Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)
Paul gives us three short commands that involve how we should be as we live our lives as the people of God together. Each involves the working of the Spirit in us as we face the burdens and beauty of life. Joy and patience and faithfulness are fruits of the Spirit and Paul assumes that the Spirit is working in us - and perhaps assumes we are faithfully praying for the working of the Spirit in us.
We are commanded to be joyful in hope - our joy should come from the hope of the gospel and our ultimate redemption. We are to be patient in affliction - the Spirit works in the pain of life to bring contentment and patience. We are to be faithful in prayer - we are to pray in faith and patience and joy for God to work in our times of affliction and in the affliction that others are experiencing.
As we petition God in our affliction or for the affliction that others are experiencing, let us pray for God to bring joy and hope and patience and faithfulness to us.
Action: This week, ask God to address an area of your life where you face affliction - and ask him to intervene in the affliction of others. Take their burden to him and share your burden with others so they can take it to him.
“Father in heaven, I give you the painful places of my life and ask you to bring healing. And I ask you to bring joy and patience and faith and hope to me. I also lift up ___________ and ask that you bring them healing and joy and hope and patience in their affliction”