Pray for Your Brethren with All Readiness Romans 1:8-15

“How Deeply Do You Care About Your Brethren?”

The Duty to Pray for Our Brethren. We are to thank God in prayer for one another. Romans 1:8 (NASB) First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. -- cf. Rom. 16:19

Romans 1:8 We should follow Paul’s example and give thanks for brethren, both locally and abroad (e.g., 1 Cor 1:4; Eph 1:16; Phil 1:3-5; Col 1:3; 1 Thes 1:2; Phm 4; etc.).

There is a temptation to “nit-pick” focus on the negatives or faults of brethren all the time (Gal. 5:15; cf. James 5:19).

Romans 1:8 We need to develop gratitude within our hearts by giving thanks to God for one another. We need to develop gratitude within our hearts by giving thanks to God for one another.

Romans 1:8 Giving thanks to God for one another helps prevent taking each other for granted. Giving thanks to God for one another helps prevent taking each other for granted.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (NASB) 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

1 Thessalonians 3:9 (NASB) “For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account.”

The Duty to Pray for Our Brethren. Praying for one another without ceasing demonstrates that we love one another and have a genuine concern for the salvation of others

Romans 1:9-10 (NASB) 9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10 always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. -- cf. Phil 1:3-5; Phm 4-6

Paul’s prayers for the saints at Rome were, in love, centered on their spiritual benefit (Rom. 1:10- 11).

Romans 1:10-11 (NASB) 10 always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; -- cf. 2 Tim. 1:6

Likewise, we need to pray for our brethren with a spiritual focus (e.g., Col. 1:9-11; Eph. 1:18; James 5:16).

The Duty to Pray for Our Brethren. God is witness as to whether or not we pray for one another as we should (Rom. 1:9).

Romans 1:9 (NASB) “For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you.”

God also bears witness to us on whether or not we pray for one another as we should (cf. Heb. 4:13; James 2:16).

Praying with a Readiness to Edify Our Brethren. Like Paul, we should pray for and long for opportunities to encourage and strengthen our brethren as permitted by the will of God (Rom. 1:10).

Romans 1:10 (NASB) “always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.” – cf. Rom. 15:22; cf. Acts 13:4; 16:6

We also are subject to the will of God when we seek opportunities to help our brethren (James 4:13-15).

James 4:13-14 (NASB) 13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

James 4:15 (NASB) Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that."

Praying with a Readiness to Edify Our Brethren. Genuine, caring Christians will go beyond prayer, they will seek to do God’s will!

Like Paul (Rom 1:11), we should have a longing to strengthen brethren in the Lord; not just pray for one another, but make necessary efforts to help each other.

1 John 3:18 (NASB) “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

Praying with a Readiness to Edify Our Brethren. When Christians are praying and doing good for one another, mutual encouragement is achieved!

Romans 1:12 (NASB) “that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.”

When we get involved to help a brother to strengthen him spiritually, we help ourselves as well! (2 Cor. 1:3-5; 2 Pet. 1:12; John 4:34; Heb. 10:24; James 5:19-20).

Pray for the Chance to Make a Positive, Spiritual Difference in the Lives of Brethren! Paul desired to obtain some spiritual “fruit” among the saints at Rome (Rom 1:13-14).

Romans 1:13-14 (NASB) 13 And I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented thus far) in order that I might obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. – cf. Colossians 1:6, 10

Like Paul, we should pray for and desire real results or “fruit” of our labor in the Lord.

Pray for the Chance to Make a Positive, Spiritual Difference in the Lives of Brethren! Every Christian should pray to make a positive difference in the lives of their brethren.

Every member has a role to fulfill to help build up the Lord’s church (Eph. 4:15-16; cf. 1 Cor. 12:12-26).

NO Christian should be content to just “attend” and not be involved to help their fellow brethren get to Heaven!

Pray for the Chance to Make a Positive, Spiritual Difference in the Lives of Brethren! Every Christian should be eager to do his /her part to help build up their brethren by means of the gospel.

Romans 1:15 (NASB) “Thus, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” – cf. Ephesians 1:13; John 17:17 The gospel is the source that will edify or build up brethren spiritually.

Acts 20:32 (NASB) “And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Like Paul, every one of us should stand ready and eager to do our part to build our brethren up through the gospel (Romans 1:15).

Let Us Pray for One Another and Always be Ready to Help One Another by Means of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.