Monday Morning Encouragement -- Hopeful, Patient, Prayerful

 

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Romans 12:12

In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul includes this statement, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." It's a brief verse, yet it's packed with encouragement and instruction on how to live the Christian life of faith. It's as relevant to us today as it was to the Christians at the time it was written. 

Paul begins with the admonition to rejoice in hope. This hope is more than just a feeling. It is a calm assurance that God keeps His promises, and that one day we will be in Christ's presence and see His glory. As Charles Spurgeon said, "When you have not anything else to rejoice in, rejoice in hope."

Next Paul addresses patience in tribulation. No one can go through life without tribulation of some kind. We live in a fallen world where trials erupt, often without warning. When this happens to us, it's tempting to give in to depression and look for comfort in all the wrong places, running away from God instead of running to Him. We must resist this notion and remember these words from earlier in Paul's Roman letter:

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5).

Finally, Paul instructs us to pray constantly. Prayer is how we communicate with God, and although there may be specific time set aside for prayer, it shouldn't be confined to only those minutes. The Holy Spirit resides in us and so we are already connected to God. We can talk to Him throughout our day, formally or informally. No appointment necessary. Just talk to Him. Confide in Him. Seek His wisdom. And ask Him for what you need. He is always available. Always interested. May we never forget that!

As we follow the practices that Paul has laid out in Romans 12:12 we will experience more peace in our lives, and we will be witnesses to God's grace.

Today's music video Faithful in Prayer from Sacred Music is a song that affirms today's scripture.

I love you, I'm thinking of you, and I'm praying for you.