#10. Romans 1:9-10 – Last Thoughts About Prayer, and Moving on to Paul’s Journey

 Part I: Introductions

I have one or two more thoughts about prayer that I’d like to state before we proceed. At the end of my last article, I made a big statement, that “all is out of God.” For many, the notion that this is in Scripture is difficult to grasp, and there are, to them, many plot holes in Scripture that are seemingly introduced when Paul writes this (causing many, in fact, to disown Paul altogether, and just ‘stick to the words in red.’) It is, arguably, the most difficult statement to grasp in Scripture, as it forces the honest truth seeker to re-evaluate almost everything that they have been taught about right and wrong throughout their entire life.

I seek to cover as many of these objections as I can throughout this study (and I’ve already begun to do so.) However, there’s a logical extreme that I run the risk of adhering to by implementing those statements into this study, before the allotted argument by which Paul states them. The reason that many may see this as a logical extreme is because, when used improperly, “All is out of God” can be construed as a catch-all.

Let me show you what I mean (though most of you probably already know.) For example: why did God make you eat hamburgers instead of hot dogs yesterday? Because all is out of God! So don’t question it! Or, why did God enslave the Israelites to Egypt for over 400 years? Because all is out of God, and He needed to show us how wrong slavery is! And, why did God cause the 9/11 attacks to occur, when over 3,000 people were wrongly murdered? Because the government is corrupt, and all is out of God, so it has to happen!

Do you see what I mean? Practically speaking, many honest truth seekers understand that “all is out of God” is a correct answer, but it’s an unsatisfying answer. We are seekers by nature (see: The Who.) We search low and high for something tangible, and if we aren’t seeing practical answers to the questions we’re asking (such as: what is prayer?) then we will come across as cultish, not honest. As true as it may be to say “All is out of God,” the fact is that at this stage in Romans, it is a very dangerous statement to bust out to someone who has spent their entire lives believing that they are the rulers of their own lives.

I’m telling you this, in part, because I want to gain your trust. If you understand that that answer can be unsatisfying apart from other details, and I understand that it’s unsatisfying apart from other details, then we are able to find a common ground and proceed from there. We don’t simply want to know that “all is out of God,” but why is, and how is , and the what is the point of all being out of God. We want “all is out of God” to be the conclusion to the argument (as Paul typically uses it,) and not the beginning.

So! Why did I find it okay to implement the statement in  the “introduction to prayer” study? My reason is because it was at the end of the argument. We had three different articles that cover the entirety of Paul’s prayer there, and it was not until the end of the last article that I concluded with that statement. This was after I had shown you a wealth of other evidence – the word itself and its elements, its use, some examples of prayer in Scripture, and the fact that God knows when the prayer will occur, are all sufficient to conclude that “prayer is out of God.”

Moreover, when you usually say, “All is out of God,” the first issue people have is typically not, “Well, hey, does that include ‘prayer?’” For as much crap as  I gave the Scriptural teacher in the previous articles, in truth, the average person can very much put two and two together, and rest comfortably in the fact that their prayer life is being guided by the smarter and more loving One in their relationship. It is, in my opinion, very few who take issue with such a claim.

No, when you say “All is out of God,” people are usually more concerned with something like “sin,” or “evil,” or “death.” They think of their character flaws, and their shoddy friends who lie or cheat them. They aren’t thinking about the good stuff, so much as they are overwhelmed by the potential that the bad stuff is implemented into their story by God.

I will have a long, in-depth study and exhortation of this bad stuff, and whether or not God is actually the Source of evil as well, but for now, I find that “All is out of God” should by no stretch exclude prayer, as many don’t even consider prayer until they begin worshipping a god of some sort.

Anyway, the reason that I really wanted to combat the pop-culture-prayer lie is because there are many that believe that, when they “ask for something,” they are asking for something that is outside of God’s will, or intention. They think, “Well, if I don’t have this thing yet, it’s because God didn’t plan for me to ask for this thing. So, if I ask for it, and then He grants it, it’s because God realized that it was a good thing for me to have, and then granted it.” This train of thought puts the power of prayer in the hands of the created, as opposed to the Creator.

I already covered why this is an issue in the previous article (because: it leads to pride, Gen. 4:25.) What I will say here, is that God plans for the prayer, and because He plans for the prayer, He overtly plans for the answer as well (because… why, as a storyteller, would you plan for a question that you couldn’t answer? This isn’t Lost, it’s real life.)

Many, even in light of the facts, are determined to believe otherwise. This is, in part, because sin is working in them, and the god of this eon (Satan) is blinding them to this spiritual sense through a false Bible translation (2 Cor. 4:2-6.) They believe that God cannot plan for these things, for to do so would mean that He is forcing Himself into their story, of their life. To them (and, alas, to most of the world,) freedom is true love – not guidance.

This objection, of course, requires more than just a study on ‘prayer.’ It requires a longer, overarching study of the evangel of God, and as such you will not see me counter this objection “immediately.” You will see it progress over the course of this series, and I will continue probing you with questions as the layers of God’s declarations (as opposed to religion’s declarations) are peeled back.

One more thing, and then we will move on in a related subject. We must recognize that the prayer of God carries His will into effect. If it is His will, then it is His prayer – not ours. Believers are, undeniably, the instrument, and the prayer the music, but the Musician is God. An instrument apart from its Player makes no sound.

What of those who do not seek to carry His will into effect? And, what of those who may think they are carrying His will, but are in actuality worshipping a false god? Well, these folk do still indeed have a spirit, which is designed to communicate in prayer. Just because they do not know God does not mean they are not made in God’s Image and Likeness (double negative!) It is still sourced in Him, and planned by Him, but it is intentionally being misapplied to another deity. This is a wicked world, and it is designed to carry layers of failure in contrast like this.

SO! Why am I mentioning His “will” so much? Because the next verse begins the final portion of Paul’s introduction, where he considers his intended journey to go to Rome. This portion will not only wrap up Paul’s prayer, but highlights just how Paul perceives the will of God, as well as how prayer from a believer is contextualized with it.

For God is my Witness, to Whom I am offering divine service in my spirit in the evangel of His Son, how unintermittingly I am making mention of you always in my prayers, beseeching, if somehow, sometime, at length I shall be prospered, in the will of God, to come to you.

With this verse, we see that Paul’s prayer has two components: a thanks, and a request. Is this not in line with the outline of proper prayer which Jesus enacted? “Father, please… and your will be done.” Irrespective of the order by which they are presented (Paul is not teaching us doctrinally, yet, but we are reading the thoughts of a believer in the inspired text,) we see this pattern in Scriptural prayer.

Paul says that he is beseeching. The King James, unfortunately, translates this word in three different ways – “pray,” “beseech,” and “making request.” While it is true that “requests” and “prayer” are the focus of what’s happening here, the correct word is beseech. As we covered already, there is a separate word for “pray” (proseuche,) and, as we will come to study, there is a separate word for “request” (aitema, Luke 23:24, Phil. 4:6, 1 John 5:15.) Of course, since they had already properly translated the word “prayer” in verse 9, they had to change it, here.

The Greek word used here is deomai. Its elements are “BIND.” It is a bold, strong proclamation that is even stronger than a regular “shout” or “saying.” It does not require you to ‘speak,’ but can be a disposition, or thought. It is not the sum of Paul’s prayer, but it is a component. Note that Paul doesn’t “beseech” a thankfulness, but beseeches his request – to go see them.

This takes me to my next point, but it’s more of an observation than a teaching: isn’t it wild that Paul has never met these people?? He had not set foot in Rome at the time of this writing! By the end of the book of Acts, he was arriving in Rome, and spent the majority of his time there imprisoned! Yet here he expresses a true fondness for these people, whom he had never laid eyes on! What a genuine solicitude for the brethren of faith, that he deems himself connected to them spiritually whether he’s personally spoken to them or not!

It is here, in Romans 1:10, that we see the first example of God’s will reigning supreme. It is the first reference to God’s will in Romans (and thus, the first time the modern reader will see Paul speaking of God’s will, if they are reading the Bible in its presented order.) Paul clearly denotes, in his prayer, that his request is entirely contingent on whether or not it’s God’s will for him to go to Rome.

Does this mean that, if Paul never went to Rome, that it would not be God’s will? May it not come to that! This is kind of the entire point of Paul’s prayer! He thanks God for what He has done with the Romans saints, and requests to see the Roman saints if it is in the will of God for him to do so. This dichotomy will not only be present throughout Romans 1, but be expanded upon and reach its climax by the end of Romans 11.

- GerudoKing