30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,
Paul now turned to a request for prayer from the Romans (vv. 30-33).
30 Now I beg you, brethren,
Paul entreated the Romans to pray for him on two grounds: (1) the Lord Jesus Christ and (2) the love of the Spirit.
through the Lord Jesus Christ,
Paul represented the Lord Jesus Christ in his ministry. The Roman church was committed to the same Lord as Paul. It was on the authority of Christ that Paul made his request. Both Roman believers and Paul worshiped the same Lord.
and through the love of the Spirit,
“Love of the Spirit” here is the love given by the Spirit, not love for the Spirit (Ro 5:5). The Spirit’s love motivated and prompted the Romans to pray for Paul. This is a love that looks out for the interests of others. It is a love driven to pray for others.
that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,
The word “strive” is an athletic term (struggle, fight). Certain prayer takes exertion. This is a call for earnest striving or agonizing in prayer. Paul believed in the effectiveness of prayer. There is a need for hard discipline in prayer. Tepid prayer will not work in this urgent situation. It requires wholehearted prayer to meet this need.
PRINCIPLE:
Our right of prayer rests on the authority of Jesus and the Spirit’s love toward us.
APPLICATION:
All wrestling in prayer should not rest on the striving in prayer but on our right to pray. In this way we can contend with the hosts that war against us.
