All My Heart: Serving God, Praying Always, Rejoicing in Faith
Romans 1:8–9 (NLT)
8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.
Message
I. A Grateful Heart for Global Faith (8)
Paul is grateful to his God through Jesus Christ for the faith of the believers in Rome (1a). The Roman Empire was Israel’s oppressor, but Romans were changed and saved through their faith in Christ! Those who believed the Good News through Paul’s ministry were his joy and the crown he received for his work (Philippians 4:1; see also 2 Corinthians 2:3).
He was grateful because their faith in Him was being talked about all over the world (1b). Paul expressed similar gratitude to God for the Philippian believers (Philippians 1:3). He prayed for them with joy (Philippians 1:4) because of their partnership with him in spreading the Good News about Christ (Philippians 1:5).
II. Tireless Intercession for His Spiritual Children (9)
He prayed for them frequently (9a). His prayer was intercessory. Intercession is one of the things that pleases God (1 Timothy 2:1-3). Day and night, he brought them and their needs in prayer to God (9b). This shows how much Paul loved them as his spiritual children (1 Corinthians 4:15 NLT, 2 Corinthians 2:4, 11:11 NLT).
He served God with all his heart by spreading the Good News about His Son (9c). Paul’s confession that he serves God with all his heart reminds us of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NLT.
4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
