Scripture: ROMANS 15:30-33 (NIV)
30 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. 31 Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, 32 so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. 33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Transcript
Good morning, everyone. If we haven’t met before, I’m Jason, one of your Lay Pastors. Today, I want to talk about something that we all struggle with. Putting together IKEA furniture.
Imagine this. It’s Sunday morning, the sun’s shining, and you’ve got your coffee. Today’s the day. You’re finally making that trip to IKEA. You hop in the car, and drive to that big blue and yellow warehouse. You grab your cart and start weaving through the maze. And then, finally, you find it. The Billy bookcase.
You wrestle the box off the shelf, and into your cart. And immediately you realize this thing is way heavier than it looks. You wheel it out to the parking lot, open your trunk, and then comes the moment of truth. It just barely fits. Phew! You drive home very carefully, because if you brake too hard, it’s going to come flying forward, and knock you out.
You pull into your driveway, drag the stuff out of your car, and haul it into your house. But then comes the moment you’ve been dreading. The unboxing. You tear open the box, and instantly your living room transforms into a lumber yard. There are wooden panels leaning against the walls. There are plastic bags scattered across your coffee table. And there are screws, bolts, and those little wooden pegs all over the floor.
You grab the instructions, flip to the first page, and there it is. That picture. On the left, there’s this poor guy standing all alone, with a big X slashed right through him. And on the right? There’s two people standing side by side, hands on their hips, looking like they just conquered the world. This is IKEA’s polite way of saying: “Listen, we KNOW you think you’re a genius, but please, for the love of Swedish meatballs, don’t do this alone!”
But do we listen? Of course not. So, we roll up our sleeves, and we get to work. Eventually, after hours of grunting, sweating, and muttering things we probably shouldn’t say out loud, it finally looks like the picture. It’s time for the big reveal. So we lift up the bookcase and then the whole thing comes crashing down. All because you ignored the most important instruction. Don’t do this alone.
And you know what’s crazy? We do the exact same thing in our spiritual lives. We’ve turned prayer requests into a Christian courtesy. We say it. We nod. And we walk away. And if we’re honest, we’ve all been on both sides of this. We’ve asked people to pray without telling them what for. And we’ve promised to pray for people without knowing what we’re praying about.
But here’s the real reason we do this. We don’t tell people the details because we’re embarrassed. So we use the excuse that God already knows what we need. And you know what? It’s true. God does know everything. And He knows what you need before you even ask. But here’s the thing: That’s not what the Bible tells us to do.
Follow along on the screen or open your bibles to Romans chapter 15 verses 30 to 33. And listen to what the Apostle Paul writes. “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. Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. The God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
Did you catch that? Paul, the greatest missionary who ever lived, the man who wrote half the New Testament, asked for help. He didn’t say, “God knows, so I’ve got this covered.” He said, “I need you. Join me in my struggle.” And that word “join” is critical. Because prayer isn’t just something you do FOR someone. It’s something you do WITH someone.
Think about that IKEA warning again. It didn’t say, “Have someone build it for you while you watch.” It showed two people working side by side, tackling the project together. That’s what Paul is asking for. So today, I will show you three truths about striving together in prayer. And the first truth is this: Prayer works best when we RECRUIT others to join us.
Imagine you’re at the gym on chest day. You’ve loaded up the barbell with more weight than you’ve ever attempted. You lie down, grip the bar, and stare up at those heavy plates. Your heart’s pounding before you even start. Here’s the thing about lifting heavy: you can’t do it alone. The whole point is to push until your muscles give out. Until you literally can’t do another rep. And when that happens, you need someone there to catch it.
So you look around and ask someone nearby: “Can you spot me?” This isn’t a casual favor. You’re about to put a loaded barbell over your chest and push until your arms fail. Your spotter needs to be strong enough, ready, and paying attention. Because if they’re not, things can go very wrong.
Watch this. You’re pushing through that final rep. Your arms are shaking, your face is red. Then your muscles give out, and the bar starts dropping. But the spotter isn’t paying attention. The weight crashes onto your chest. You roll off gasping for air. And he still hasn’t noticed—just gives you a thumbs up and walks away. Nobody wants that spotter.
But then there’s this kind of spotter. Watch the difference. They’re locked in from the moment you grip the bar. Hands hovering, ready but not touching. Watching your face, reading your body. Right when your arms buckle, they catch it. Not too early—they let you do the work. Not too late—they don’t let you get hurt.
So which spotter would you want? The one who says “I got you” but isn’t really there? Or the one who’s fully present and committed? It’s not even close. But here’s what’s interesting. When it comes to prayer, we often settle for the first kind. Someone says “I’ll pray for you” and might even mean it. But life happens, they get busy, they forget. And you’re left carrying that weight alone.
But that’s not what Paul’s asking for. Notice how intentional Paul is. He says, “I urge you.” And that word “urge” means to call someone alongside you. To summon them. To personally invite them into something important. Paul needs spotters, not spectators. Paul is recruiting prayer partners.
And notice who he recruits: “brothers and sisters.” He’s recruiting from within his spiritual family. People who share his faith. People who understand what’s at stake. People who are strong enough to carry this weight with him. Just like that gym spotter, you don’t grab just anyone off the street. You look for someone who knows what they’re doing. Someone who’s strong enough. Someone who’s committed enough to actually be there when you need them.
And Paul learned this from Jesus Himself. In the Garden of Gethsemane, on the worst night of His life, Jesus turned to His closest friends and said: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Think about that. Jesus—the Son of God—didn’t say, “I’ve got this.” He said, “I need you here. Stay with me.”
But here’s what happened next. They fell asleep. Three times Jesus came back and found them sleeping. In His moment of greatest need, His spotters weren’t paying attention. And that failure haunted them for the rest of their lives. Don’t be that kind of prayer partner. When someone recruits you to pray with them—be present, be engaged, be there when they need you most.
And if Jesus recruited prayer partners in His darkest moment, how much more do we need to? Not everyone can be your spotter. But someone needs to be. Because prayer works best when we RECRUIT others to join us.
So, who’s your spotter? Who have you intentionally recruited to pray with you? Before you leave today, find someone in your spiritual family who loves Jesus, and loves you. Pull them aside, look them in the eye, and say: “I’m going through something, and I need you to pray with me.” Don’t wait for them to offer. Recruit them.
And this takes us to our second truth. Prayer works best when we REVEAL what we need.
Let me paint another picture for you. Imagine you’re a 911 dispatcher. You’re sitting at your desk, headset on, waiting for the next call. And then the phone rings. You answer: “911, what’s your emergency?” And the voice on the other end says “Something bad happened.” You wait for more information, but that’s it. Just silence.
So, you ask, “Okay, what kind of emergency? Medical? Fire? Police?” “Um, just something bad. Can you help?” “Sir, I need more information. Where are you located?” “Look, I don’t have time for all these questions. Just send help. You know, to someone, somewhere, sometime.” And then they hang up.
How is that dispatcher supposed to help? They want to help. They’re ready to help. They have all the resources available. But without specifics, they can’t do anything. They don’t know if they should send an ambulance, a fire truck, or a police car. They don’t know if it’s happening on Main Street or Maple Avenue. They don’t know if it’s urgent right now or something that happened yesterday. Vague information gets vague results. Or more accurately, no results at all.
Or picture this scenario. It’s your birthday, and your best friend offers to bake you a cake. They’re an amazing baker. They’ve won awards. They can make anything you want. So, they ask, “What kind of cake would you like?” And you say “Oh, you know, just make a cake. Whatever you think is best.”
So, your friend gets to work. They decide to go all out. They make their specialty: a triple-layer dark chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling and chocolate buttercream frosting. They spend hours on it. It’s a masterpiece. They show up at your party, candles blazing, and present you with this stunning creation. Everyone oohs and ahhs. And then you cut into it, take a bite, and try to hide the look on your face. Because here’s what your friend didn’t know: You hate chocolate. You’ve always hated chocolate.
Now, is that your friend’s fault? No. They gave you exactly what you asked for: “a cake.” They did their best with the information they had. But because you didn’t tell them what you actually needed, you ended up with something that doesn’t help you at all.
And that’s exactly what happens when we ask people to pray for us but don’t tell them what we actually need. Someone says, “How can I pray for you?” And we respond with “Oh, you know, just pray for my day.” “Pray for my family.” “Pray for work stuff.” We’re asking them to bake us a cake without telling them what flavor we need. And then we wonder why those prayers don’t seem to help.
Here’s the truth: Generic prayer requests get generic prayers. Specific prayer requests get powerful, focused prayers. This isn’t just my idea. It’s actually what Jesus modeled. In Mark chapter 10, Jesus encounters a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. And listen to what Jesus asks him: “What do you want me to do for you?”
Now think about that for a second. Jesus is God. He knows everything. He can see that Bartimaeus is blind. So why ask the question? Because Jesus wanted Bartimaeus to be specific. To articulate his need. To say it out loud: “Rabbi, I want to see.” Jesus could have healed him without asking. But He invited Bartimaeus to reveal what he needed.
And that’s exactly what Paul does. Paul doesn’t say, “Just pray for my ministry.” He doesn’t say, “Pray for my trip.” He tells them exactly what he needs. First: Protection. “Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea.” He’s asking them to pray for his physical safety in a specific place with a specific threat. Second: Favor. “Pray that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received.” He’s carrying a financial gift from Gentile churches to Jewish believers. And he needs this offering to be received well so that it doesn’t create divisions. Third: Joy and refreshment. “So that I may come to you with joy and in your company be refreshed.” Paul’s been beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, and abandoned. He’s asking them to pray that when he finally gets to Rome, he’ll arrive with joy, not bitterness.
Paul doesn’t give them vague targets. He gives them specific targets to aim their prayers at. He doesn’t ask them to “just bake a cake.” He tells them exactly what flavor he needs. When you’re specific, people know how to pray. They can picture what you’re facing. They can ask God for exactly what you need. And later, they can check back in: “Did that meeting go well?” “How did that conversation turn out?” When you reveal what you really need, you’re not just getting better prayers. You’re inviting people into your actual life. Not the filtered version. The real version. Because prayer works best when we REVEAL what we need.
This week, practice being specific with your spotter. Don’t say “Pray for my job.” Say, “Pray that I have wisdom in tomorrow’s meeting with my boss where I need to address a conflict.” Don’t say “Pray for my marriage.” Say, “Pray that my spouse and I can have a real conversation tonight without it turning into an argument.” Don’t say “Pray for my health.” Say, “Pray that the scan results on Friday come back clear, and that I can trust God with whatever they say.” When you reveal what you really need, you give people the chance to really pray.
And this takes us to our third and final truth. Prayer works best when we RALLY together.
Let me show you the difference between fighting alone and fighting together. A group of young kids are lined up against one strong man in a game of tug-of-war. On paper, it should be easy, right? Several kids versus one adult. The numbers are in the kids’ favor. But watch what happens. He drags them forward with ease, and they lose. That’s what happens when we rely only on our own strength. Even when there are a lot of us. We get dragged. We get pulled under. We lose ground.
But look what happens when those same kids work together. Suddenly, everything changes. Now he’s sliding backward. Those kids are winning. What changed? They didn’t grow stronger muscles. They didn’t become different people. They didn’t swap out for bigger kids. They simply tapped into something greater than any one of them: The power of unity. When they rallied together, when they pulled as one team, the impossible became possible.
And that’s exactly what Paul is talking about. Not just prayer. Not even just prayer partners. But prayer as a united force. A team rallying together. That tug-of-war? That’s exactly what Paul is describing here. When Paul says “join me in my struggle,” it literally means to fight alongside someone. To agonize together. To compete as a team. He’s not asking people to watch from the sidelines and cheer. He’s asking them to grab the rope. To plant their feet. To pull with him.
And this isn’t a new idea—we see this principle all the way back in the Old Testament. During a crucial battle, Moses stood on a hill with his staff raised. And the Bible says: As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. But Moses couldn’t keep his arms up alone. He got tired. His strength gave out. So, what happened? Aaron and Hur, his team, got on both sides of him. One on the left, one on the right. And they held his arms up until sunset.
This is the church when we answer the call. We don’t just make the load lighter. By God’s grace, we can accomplish what seems impossible. Not because any one of us is strong enough. But because together, united in prayer, we tap into the power of God.
Before you leave today, gather your team. Pull them aside and say: “I’m in a real fight right now, and I can’t do this alone. Would you rally with me? Would you commit to praying about this until we see God move?” Don’t try to hold the rope alone. Rally your team, get on the rope, and pull together. Prayer works best when we RALLY together.
Now, as we close, let me show you what this looks like in nature. Have you ever watched geese flying in that V-formation? When geese fly together, each bird creates an updraft for the one behind it. This allows the flock to fly 71% farther than any single goose could fly alone. That’s not a minor improvement—that’s game-changing. But here’s the beautiful part: when the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back and another takes point. They take turns being strong for each other. And if one goose gets sick or injured, two others drop out with it. They stay until it can fly again. They never leave anyone to struggle alone.
That’s what the church is supposed to look like. We create spiritual updrafts that carry each other farther than we could ever go alone. This is exactly what Paul created with the church in Rome. His struggle became their struggle, and his victory became their victory.
And this principle? It’s not new. This principle goes all the way back to Jesus’ ministry. When Jesus sent out His disciples in Mark chapter 6, He didn’t send them alone. The Bible says: Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two. Two by two. Not solo missions. Not lone rangers. Jesus designed His disciples to work in pairs from the very beginning. Because He knew: The mission is too hard. The enemy is too strong. And the calling is too important to do it alone.
So today, I’m asking you: Are you flying solo, or are you in formation? Who’s got your back? And whose have you got? Don’t leave here alone. Find your partner. Recruit your spotter. Rally your team. Because the Christian life was never meant to be lived alone. Amen.
