Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. — Romans 12:12
We learn from a young age how to relate to things that we hear or when things happen. For example, when we hear someone talking about food, it may leave us hungry. When we hear someone share their experiences in life, it may cause us to be excited or sad for them.
Throughout life, how we relate to these things can change based on our experiences. I’ll never forget the first time my son became interested in sports. I love sports when I was younger. He may not be as crazy about sports as I am, but the fact that he was excited to learn and enjoy them caused me to be excited for him.
The real test is how we react to things that happen in our own lives. When the good times and bad times happen, how do we respond?
Romans 12 gives us some guidance on what should be the first thing that comes to mind. It should be prayer. In the verse it says that we should be “instant in prayer.”
The verse had just finished talking about rejoicing and tribulation and it seems that the writer is giving us a glimpse of the key to it all. Many times we are quick to run to social media to air our frustrations. We may be quick to call a friend or drown our sorrows in a television binge. Scripture says that the first thing that should come to our mind is prayer.
That does not mean we spend every moment in prayer each day. It does not mean we have a set number of times we should pray each day. It simply means that when we have things happen, the first thing we should do is talk about it with our Heavenly Father.
He is interested in us and wants to hear from us. He is patient to listen to us as we share with him our rejoicing and our trials. How amazing is it to think that the God of Heaven, the one who controls all aspects of the universe, wants to be the first one to hear about everything in your life?!