We just came through another Christmas season; so life’s going to slow down, right? I wish. Here’s a revelation: life is hectic. No sooner do we finish one project, then we’re on to the next. Our lives race like NASCAR engines on steroids.
Yet as I reflect on the life of the Apostle Paul, this guy made our lives appear anemic. A friend of mine runs a business called, “A Vision in Motion.” The Apostle Paul’s “business” was “A Blur in Motion.” Up before sunrise, he worked late into every night. A tent maker by day, a lay preacher at night. A disciple of protégés, like Timothy & Luke. An avid letter-writer, all handwritten without the aid of spellcheck – to both churches and individuals. A church planter, a theologian, an apologist; he did it all – and all of the time!
Yet what I personally find most compelling about this man – and that’s all he was, a person like you and me – despite all the hours of intense work and ministry, he sustained this incredible prayer life. He prayed for all the churches he founded and others he had only learned about, as well as the plethora of individuals within each. Did Paul ever sleep?
Last week we began our more-than-year-long study of “digging even deeper” into Paul’s Magnum Opus letter that he scripted to the Church at Rome. Why not jump in with us as we’re just breaking ground into our deeper dig, as we discover together his priorities in prayer. I’ve entitled this Sunday’s sermon, “Paul’s Persistent Prayer.”