29 Jun June 28th Weekly Devotional
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16b
The first half of the verse is talking about confessing your sins to one another, and praying for one another, because you want other, righteous people to pray for you.
In Romans, not really to do with a sin or a trespass, Paul asks the church at Rome, who he is really wanting to come and visit, to pray for him in Romans 15. He is going to be bringing the Christians in Jerusalem a gift from Macedonia. He knows, because the Holy Spirit has told him, as well as other people along his journey, that not much good, it seems, awaits him when he gets back to Jerusalem.
He asks the Roman Christians to pray with him, that he be delivered from disobedient men, the gift from Macedonia be well received, and that he would be able to come to them (Rome) in Joy so that they could be refreshed together. Read Romans 15 sometime. (Read the whole book of Romans while you’re at it.)
Right off when he gets to Jerusalem, part of the prayer is immediately recognized, as of course Paul is well received by the Christians there, but then, things take a turn for what seems to be, the worse. The whole account is between Acts 21 through about 28.
The Jews that had come from Asia, begin persecuting him, and stir up the entire city, and the chaos that ensues gets so bad, that it looks like Paul is about to be torn to bits. The people’s goal was to kill him then and there. However, the Roman commander Lysias, steps in, and takes Paul into custody before they can.
The Jews later plot to lie in wait for Paul to kill him in transport. It just so happens that Paul’s nephew overhears them talking and planning about it. Coincidence? I think not. The Holy Spirit came to Paul before and told him that he wasn’t to worry, you will testify of Me in Rome just as you have here in Jerusalem. (Acts 23:11)
Commander Lysias arranges for an enormous military escort to transport Paul to Caesarea where he will come before governor Felix.
As each of these things are happening to Paul, he continually preaches the Gospel, to everyone that he comes into contact with. He first preaches and teaches the angry mobs that were trying to kill him first, then he preaches and teaches the Roman commander and his troops. He is brought before the Pharisees and the Sadducees of the Sanhedrin and preaches to them. No doubt there are crowds of people always bystanding hearing the Truth that is being proclaimed.
When he comes before the governor in Caesarea, he teaches the life of Jesus. 2 years pass by, and Festus assumes the governorship, and Paul proclaims the same to him, his wife also. Then, when King Agrippa and his wife also come, Paul comes before them, and just the same, the Way is also proclaimed to them. Agrippa famously professes to Paul after hearing his defense, whether sarcastically, or genuinely, Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” (Acts 26:28)
Paul, being a Roman citizen, has appealed to Caesar (technically Nero) which is his right as a citizen, and this long, treacherous journey to Rome would begin in Acts 27.
Peril after peril meets him and his mates along the route, but they make it. Paul, while in Rome, would continue his preaching of the Gospel to every person that he would come into contact with, including the entire Praetorian Guard.
There is no way to ever calculate how many people became Christians, who otherwise never would, if it weren’t for Paul and his willingness to profess the truth no matter what. There is no way to calculate it in lifetime, let alone the number of those converted by his writings through the Holy Spirit from the time of his death, until now, and forever more until the world would end.
Was the prayers he and the Roman Christians offered back in Romans 15 answered? Answer: All prayers are answered. They’re either answered with a yes or a no or a later. Some of that prayer was answered immediately, and some of it was answered a little later, and some of it was answered still yet some time later when he would eventually get to Rome and was together in the Joy of the Lord with the Christians that awaited him there, even though he would arrive in chains, and remain so until he died there at the hand of Emperor Nero.
But before all this even began, in Acts 20, he is speaking with the elders of Ephesus, and he tells them, starting in verse 22, And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Yes this one was a little long, and I didn’t tell you the half of it, but during a busy week, preach the Truth to whoever and don’t worry about the consequences, and finish your race with joy.
