will do. We are both already loved and accepted by God AND we are for eternity!
Paul’s prayer is that the God of hope would “fill” us with “joy and peace.” “Joy” is a major theme for Paul in his writings. He speaks of joy 21 times! For Paul, joy is bigger than happiness. Happiness is circumstantial (I’m happy because the sun is out), whereas joy is deeper and doesn’t depend on sunny days. Peace is the inward quiet that God gives us. Both joy and peace come as a result of the Holy Spirit “pouring into”, “stirring”, “filling”, “empowering” his children (all Bible words describing the Holy Spirit’s activity in us).
Paul’s prayer is that we would know more and more the depth of opportunity and experience of the “power of the Holy Spirit.” (I wonder what “Christianity” is or looks like to those who don’t see this dynamic relationship? It looks like something much less, boring, and even dangerous. It’s religion. In the name of religion, Christians have fought wars, imprisoned people, devastated cultures, turned young people away from God… )
Paul does not offer an argument at the end of this section but an opportunity: “Let me walk you into his presence and ask him to fill you to overflowing!”
Respond in Prayer
Oh God of hope fill me up with joy, fill me up with peace, so that my believing life is filled with the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, brimming over with hope! (Romans 15:13, adapted from The Message). For Jesus' sake, Amen.
Cliff Fletcher
Scripture
About this Plan
Romans sets out what it means to be a Christian. People think of it as a theological treatise, but really it's a letter, just like all of Paul's writings. Written in 57, and carried to Rome by a Christian leader named Phoebe, who probably went to house churches, reading it aloud. Romans can be difficult, but it’s also rewarding. This book study of Romans will help you dig deeper into Paul's popular letter.
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We would like to thank Scripture Union Canada for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://scriptureunion.ca/find-your-bible-guide/
