"Yes; Yes and No; and Yes, But"

Knowing our struggles are spiritual Paul asks the Romans to join him by praying for him and his work. Spiritual warfare requires spiritual weapons. (Eph 6:10-20) Prayer is a critical weapon in this battle, not because prayer is so powerful in itself, but because prayer calls upon the name of God who is powerful and can make us strong in the strength of his Spirit.

Prayer is also a fellowship in the fight. That’s way Paul asks the Romans to join him in his struggle by praying for him. God wills not only that we need him, but also each other, in order to stand and fight. We pray for each other not as a substitute for other forms of help, but as the fountain of help, and the foundation. The kingdom, the power and the glory are all God’s but he gives his kingdom and power and glory to his church when it asks for them in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

To pray is to fight in a fellowship of love, but finally, it is to surrender to God the Almighty. When we pray we do not bend God’s will to ours; we rather align our will with his. We can not conquer in his name unless he first conquers us. Paul’s requests are very specific that he be rescued from unbelievers when he travels to Jerusalem, that his service of presenting an offering to the believers there would be acceptable to them (Romans 15:25-27) and that he would be able to visit the Romans. As for the Jerusalem Christians’ acceptance of his service, God’s answer was probably “yes”. What about rescue? The answer was more like “yes and no”. He was arrested, tried and imprisoned in Jerusalem; but he was also rescued three times from execution one from a plot to kill him and once from beating. The trip to Rome? That was more like “yes, but”. When he did finally get to Rome it was as a prisoner.

We may ask God to do things in a way we think is best, but he always reserves the right to be God and do them in the way he thinks is best. His “yes and no” and his “yes, but” are as wise and as good as his “yes”.

My prayer: Heavenly Father, God Almighty I surrender to your perfect and creative will, weather it is yes and no, or yes, but. Although it seems difficult for me to understand what is going on in my life at times because I’m unaware of your perfect plan for me I am placing all my trust in you believing that you know what is best for me. In Jesus’ name I pray this day, Amen.