Romans 1:10
Romans 1:10
Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
Once again, Paul provides a model for how to pray, in this case, for something you desire deeply. In his prayer, he asks God if it might be possible for it to come true according to his will. As Paul acknowledges, the circumstances of his life, including where he will or will not travel, are not within his control alone. For something like this to occur, it must be God's will as well. Paul prayed earnestly, regularly, and submissively for what he wanted, awaiting the approval of God. Paul had a deep love for Gentile churches that had placed their faith in the Lord Jesus, and the Christians in Rome were no exception. Despite the pagan nature of Rome, Paul knew that the believers there were deeply loved and called to be saints by the Lord. Paul had never been to Rome, but his earnest desire to visit these believers, share their faith, and give one another spiritual encouragement is apparent in the historical record. It is unclear who first shared the gospel of grace with the Romans. We know, however, that Paul's epistle to the Romans was the most comprehensive and structured exposition of every aspect of our Christian faith that we should all read, mark, learn, and digest inwardly.