My Heart's Desire
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. ~Romans 10:1
Have you ever been the recipient of a letter or electronic message that started off telling you that this is an “urgent request”? Our devotion this morning centers on an urgent request of the Apostle Paul. He is bearing his heart to the believers at Rome about his concern for the spiritual condition of every Jew. His heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel was that they might be saved.
We see his devoted prayer.
Paul made it a daily prayer for Israel to be saved. The very fact he prayed for their salvation indicates the deep passion in his heart for their eternal welfare. He prayed that Jews everywhere would be saved. He was passionate for the very race of people he was a member of. He knew their propensities, quirks, and tendencies. During his time, no one was more concerned for the Jews salvation than Paul. Do you pray for people to be saved? Do you pray for a specific people group to be saved? Do you pray for missionaries to be sent abroad with the gospel message? We see his devoted prayer.
We see his determined priority.
His praying drove his priority. His praying established God’s vision for reaching the Jews and the world with the gospel. Paul’s priority was the establishment of churches and preaching of the gospel. He was a man driven “night and day”. He was a man who had such urgency he said, “woe is me if I preach not the gospel.” He had the care of the churches on his heart. Yet he was moved with great conflict in his heart with his mouth open and his heart enlarged. He prayed and strategized over where to take the gospel message and start churches. His priority was the advancement of the gospel message.
We see his dynamic process.
He always stayed in submission to the local church. Starting from Antioch, we see Paul painstakingly making his way throughout the regions of the Mediterranean Sea and preaching the gospel. We see him at Cyprus, Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus. He "reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead." His process was dynamic.
We see his detailed product.
His product was the souls that were saved, thriving churches, and leaders trained up. Think of the thriving congregations to whom he wrote epistles to! Think of the many personalities who were saved and discipled under his ministry: Lois, Eunice, Timothy, Epaphroditus, Tychichus, Aristarchus, Gaius, Lydia, the Philippian jailer, Crispus, Dionysius the Areopagite, Damaris, Aquila and Priscila, and many more. The product of Paul’s prayer for the salvation of Israel multiplied itself into much fruit that circled the globe. His prayer resulted in his influence touching many lives.
Let’s be a people who have an urgency in our hearts for the salvation of souls. Let us pray for nations to be saved! Let us pray for churches to be planted in needy cities. Let us pray for pastors to be trained up and men to be called to the gospel ministry. May our heart’s desire and prayer to God is that the countries of the world might be saved!
Have a soul conscious God morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Psalm 119