“I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” (Romans 15:30)
We help one another by our prayers. These words in Romans 15 present prayer as a participation in someone else’s struggle. Prayer is a sharing of the load that someone else is carrying. “Join me in my struggle by praying to God for me” (v. 30). The verse suggests striving together, like teammates engaged in the same contest. Prayer is active service, not passive observation. Paul relates this to his mission plans: those who cannot travel, preach, or lead publicly can still share in the ministry through prayer. Spiritual battles are won not only on the mission field but also in the prayer meeting. But I think there is a general principle here that our prayers help one another when anyone of us is struggling. Do we see prayer as a real participation in God’s work or in someone’s struggles? Whom can we currently help through our faithful prayers?