Power of Prayer and the Gospel

Romans 15:30-33

"Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; 32 so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen."

1. Paul appeals to the love of the Holy Spirit for prayer.

• Gal 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness

• 2 Cor 5:13-14 – 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died

• Matt 9:36-38 – 36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

• Matt 14:14 – When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matt 15:32 – Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."

• 2 Cor. 3:14 – But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.

• Heb. 3:13 – But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Matt 24:12 – And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

2. Paul asked to pray for protection and fruitfulness

• Acts 14:19 – But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

• Acts 20:3 – And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

• Acts 23:12-22 – 12 When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who formed this plot