by Matt Grant

At this morning’s prayer event, Jeff Gwinn shared some GREAT insights from John Piper on our motives for prayer. See below for Piper’s notes and Shoreline Campus prayer requests.

Prayer Changes People’s Will by John Piper

Romans 15:30-31
30Now 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, 31that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints.

Why Incentives and Not a Command?
Why does Paul give the Roman Christians incentives to pray for him instead of just telling them to pray? Recall, there are two incentives: 1) I urge you “by our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2) I urge you “by the love of the Spirit.” Why does Paul use these incentives? Why not just say, “Pray for me!”?

God Generally Moves the Will Through the Mind
The reason is this: God’s customary way to move your will is through your mind. That is, he typically draws the will into action by displaying truth to the mind.
<This is when the Holy Spirit brings to light the understanding of God’s will to us>

So in this case, through Paul, God desires that the will of the Roman Christians incline to pray—and not just incline but incline vigorously. He calls it “striving” in prayer. So to awaken their will to this kind of vigorous inclination, and pull it out into dynamic action, he puts two God-centered truths in their minds:

1) Jesus Christ is Lord (”by our Lord Jesus Christ“);
<I believe we forget this all too often when we pray, but should pray fully believing this!>

2) The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of love (”by the love of the Spirit“).

These two incentives correspond to the two prayer requests in verse 31. Since Jesus is Lord, you may pray with confidence that he has the right and authority and power to restrain the disobedient in Judea. <God can overcome any problem we face!!!!>

And since the Spirit of God is a Spirit of love, you can pray with confidence that he will lovingly fill the saints in Jerusalem with love for Paul so that his ministry is accepted and not resented.
<We should keep this in mind as we pray for unbelievers and for the people of Shoreline!>

God Wants to Be Glorified by Right Views of God

The reason is plain: God would not get glory for our actions if they were not stimulated by views of God. God is in the main business in the world of magnifying the worth of his Son and the power of his Spirit and the glory of his own name. So his will is that we be aware of these things.
<We need to live this out in our prayer lives and realize that with everything we do we do it to glorify God>

Why Didn’t Paul Just Pray on His Own?

The second question from verse 30 is this: why do the prayers of the Roman Christians promise more help than if Paul simply prayed alone for his two requests? Or in other words Why do we have prayer meetings? Why have prayer groups? If God is God, and it is his power that makes a difference in answering prayer, why does it matter how many people ask him?

Answer: the more people that are praying for a thing, the more thanks and honor God will get when he acts. We see this in 2 Corinthians 1:10b–11: “And [God] will yet deliver us, 11 you also joining in helping us through your prayers, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed upon us through the prayers of many.”

The assumption behind the answer to both of these questions is that the divine purpose of prayer is to magnify the greatness of God. Prayer exists for the glory of God. Jesus said in John 14:13, “And whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” The aim of prayer is that the Father be glorified through Jesus.

So the more people there are praying for something, and thus depending on God for mercy and power, the more people will give him thanks and glorify him when the answer comes.
<We need to remember to always share our examples of answered prayer with everyone around us including our non-Christian friends so God is glorified>

Shoreline Campus Prayer Requests

• Pray that Jesus would change and soften our hearts for His glory through the “Pray Like Jesus” series.
• Pray that Jesus would open doors (no pun intended:) to a new facility or building for the Shoreline Campus.
• Pray for the Shoreline Campus leaders as they make fall planning decisions for the following ministries:
  • Proxy/Crux
  • Mid-Week classes
  • Children’s Ministry
• Pray for Pastor Steve and Pastor Jamie Munson as they prepare to preach through Jonah in August; and pray that Jesus would open the eyes of the hearts of many to see God’s glory through this sermon series.
• Pray for Pastor Mark as he prepares to preach through the Song of Solomon; and pray too that Jesus would work in the hearts of many through this series to topple the idol of sex and reclaim it as a means to glorify God.