This morning during my quiet time I was reading in Romans and found this little verse that drew my attention, Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” This nugget from the book of Romans offers on the surface what seems to be a simple instruction. We are told to rejoice in hope, to be patient in tribulation and to be continuing instantly in prayer. On the surface it is good. Dig a little deeper and it is great!
A quick review of the Greek words give us a richer meaning to enjoy. Rejoicing comes from a word that implies to be glad to even thrive in the moment. Hope refers to a confident expectation of our eternal salvation. Patient speaks of enduring, to remain, not to recede or to flee. Tribulation refers to being in distress or oppression. Instant, to show one’s self to be courageous, to give unremitting care to a thing. However here is the big surprise, prayer, in this verse speaks of the place uniquely set apart for or well suited for the offering up of prayers.
All of that to say this, we as believers in Jesus Christ should thrive out of a confidence that comes because of knowing we have eternal salvation. We should endure and not to run from times of oppression or distress. We can and should be courageous during this time of distress by giving unremitting care to keeping ourselves in a place well suited for praying.
I don’t believe that it would be over spiritualizing to say that this does not mean that we have to live in church. However we should not neglect our time of worship with the local body of believers. None the less we should keep ourselves equipped to intercede wherever we are. We should keep ourselves, the temple of the Holy Spirit, in such a state that we would always be ready for His presence and to communicate with Him. We cannot use words that are not fit for His presence on our lips or in our mind. We should not store up visual images that may be comfortable in this world but not in our mind as we would go to God in prayer.
Holiness is too often mocked or misunderstood in the day in which we live. Yet how can we go boldly to God in prayer and not set our hearts and minds separated to Him? We live in this world as believers. We witness and share our faith with others. But we can never be comfortable with sin. We have been bought with a price, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who died and resurrected. Is it really so much to set a standard of separating ourselves to His service in school, work or home?
As we face the start of another week, let’s take time to worship, to praise and pray. Let’s also take that relationship we have with Christ with us the rest of the week to be the best that we can be. Let’s keep our mind, heart and body in such a way that we are ready to be in prayer and give unremitting care to serving our Lord wherever He leads.
Copyright 2009 Charles Lyons
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