RSS

Tag Archives: Romans

Romans 15:13-22

07 Nov

13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

14 I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. 15 Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, 16 I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. 17 So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. 18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. 19 They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.

20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. 21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says,

“Those who have never been told about him will see,
    and those who have never heard of him will understand.”

22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.

Romans 15:13-22

Dear God, I’m pretty distracted this morning and having a hard time digging into this passage. I’ve read it about three times now, and the first time I was really touched by the part about how Paul was speaking affirmatively towards the Romans (verse 14). They aren’t perfect (verse 15), but just saying they are full of goodness is quite a compliment. I’d love to receive that word from Paul.

But once again, Paul is essentially coming back to what he said in Acts 20:24. That he considers his life worth nothing to him. He just wants to preach the gospel of Jesus to everyone, including Gentiles. What is the gospel? That we are reconciled to you through the life, death, resurrection, and power of Jesus–you incarnate. Fully God. Fully human. You succeeded where we failed.

I was listening to an episode of the Bible Project podcast this week. They are doing a series on “The Wilderness,” and they were talking about how Jesus succeeded where we failed. He succeeded in the wilderness where Adam failed. Where Abraham failed. Where Moses failed. Where David failed. Where Elijah failed. Even the greats failed. But Jesus didn’t. Fully you and fully us, he succeeded and bridged the gap between us. You’re amazing.

Father, help me to live this gospel today. Help me to figure out how to share it better. Give me the courage to share it better. And guide me in the complicated path ahead of me. Give me clarity, wisdom, and insight. Give me compassion. Give me your eyes so I can see what you see. Give me your ears so I can hear what you hear. Take my ego out of it. Take my self-interest out of it. Help me to boil these situations down to what you need me to do.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 7, 2025 in Romans

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Romans 8:26-28

09 Sep

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 8:26-28

Dear God, this is one of those precious passages that is so encouraging. The problem is it’s also easy to misinterpret if one is a subscriber to prosperity gospel teaching. But before I get to verse 28, I want to spend some time with verse 26.

You, Holy Spirit, are so overlooked by all of us, but I think I’m getting a little better at thinking about you and the role you play in my life. The depths of your companionship with me. The teaching. The comfort. And the praying. This is the one I probably don’t think about as much. That you pray for me. And I don’t have to ask you to pray for me “with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” Paul indicates here that you just do it. And I have friends for whom I pray. I hope you are praying for them with groanings too because, frankly, I am just not a very focuses intercessory prayer. I’m not nearly as purposeful or disciplined about it as my wife is. She’s much better at praying for others than I am. But I also believe that you are there just loving me and praying for me and the things I care about.

This leads me to verse 28. The trick on my end is to not expect that I know what my good is. That’s where prosperity gospel teaching fails. It assumes we can identify when something is good for us or not. If I were to win the billion-dollar Powerball that was awarded the other night, I might think that is good for me, but you would know better. How many lottery winner who win large amounts actually have their lives improve? Not many. But there are the more practical things too. I remember in 2005 when I was really mad at you about not getting a specific job, but what I couldn’t see in the moment was you had something different for me. And there are things in my life that I want now. There are broken relationships I long to be healed. But maybe you don’t have that as what is best for everyone involved. I’m too ignorant to know what is your best, so the Holy Spirit is praying for me and my faith allows me (most of the time) to be patient and let you work things out for the collective good, not just my selfish wants.

Father, I love you. I trust you. I thank you. Holy Spirit, thank you for praying. Thank you for all that you do for me that I almost never acknowledge. Thank you for the comfort you give me. Thank you for teaching and directing me. Thank you for loving me. Now, as I have different names come to mind who need prayer, I pray that you will strongly support them. Love them. Bring glory to your name in their eyes and through their lives. Heal, but do it for your glory. Comfort. Teach. Provide. All for your glory. Our utmost for your highest.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 9, 2025 in Romans

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Romans 1:16-17

17 Jul

16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Romans 1:16-17

Dear God, it is so easy for us to make the “Good News” so complicated. I think the tendency of the modern American Christian is to say it is that we get to go to heaven and escape hell. But that’s not what you’re offering. You are just inviting us to use you for our benefit. The Good News tells us that faith in Jesus and everything he taught makes us right in your eyes. And following Jesus in faith and being right in your eyes brings us life. It’s right there. And on the other side of the veil, eternity with you is our destiny, and that’s great. And I don’t know what they cut line for eternity with you is.

I don’t know where you draw those lines. But I know that what you’re offering me and all of us is life now. If I ignore you and just walk through my life as best as I can in my own power then I don’t know what will happen to my soul. Jesus was a little vague on how you’ll decide those things. He said in Matthew 25:31-46 that some of us who claim to know you don’t know you, and some who didn’t realize they were loving you were loving you all along by loving the least of these.

Father, help me to be absolutely loving to everyone today. Help me to see every interaction with everyone who crosses my path as an opportunity to love. Give me ears to hear. Give me eyes to see. Help me to be slow to speak and quick to listen. Help me to be curious and not judgmental. Help me to offer you to those who need you. Help me to recognize those you are calling me to serve. Help me to be wise, shrewd, and discerning. Holy Spirit, speak to me today. Help me to hear you and your counsel. Give me the life Jesus promised and Paul offered.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 17, 2025 in Romans

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Roman 10:5-13

09 Mar

5 Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say?

“The word is near you,
    in your mouth and in your heart”

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim), 9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart, leading to righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, leading to salvation. 11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:5-13

Dear God, I never get excited about reading Romans. I probably should. I guess it just seems so academic to me. It feels like he’s teaching a class, and I cannot just take bits and pieces here and there like I prefer to do. For example, today, Sister Miriam just has verse 11 as her verse of meditation from Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, but it’s really out of context without the verse around it. But then they are out of context without chapter 9. And when you go back to chapter 9, you realize it is a continuation from chapter 8. It’s just very verbose and almost cryptic. I’d rather someone like Paul, Peter, or John just beat me over the head with what they are saying instead of taking so many words to build the foundation and justification for their argument. Don’t get me wrong. I understand why they did it that way, and I think that way is right. It can just be hard for me to digest given how I tend to read scripture (which is probably wrong since these were mainly written as letters to groups of people or individuals).

So what is Sister Miriam trying to get me to focus on by just pulling out Romans 10:11?

On this first Sunday of Lent, we are led by the Spirit into the desert with Jesus…In the desert, things become very clear. We see our idols–the things we grasp at for salvation other than God. We see where we hide behind our fig leaves of self-righteousness and shame. We see where our sin has wreaked havoc in our lives and in the lives of others.

I had an email exchange with a friend whom I respect as a Godly man. He loves you. He is also very upset right now and some developments in the world. While we lament the same things, I feel like I am reminded time and again the last few years that there is a difference between despair and lament. As long as you are my God, I will not despair (except when I lose faith and I do, indeed, despair), but I will lament things that make me sad and concerned. And you use that lament to comfort me, motivate me, and draw me closer to yourself. If someone came along tomorrow and fixed everything that I am currently lamenting, I might be tempted to worship that person and turn my eyes from you. I might want to make them my idol. I like how Sister Miriam says, “In the desert, things become very clear. We see our idols.” Why does it often take a desert to reveal our idols? Maybe because we look to our idols to comfort us in the desert, and when they fail us (and they will always fail us eventually) we see them for what they are. Or at least you are trying to reveal them for what they are. We just have to be willing to let go of them and allow the Holy Spirit to help us see them as you see them.

Father, I know I still have idols I’m not aware of. My bank account and how much is in it is an idol. I’m sure it is. I know how I feel if I have different amounts in it. A lot makes me happier. Just a little makes me fearful. So it’s certainly in there somewhere. And I know there are other idols. I know I can look to see who is or isn’t in any given political office and make it an idol to get my person in that position one way or another. But that is fool-hearted. One I’ve talked to you about in the past is my interest or need for the U.S. military to be the strongest in the world so I will feel safe. But am I really safe? Do I need to be safe? My nice little neighborhood in my small town can be a place where I find refuge instead of finding my refuge in you. The examples are everywhere. I confess them to you this morning, in this desert place. Be glorified. You are my God.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on March 9, 2025 in Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, Romans

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Joy to the World by John Piper – Advent Day 23

23 Dec

6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Romans 5:6-11

Dear God, friends with you? Really? I remember a friend of my dad’s who is gone now, but he used to establish mentoring relationships with young men, usually college-aged or older. He would say he wanted to be their friend. Frankly, we tried, but I didn’t care for him that much. I never felt like the friendship was equal or two-way. It didn’t fit my definition of friend.

So when I read Paul saying that we are friends of yours, I wonder how that can be. Is it this kind of friendship this man wanted? A friendship where one person has all of the power and the other is just lucky to be in their orbit? I mean, I’m good with an image of you as God and worshipping you. I’m good with an image of you as omnipotent and omnipresent. I’m good with an image of you as infallible. But it’s hard to think you could be my friend.

But then I think about the evidence you’ve shown me and the world that you want to be our friend. First, you reach out to us at all. That’s amazing in and of itself. Second, you literally sacrificed a part of yourself for us. Third, you took the time to be with us in the flesh to relate to us and teach us. You cared for us. You wept over us. You love us. Fourth, you are here with me now to just love me where I am. No conditions of where I will be in the future. Just love me where I am. Your influence will mold me as we go along, to be sure. If I am the average of the five “people” or I guess entities I spend the most time with, and I am spending time like this with you then I suppose the more I spend time with you the more I will be like you. But you are taking me where I am. It’s remarkable.

Father, it is amazing that I am a friend to God. I am a friend to you. Holy Spirit, you are sitting with me now as I type this. That’s amazing. You are comforting me. Teaching me. Inspiring me. Interested in me. I hope my love in return is enough. Sometimes, I feel like that is all I have to offer. But I offer it freely, willingly, and joyfully. Thank you, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit–my Triune God.

I pray to the Father in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on December 23, 2024 in Advent 2024, Romans

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Romans 12:15

28 May

Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Dear God, this seems like a pretty simple statement from Paul, but it can be harder than it seems. Of course, this is the middle of a section where Paul is encouraging the readers to be loving. And this is what love looks like.

I have to say, this passage is actually not a strength of mine. I don’t mind addressing problems and serving others on a macro level, but I don’t often enough reach out to people individually. I have a former coworker who is going through some serious health issues right now, and I have gone over to visit him quite a bit, but that is certainly the exception. I can still be very selfish with my time.

Father, help me to be aware of the needs around me, and help me respond to your still small voice when you have work for me to do in the lives of individuals who are either mourning or rejoicing. Live through me so that your glory might be not only in my life, but also in their lives as well.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 28, 2019 in Romans

 

Tags: ,

Romans 14:10-14

23 Apr

Romans 14:10-14 [NLT]
10 So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say,

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”

12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

 

Dear God, to answer Paul’s questions in verse 10, it’s so that we can feel better about ourselves. I love to judge others because it make me feel smarter than I am, holier than I am–just better than I am. But Paul reminds us in verse 12 that one day I will be standing before you and you won’t be grading on a curve. You won’t put us on a scale of how I compared with this person or that person. No, it will be you and me and I will have to give you an account of my life and my actions.

If all of that is true, then why do so many of us live our lives comparing ourselves to others? I still remember being at a retreat in the late 90’s and hearing a man give his life story. My dad did his introduction, and I was fooled a little. My dad talked about everything this guy had accomplished by the time he was the age I happened to be at that moment. Before the man even talked, I felt like a loser. Then within five minutes the man explained how he had been in federal prison for embezzlement, had lost his wife and his kids, and now he was trying to rebuild his life. I immediately repented to you for looking at the outside of a man instead of looking deeper and considering what else might be a reality in his life.

Of course, now we all get to see each other’s best parts on social media. And we get to judge each other as well. We judge people if we see them posting pictures of partying too much. We judge them if we see them with the new family for which they left their first family. We allow ourselves to feel inferior to the person who seems to have it all.

Father, help me to take my eyes off of the world and to turn them to you. Help me to stop trying to make my own case through comparison to others, and to simply live faithfully. Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. And please forgive me for failing you so often. I am sorry.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on April 23, 2019 in Romans

 

Tags: , , , ,

Romans 1:18

22 Apr

Romans 1:18
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

Dear God, when I read this scripture this morning the question that came to my mind is, What makes you angry? I get it that this passage says that it’s “wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness,” but what does that look like? And what do you do with that anger?

After I read this scripture this morning, I turned my attention to the news. I didn’t read much yesterday, but I had heard about the attacks in Sri Lanka. There was more information about it today. Tragic. I am sure this attack made you angry. What do you do with that anger? What do you call me to do?

It seems that I am coming up with more questions than answers this morning. I suppose the first thing you are calling me to do is pray. Pray for the survivors who are affected by this crime. That includes the families of the attackers as well as the victims. I pray for the Christian church there as well as the Islamic church. Let this attack backfire on the organizers. Take your own anger and let it burn into love between people. Let there be love that flows between Christians and Muslims in Sri Lanka and around the world. Let there be reconciliation. Yes, some amount of justice needs to be done, and I pray for that justice for those who organized this, but even for them, I pray that someone will find them in prison and reveal your holy anger and simultaneous love for them.

Father, as I go through my own day, help me to know how to handle anger and love. Help me to see each situation with your eyes and offer your presence to it through my life. Help me to completely absorb you. As I’ve said many times before, 1 Corinthians 13 does not say that love does not get angry, but it says that love is not easily angered. Let me not be easily angered as well, but to experience healthy anger and have healthy responses to it.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on April 22, 2019 in Romans

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Romans 15:13

18 Mar

Romans 15:13 [NLT]
13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, what a great thing for me to pray for others. To pray for my children that you would completely fill them with joy and peace because they trust you. That they will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s also a great thing to pray for my wife, my extended family, the significant others of my children, my coworkers, my friends, etc.

And how about myself? Do I trust you so much that you completely fill me with joy and peace? Sometimes. Do I overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit? Occasionally I get there. How can I be a better example of this?

I guess it starts by deciding in what or whom I put my trust. I confess that it is usually me. I usually look to my own solutions. My own ideas. My own skills. But guess what—that method never leads me to joy and peace. Even if it all works out, there is an emptiness to it.

Right now, I am facing a couple of significant challenges at work. I know I have brought one of them to you in prayer and you seem to be moving, but as I sit here and type this, I realize that I have been trying to do the others in my own strength. I have not brought them to you in prayer. I have not put my hope and trust in you to get them resolved. And guess what. About one of my challenges I am feeling peace and joy and about the other two I am not.

Father, help me to surrender my whole life to you so that I might experience your peace and joy. Please guide me in my challenges. Please provide for the needs I have and the needs for which I am responsible at work, in my home, and in my community. Help me to turn it all over to you so that you might use my life to ripple through time as you need it to.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
1 Comment

Posted by on March 18, 2019 in Romans

 

Tags: , , , ,

Emails to God – A Living Sacrifice? (Romans 11:32; 12:1)

29 Oct

For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all… Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Dear God, I don’t think I have ever seen these two verses linked together before, but after reading it again, they below together. Paul didn’t separate his letter into chapters. He wrote it all as one unit, and so if I look at 12:1 without looking at what came before it, then I am missing something. It’s the word “Therefore” that told me I should look at what preceded it, and what precedes it is Paul talking about the Israelites having their hearts hardened and you going to the Gentiles. Now all of us, in our disobedience, can receive your grace and mercy. So now I am supposed to offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you. This is how I can worship you.

So what does it mean to offer my body as a living sacrifice? What does that look like? And how am I doing? It’s funny how some days are better than others. Yesterday, for example, was an interesting day. I woke up with zero motivation. I went to church with my wife, but then I came home to take a nap. Then I watched my favorite football player play, followed by another nap. Then I spend the rest of the day reading a book. I had things I intended to accomplish yesterday (exercising, writing, paying bills), but I did none of it. I just let the day go. Did I make a mistake? Was I being selfish? Was I getting some rest that I needed? Did I fail to sacrifice myself to you?

Father, as I go through this day, help me to remember that I am choosing right now to completely submit myself to you as a living sacrifice. I am giving you all that I am for all that you are. During the day, as I start to take my life back, please remind me that I agreed to give it all to you. Be glorified through me, and help me to be the man you need me to be for the sake of my wife, my children, my coworkers, and everyone else with whom I come into contact.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 29, 2012 in Miscellaneous

 

Tags: , , , , ,