7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. 10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. 13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. (Romans 1:7-13 NLT)
Prayer was a priority for Paul. He believed that his conversation with God would have a positive impact on the people he prayed for. He also believed that there were some things that he could provide the church in Rome only by his physical presence. I find it a challenge to practice this. It is difficult to trust that prayer makes a difference while acknowledging that there is probably something God want me to do to help make that difference.
In today’s world relationships are possible without physical presence. Our church puts this into practice by providing an online campus where people can gather in both large and small groups. For our small groups we use Zoom so we can see and talk to one another. In our group we also regularly pray for one another. These people are my friends, and I am grateful for their faith, love, and encouragement.
I am also grateful that the church understands the importance of physical presence. Every year they host an event called “Homecoming” that provides an opportunity to physically interact with my Zoom friends. Paul didn’t have the benefit of Zoom and I can only imagine the depth of his desire to visit this incredible group of believers in Rome. There is something about sitting down and sharing a meal together that strengthens the bond of friendship in a way that technology never can.
I came to understand this in my work experience. Even with all the electronic communication tools we had access to it was essential to travel. It was much easier to work through a conflict when I had shared a meal with the people I was working with.
As I write this, I am thanking God for all the relationships in Christ that He has blessed me with. I am also grateful for our pastor’s challenge to pray for these people and my non-Christian friends every day.
Who are you grateful for?
Who would you like to pray for every day?
Who should you call and invite to share a meal with you?