Coffee With The Lord

IT’S VALENTINE’S DAY… A day for sharing love, gratitude, greetings and precious memories. At our house it’s a stack of cards sent to precious family and friends, declared love via social media posts, a special phone call, a held hand, flowers, a shared meal and exchanged gifts. All of it to say how much someone means to you.

When I read Romans 16:1-16 today during my time of “Coffee with the Lord” I was reminded of Valentine’s Day! In this passage we have the great apostolic leader, Apostle Paul expressing his personal love and appreciation to dear friends and fellow servants of the Lord in Rome!

Com’on read it – Romans 16:1-16! … And as you read it, don’t hurry! Allow the warmth of Paul’s words about those he knew, loved and served with enrich your heart! This is a very personal passage! Consider each phrase, relish it, and think about those you have served with in the Kingdom of God – how you feel about them… Their faithful service, their hard work, their contributions, how much they mean to you – THEIR LOVE, THEIR FRIENDSHIP!

Wow!!! Right now the names of special people, situations and sacrifices of precious fellow servants of the Lord flood my mind! I’m thanking God for each one of them! Godly good people I love – worthy of honor – worthy of a Valentine’s Day card, letter or call!!! How about you?

Who have you promised that you’d pray for them? Follow up question: Who have you actually prayed for today?

I’m married to a wonderful lady – Sharon… She takes promises to pray for others very seriously! She has a list she keeps in her Bible of those who have asked her for prayer and others she’s assured of her prayers. At the close of her devotional time in the morning you’ll see her with that list, going over those names and situations, in fervent, sustained prayer! You can depend on Sharon’s prayers!!!

In today’s passage from the epistles in the “Necessary Food Bible Reading Plan” Apostle Paul the great Christian leader, missionary and theologian, appeals to the believers in Rome to pray for him! (Romans 15:30-33)…

This is how he puts it… “STRIVE together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf!” (A very strong, and if you please “fervent” word!) He appeals by “our Lord Jesus Christ” and by the love the Holy Spirit produces within their lives (cp. Galatians 5:22-23)! … His appeal is that they would pray for three things on His behalf…

1) That he would be delivered from “the unbelievers in Judea” (a prayer for protection in the midst of persecution as he is seeking to deliver the Gospel message in the face of resistance and persecution… (check out the example he gives of this in Thessalonica – Acts 17:1-15) Faithful “servants of the Lord” serving in difficult places and facing challenging situations DEPEND on our prayers!

2) That the service he is seeking to provide on behalf of the Christians in Jerusalem would be considered “acceptable” by those receiving it and accepted with thanksgiving. (Romans 15:22-29)

3) And finally that he would be able to come to them for a visit (and ministry) with joy and be blessed by their fellowship!

LISTEN: Spiritual leader and missionaries DEPEND on our prayers on their behalf!!! My suggestion? Make a list like Sharon’s and pray for the needs (and persons) there daily (I have!). And be prepared to respond with fervent prayer as the Holy Spirit “nudges” you (His “nudge” often lets us know of an emergency or particular situation that merits our fervent prayer).

Sometimes we wonder whether prayer really works – whether God actually hears our prayers and answers them. Well, perhaps we should ask Hezekiah, king of Judah, and let him answer that question!

Sennacherib, king of Assyria (the most powerful nation in the world at that time) had attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and conquered them. Next on his list was Jerusalem. Assyria was notorious for their cruelty in war – the mention of their name struck terror in nations. In Isaiah 36, Sennacherib taunts Hezekiah, belittles Jehovah, and sends a threatening letter. Hezekiah reads the letter, goes up to the temple of the Lord, spreads it out before the Lord and prays, pouring out the anguish of his heart to the Lord. You should read his prayer – in many ways a pattern prayer. (Isaiah 37.14-20)

Then this is what the Bible says… “Then Isaiah (the prophet), son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: BECAUSE YOU HAVE PRAYED TO ME… Who is it you, Sennacherib, have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! … But I know where you are and when you come and go and how you rage against me. And because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came!’ … “Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will defend this city and save it, for My sake and for the sake of David my servant!”

“Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning–there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there! One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.” (From Isaiah 37 NIV)

Hey, do you have a problem that is bigger than you are – a situation that seems impossible and almost paralyzes you with fear? You might want to take it to the Lord in prayer! Just say’n!