Always in my prayers . . . Romans 1:9-10
Promise of Prayer 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son For God is my witness. It was in a weighty matter, and in a thing known only to God and his own heart, that he used this asseveration. It is very comfortable to be able to call God to witness to our sincerity and constancy in the discharge of a duty. God is particularly a witness to our secret prayers, the matter of them, the manner of the performance; then our Father sees in secret, Mt. 6:6 (Henry). Paul was yet a stranger to them, had never seen them, and it was impossible for them to know the outgoings of his heart toward them, he solemnly appeals to the heart-searching God, calls him to witness how affectionately he loved them, and how frequently he prayed for them; (Burkitt).
Persistence in Prayer that without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17) Gk adialeiptōs means constantly, always, without intermission. It was not only once, but repeatedly. It had been the burden of his prayers. (1 Thess 1:3; 2:13) (Barnes). He calls on omniscience for verification. God, who cannot lie, God who knows the secrets of the heart, God who knows the hidden motives, let God be my witness that I pray for you and I never stop praying for you (MacArthur) Persistence in prayer is primarily an expression of our dependency on God for all aspects of our existence. It affirms the reality that apart from God we can do nothing. (Hunter). Two examples are given in scripture. Matt 15:22-27, Luke 7: 1-10). In both cases there was an attitude of humility which Jesus responded to by declaring their great faith. (1 Peter 5:5-7).
Petitions of Prayer
For saints 9 I mention you 10 always in my prayers (Eph 3:14-17, Phil 1:9, Col 1:9) One of the greatest kindnesses we can do our friends, and sometimes the only kindness that is in the power of our hands, is, by prayer to recommend them to the loving-kindness of God. From Paul’s example here we may learn, 1. Constancy in prayer: Always without ceasing. He did himself observe the same rules he gave to others, Eph. 6:18 ; 1 Th. 5:17 . Not that Paul did nothing else but pray, but he kept up stated times for the solemn performance of that duty, and those very frequent, and observed without fail. 2. Charity in prayer: I make mention of you. Though he had not particular acquaintance with them, nor interest in them, yet he prayed for them; not only for all saints in general, but he made express mention of them. It is not unfit sometimes to be express in our prayers for particular churches and places; not to inform God, but to affect ourselves. We are likely to have the most comfort in those friends that we pray most for. (Henry).
Romans 16:3-16 gives us Paul’s prayer list for the Roman church. You can see the importance, intimacy and effectiveness of person’s prayer life by seeing the transformed lives of those for whom they pray.
For self 10 asking . . . that I may now at last succeed in coming to you. This was one thing he requested of God, that what he had long desired and designed might happily (if it seemed good in God’s sight) be at last accomplished, that he might come in person to them. This desire of Paul to see the Romans might be one cause of that appeal which he made to Rome, Acts 25:10,11, (Poole). Paul’s affection for those to whom he wrote impelled him, not once or twice with a passing wish, but at all times, to desire to be present with them, notwithstanding the inconveniences of so long and perilous a journey. He asks of God that by some means now at length he might be permitted to visit them. Thus Christian love searches out new objects on which to exercise itself, and extends itself even to those who are personally unknown. (Haldene)
Providence in Prayer 10 . . . somehow by God's will I may
James 4:13-15 If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.
John 14:13-14 If you ask anything in my name I will do it. 1 John 5:14 If you ask anything according to his will, he will hear us John 16:23
Understanding God’s will and prayer involves and understand of the sovereignty of God, the will of God and the supplication of the saints.
Sovereignty of God: For God to be worth praying to, 1) he has to have the power to do what we ask and, 2) he must have sovereignty over creation to do what he wants to do. (Hunter). God is sovereign and unhindered in all his plans (Prov 16:9, 33; Ps 115:3, Dan 4:35, 2 Kings 19:25, Is 49:9-11, Phil 2:13).
God’s Will God’s will can be divided into two aspects: God’s secret or decretive will and God’s revealed or perceptive will. His will is either what he has purposed to do or what he has commanded to do. In the first sense it always is be accomplished and neither human policy nor infernal power can prevent it, (Job 42:2). In Matt 6:10 when Jesus tells us to pray your will be done, he is speaking of God’s revealed will that has been revealed in scripture for us to obey. God’s secret will is always done on earth as it is in heaven. Nothing can prevent it from being accomplished. God’s revealed will is violated every time the scriptural principles are violated (A W Pink) Prayer has been ordained by God as a means to accomplish aspects of his will. Given human limitation, God must do many things irrespective of whether of how people pray. Nevertheless, apparently there are some activities which God has chosen to accomplish in a way which allows men and women to cooperate through prayer in bringing his will to fruition. God gives his children the impulse and ability to pray in order that he may respond and carry out aspects of his will. (Packer).
Supplications of the saints: God calls and commands believers to pray Matt 6: 9 Pray like this, 1 Thess 5:17, Luke 18:1, Col 4:2, Rom 12:12, Phil 4:6, Matt 9:38, 26:41, 1 Tim 2;1, 8, James 5:16 Prayers are the free acts of men and women, and God is not dependent on or limited by them. But he is please to bring his purposes into reality by responding to prayer. (Prov 16:9, Ezek 36:37 -38). Our prayers are not like a mother cat who grabs the kitten by the neck and carries it willy-nilly wherever she wishes and the kitten is a completely passive. Prayer is rather like a mother monkey who jumps from tree to tree with the young monkey clinging to the neck of the mother. The young one chooses to consciously cling to the mother. Where the mother goes the baby goes because it wants to. This is what happens when Christians pray according to God’s will. What God wants, we want (TC Hammond). Infinite wisdom does not need telling what is best; and infinite goodness needs no urging to do it. But neither does God need any of those things that are done by finite agents . . . He could if He chose, repair our bodies miraculously without food, or give us food without the aid of farmers, bakers, and butchers; or knowledge without the aid of learned men; or convert the heathen without missionaries, Instead, he allows soils and weather and animals and muscles, minds and wills of men to co-operate in the execution of His will. God instituted prayer in order to lend his creation dignity of causality (CS Lewis). The example of Jabez (1 Chorn 4:9-10) shows us a sovereign God and an ordinary man with authentic power because he looked to God in prayer (Kelly). God calls us to be a part of the outworking of his purposes through prayer. (Matt 6:10) He has an all-encompassing plan and is utterly sovereign over all, yet human prayer is really effective in the supernatural realm (James 5:17) The sovereign God on his throne, who has planned all things from beginning to end, has arranged His plan in such a way that the prayer s of the saints are one of the major means He uses to accomplish his final goal. (Kelly).
Only prayer according to God’s will is granted (1 John 5:14). But praying in god’s will be done is not a formula to attach to a prayer, but an attitude. If God only hears us when we ask according to his will, then how do I come to know his will? Hunter suggests 1) Prioritize the Word (John 15:70 Praying the will of God means learning the revealed will of God in his word. 2) Put the Word in action in your life. Christian obedience is essential to praying according to God’s will (Rom 12:1-2) 3) Pray for others and have them pray for you according to the Word and the will of God (Rom 1:9-10, Col 1:9, James 5:16).