Romans 1:9-10, NKJV
It's easy, when your goal is to read and grasp the meaning of whole chapters, passages, or books, to miss the significance of small phrases. Paul's whole prayer, at this point, was specific to the Romans--I don't think he is praying now for an opportunity to come see me. But today in looking at these two verses, something else grabbed my attention.
FOR GOD IS MY WITNESS--and then Paul defines his relationship with God.
WHOM I SERVE--recalling that his whole identity was as a bondservant. No matter that he is an apostle, no matter that he is God's ambassador to the Gentile world, entrusted with preaching the gospel to all nations. no matter what else he is or does, Paul is still a servant to the Most High. He lives to obey, to fulfill his God-given purpose, to do what he was called and assigned to do. A life of service is a life of submission to the one you serve.
WITH MY SPIRIT--I cannot define what Paul had in mind when he used this phrase, because I'm not sure if his idea of spirit is the same as mine, but it would seem that Paul was saying, "I serve God with everything that is within me." To serve God with his pneuma was to serve God with his mind, his will, his heart, his soul, his breath. His very essence was committed to serving God.
IN THE GOSPEL--Paul's assignment, his primary duty and responsibility, was to preach the good news about Jesus. In the fulfillment of that responsibility, he did lots of other things too--such as the writing of this letter--but it all came back to the gospel and its proclamation.
And two more observations--that Paul prayed WITHOUT CEASING. Paul's prayer life was such that so many random thoughts, so many idle words were a waste of time. I think he turned every thought into a prayer, and in that way he prayed without ceasing. And he made no plans without consulting THE WILL OF GOD.
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