Moving from Desire to Prayer

Scripture: Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. Romans 10:1

Observation: Paul is writing about his family, his kinsmen, the Jews. For several chapters he has been writing about how their attempt to be right with God through effort has failed. The only way for them to be rescued is to call upon the name of the Lord and believe in Christ. Here, he expresses his heart’s desire: They might be saved. However, this is more than a desire, it is an action. He prays.

Application: Of course my desire is for others to be saved. But do I go beyond that to prayer? It is one thing to hope; another to put your money where your mouth is and pray.

Prayer: God, you’ve been nailing me with the call to pray for the lost. Today I pray for J. and F. and my neighbor. May they see you and call upon you. May you send laborers into their lives, including me, to seek and save them. Help me develop a list of those to take to you in prayer.