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Prayer and God’s Timing

• Paul has never been to Rome, but he has heard about their faith.

• All over the Roman world, there is talk of the faith of the Roman church.

• There is deep affection from Paul toward the Romans though he has never been there. 

• Martin Luther said, “Christianity is the unique religion of the possessive pronoun” meaning you can be a Buddhist without knowing Buddha, a Hare Krishna without knowing Krishna, but you can’t be a Christian without knowing Jesus Christ...He is your Love and Friend.

• Christianity is uniquely not a religion but a relationship.

• Ex. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger.

• Your spirit must meet the Holy Spirit in a divine encounter! Your spirit man must be born again.

• Paul is serving God with His spirit! You have to know Jesus daily.

• You have to keep that awareness everyday, when you’re in the car, in the office, on the phone, while working on the computer.

• It is a “Spirit to spirit communion” daily! When we are loving God with all of our heart, soul and mind, we are loving Him with our spirit.

• The Spirit filled life is a life of the Holy Spirit invading our spirit man.

• We learn to pray “in the Spirit”.

• It is possible to pray in the flesh…

• Jesus said, “(Don’t act like the Pharisee’s who would blow a trumpet and all the people could watch them throw money to the beggars… Don’t pray like the hypocrites.)”

• We all have that temptation to preach when we pray…you’re being phoney.

• “Lord, you know so and so do this!” That’s manipulation.

• NO, Jesus said, “(When you pray, pray in private…go into your inner room.)” 

• When you fast, don’t look like you’re fasting…

• Rather, develop a private history with God.

• The Centurion knew that he was under authority and he came asking for his servant’s healing…He knew that Jesus could call down power and authority. His power was directly related to the Authority He served.

• Paul is serving God with his spirit, under God’s authority.

• Paul is crying out to God for the Roman church.

• In chapter 16, Paul mentions 26 names which shows just how much he already loves and cherishes these people.

• Paul is mentioning by name the members of this church.

• He is daily praying for them.

• Ex. We have a 24/7/365 prayer online that sends up prayers constantly.

• Ex. One of my dear friends put his ulcer pain online for prayer and he was instantly healed last week! Marriages are healed, souls are saved through prayer.

• People ask, “How do I pray?” My answer: Just tell God what’s on your heart…

• The personal pronoun…He’s your loving Father in heaven who wants to meet your needs.

• “You have not because you ask not.” ASK! Cry out!

• For years Paul has been asking God for the opportunity to get to Rome and he still hasn’t been to Rome.

• It would be another 3 years before he would make it to Rome.

• So, is there such a thing as “unanswered prayer”? I don’t think so! 

• Unanswered prayer is an oxymoron…God always answers prayer.

• We just have a difficult time with one of the three options…”no”.

• So, when God says “no” we call that unanswered prayer.

• Ex. But I didn’t call it unanswered when my earthly father said “no”…My father said “no” to a motorcycle at 13 years of age, imagine that!

• God answers with “yes,” “no,” or “wait”.

• But He always answers our prayers.

• No human of the New Testament had greater faith, anointing, sacrifice, holiness, and character than Paul.

• Paul had no disingenuous motives.

• But God said “no” for now! 

• God will sometimes say “no” to your wishes, desires and prayer requests.

• But we trust that God knows what is best for us…and what is best for us, may not be what we are asking for.

• For Paul says, “No, lets get you locked up in a filthy Caesarean prison, have you beaten a few times, have you ship wrecked and almost die, then get you bitten by a poisonous snake and then imprisoned some more in a filthy Roman prison.”

• And we pray, “If by any means O Lord, make me into a good husband…a good wife.”

• “By some means” God will get you there…but you see Paul was a bondslave of God! He had settled that with His Lord. Jesus was Lord over his life and He could do whatever He desired with his life.

• There was a saying, “All roads lead to Rome” but Paul knew that “all roads also lead from Rome.”

• He knew that a strong church in Rome would impact the entire Empire of Rome.

• He wants to get there and impart something to them.

• He wants to serve them.

• I believe that spiritual gifts and spiritual calling can be imparted through the laying on of hands.

• Paul had imparted a spiritual gift to Timothy.

• A young girl named Phoebe carries this letter from Paul to the Romans. This letter will make it to Rome three years before Paul makes it to Rome.

• There is a spiritual battle with every prayer you pray.

• Even Paul is struggling to know God’s timing.

• How many years are you willing to preserve in prayer?

• Ex. God has placed vision and direction on my life: He has told me to do things, but He then leads me some other place…be encouraged, Paul had the same thing.

• God had appeared to him in prison and told him he would end up in Rome, but God didn’t tell him the timing.

• Paul knew that the longing was from God, but so was the timing.

• Ex. When you are praying for your teens, there is a spiritual battle going on. Satan and demons want your children! You must be ready to labor for their souls.

• Even Paul will labor for years before he receives the “yes” of his prayers.

• You will labor for a “yes”, while you wait!

• Ex. You will labor in prayer for the mate of your children…pray for your future mate now! 

• Ex. Some of you have labored in prayer to be married.

• Ex. Some of you have labored in prayer for a child.

• Listen: God is at work and He is developing you!!

• Ex. Bamboo takes over 30 years to develop roots under the ground, but when the bamboo breaks through the ground it grows 6-12 inches a day!!

• The Greeks spoke Greek or Latin; Barbarians didn’t speak Greek or Latin.

• “I am a debtor” means “I am bound by duty”.  His duty was to Jesus, He was a slave to Jesus. (Vs. 1)

• Because I am indebted to Christ, I must tell the world about Him!! I am obligated to tell everyone!!

• Ex. We have an obligation to tell others around us about a relationship with Jesus!

• Remember the children’s song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”

• Somehow, as we get older, we don’t think we need to let it shine anymore.

• Paul is ready to share his faith wherever, whenever, to whomever!

• Three things I see: 
  • I am a debtor
  • I am ready
  • I am not ashamed

• Here we see the motivation: I am a debtor! Because of what Jesus has done for me, I simply must tell others about Him.

• Here we see the realization: Thus, I am ready, I am prepared. We simply must be prepared…you need to know how to share your faith with others.

• Here we see the transformation: I am not going to be ashamed or fearful of sharing my faith with others!

• I just will not be ashamed!

• I really believe we don’t see more answered prayer and blessing from heaven because we are ashamed of Him on earth.

• Conversely, when we learn to be unashamed, no fear, in our witness for Christ you will experience the Lord’s presence and power in new ways all over your life.

• Ex. When we begin to be fearless and unashamed in our lifestyle, we will be faithful and unhindered in our prayer life!

• So, what are you praying for? Are you laboring in prayer over something?

• Do you have friends, colleagues, or relatives that you are believing God for salvation?