Would you take your Bibles please and turn to Romans chapter 15 or if you want to reach for the Bible under the pew in front of you that would be fine or if you just prefer to soak without looking at the book and listen to my exposition of it, that's okay too.

Romans chapter 15 versus 30 to 31.

We'll read these two verses and then I think we'll pray together

before we move into the exposition.

Now I urge you, brethren, this is Paul writing to the church in Rome about a situation that he's going to be facing in Judea or Jerusalem

shortly as he carries money to the poor there that he's been collecting and he's afraid that he might be

hurt by the unbelievers and rejected by the believers so he asked for prayer.

He says, now I urge you brethren by our

Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit to strive together with me in your

prayers to God for me that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and, secondly,

that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the Saints. Let's pray.

Lord you have so much to teach us from these verses. I ask for your help. I ask for help for me,

for strength, for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I ask for your people here to be given illumination

and ears to hear. I ask that you would overcome any resistance that's there to your word and your truth.

I ask that you protect us from the devil and I asked that any unbelievers in this room would be saved.

Lord make your word powerful. saved.

Lord, make your word powerful under the conversion of people.

Just read this morning, Lord, in Matthew, where you came into Galilee of the Gentiles so that the prophecy might be fulfilled,

those who sat in darkness have seen a great light.

Lord, there are people in darkness now

who need to see light. And even this text about prayer you can use to that end.

Convert, strengthen believers, lift up the downcast, humble the proud, restore the drifting away, clarify the minds of the confused, O Lord, give fellowship to the lonely, reconcile

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