Romans 1:9
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
Truth to Learn
Paul was a prayer warrior and prayed for others constantly.
Behind the Words
The word “witness” is translated from the Greek word martus from which we get our English word “martyr.” The Greek word means “one who has information or knowledge of something, and therefore, one who can give information, bring to light, or confirm something.”
“Serve” is the translation of latreuō, the basic meaning of which is “to minister.” Hence, Paul’s service is really a ministry performed for God.
The word “with” is a translation from en, which is a preposition which denotes position and, by implication, instrumentality. Therefore, a more natural translation would be “in.” Paul is saying that he serves God in his spirit; in other words, he is claiming that this is a spiritual service over and above a physical service.
“Without ceasing” is from adialeiptos, which means “continually or without omission.”
Meaning Explained
This verse tells us that Paul prayed constantly for the Roman believers. He starts out by saying, “For God is my witness.” Paul is making a very strong appeal that the following statement is, indeed, true. He calls on the witness of Him who has knowledge of all things, God himself. Obviously the readers of this letter can’t check out the facts of his statement by asking God, but that’s not the point. The point is that Paul does not swear, since the Lord Jesus himself taught that swearing is wrong (see Matthew 5:33-37); rather, he appeals to a reliable witness.
Paul then states that he serves God in his spirit. He is saying that his service to God is not just on the surface but is with the very essence of his being, his spirit. Paul then explains that his service is in the gospel of Jesus Christ whom he describes as God’s Son.
Finally, he tells the Roman Christians that he prays for them constantly. Paul was known for being a prayer warrior. He prayed a lot and a lot of his prayers were for churches, both those which he helped start and those he had never visited (like the Roman church). Evidence of Paul’s prayer life is also found in Ephesians 1:15-16; Philippians 1:3-4; Colossians 1:3-4; and 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.
Application
How does your prayer life stack-up against Paul’s? If you’re like me, you feel woefully inadequate compared to him. Paul apparently had a daily routine that included considerable time in prayer, and it wasn’t because he had nothing else to do. With everything we pack into our days, it seems silly that we can’t even find 15 minutes each day to pray for ourselves and for others.
Why don’t we do something about that?
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2009 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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