“30 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf. 31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 and that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you. 33 May the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.”
Paul is giving the church in Rome yet another opportunity to put into practice what he has been teaching them throughout his letter. Paul is saying, “Remember how I said to walk in the Spirit, to love the saints, and to serve one another? You can do this for me by raising prayers to God on my behalf!” Paul was praying for this also, and sets an example of what it looks like to be a Christian in prayer.
“God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about his Son — that I constantly mention you, always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.” — Romans 1:9-10
Christians should be careful not to underestimate the power of prayer.
“The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” — James 5:15-16
In verses 31-32, Paul lays out the details of his prayer requests. Evidently, Paul had encountered some trouble with the unbelievers in Judea. Paul is no stranger to opposition and persecution. As you read about the early ministry of Paul in the book of Acts, you see that time and time again he was either imprisoned, beaten, flogged, or run out of town. Paul is requesting prayer for relief from those currently giving him trouble in Judea. Paul is also concerned about how the believers in Jerusalem will accept his ministry. It’s possible he was concerned because of his history with the believers there. Before his conversion, remember that Paul was a devoted Pharisee and was persecuting the believers in Jerusalem. This is what a Christian named Ananias said about Paul during those days:
““Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.”” — Acts 9:13
Perhaps because of this, Paul is nervous that his ministry now will be less effective because of the harm he caused these believers prior to his salvation.
Lastly, Paul requests prayer that he might be able to join the church in Rome soon for a visit, something he has made it clear that he has a strong desire to do. Paul wants badly to minister to the saints in Rome and to be refreshed together with them.
For I want very much to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” — Romans 1:11-12
Paul ends this section with a greeting he commonly uses in his other letters. He refers to God as “The God of peace”, in similar greetings including in his letters to the Thessalonians, Philippians, and his second letter to the Corinthians. Paul can call God the “God of Peace” because, as he explained previously, God has provided peace and joy to us through the salvation that is available in His Son Jesus Christ.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:13