Romans 1:8-15, A Prayer of Thanks

8First, I thank God in the name of Jesus Christ for all of you. I do this because people everywhere in the world are talking about your faith. 9God has seen how I never stop praying for you, while I serve him with all my heart and tell the good news about his Son.


10In all my prayers, I ask God to make it possible for me to visit you. 11I want to see you and share with you the same blessings that God's Spirit has given me. Then you will grow stronger in your faith. 12What I am saying is that we can encourage each other by the faith that is ours.


13My friends, I want you to know that I have often planned to come for a visit. But something has always kept me from doing it. I want to win followers to Christ in Rome, as I have done in many other places. 14-15It doesn't matter if people are civilized and educated, or if they are uncivilized and uneducated. I must tell the good news to everyone. That's why I am eager to visit all of you in Rome.

Paul is thankful for the Roman Christians for one important reason. "Because people everywhere in the world are talking about your faith". There was a time when that was said about American Christians...

Paul's natural response was to pray unceasingly for them...and want to visit them. It's possible that, at least for Spirit-filled Christians like Paul, there is a predilection for committed Christians. This makes me wonder...

Who would I invite to dinner this evening?
Joel Osteen or Joel Coen?
James Dobson or LeBron James?
Billy Graham or Billy Joel?
Joyce Meyer or Mike Myers?
Rick Warren or Warren Beatty?
Charles Colson or Charles "Buddy" Holly?
Jay Seculow or Jay and the Americans?
Charles Stanley or Charles Barkley?
Beth Moore or Michael Moore?

Column left? or column right? My choices will say something about me. How about you?

Live boldly out there today...