“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. And for his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. And they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
– Romans 1:18–32
Want to do something a little different on this episode of Pray the Word. I want to pray through a long passage of scripture, Romans 1:18–32. We’re just going to jump right in and start to pray according to it and as we pray, to take our place as intercessors, praying, pleading for God’s grace in our lives, repenting of sin in our lives, and praying and pleading for God’s grace in the culture and country around us.
Rather than being overcome by sinful desires, we should seek salvation from them.
Romans 1:18 says the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness, suppress the truth. So God, we pray that truth would reign in our country and that you would save us from ungodliness and unrighteousness.
For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them, for his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made, so they are without excuse. God, help us to see you in your glory. All across our country, God, we pray for open eyes, to see who you are and your greatness and your goodness. God deliver us, we pray from godlessness, from secular thinking and living, that assumes you are not sovereign and good, and all powerful and all wise, and our Supreme judge. So God, we pray. We pray for an increased God’s centeredness in our country.
Romans 1:18–32 Prays That He Saves Us From Foolishness
For although they knew God, Romans 1:21, it says, for although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. But they became futile and their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. So God, save us from foolishness, we pray. Save us from idolatry, we pray. Help us not to exalt anyone, anything above you. Help us to exalt you, we pray. Deliver us from thinking we are wise when we are fools, becoming futile in our thinking with foolish hearts, darken by idolatries. Please save us from idolatry.
This Verse Prays That God Saves Us From Lust And Impurity
Romans 1:24. Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth of God, for a lie and worshiped and served, created and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. God, we pray, save us from the lust of our hearts and impurity. From the dishonoring of our bodies among ourselves. God, help us not to exchange truth for lies about who you are and lies about what is best. So God, please save us from ourselves.
Romans 1:18–32 Prays That He Save Us From Dishonorable Passions
Romans 1:26. For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations, for those that are contrary to nature. And the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another; men committing shameless, acts with men and receiving in themselves that due penalty for their error. God, we pray that you would save us from dishonorable passions. God save us from distorting your design for us as men and women. Your design for marriage between a man and a woman. So God, please, please, please save us from dishonorable passions.
This Verse Asks God To Save Us From Evil And Malice
Romans 1:28. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. Oh God, save us from all these things. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They’re full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They’re gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish faithless, heartless, ruthless. That they know God’s righteous decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die. They not only do them, but give approval to those who practice them.
Romans 1:18–32 Prays That He Save Us From Ourselves
So God, we pray that you would save us from ourselves in all these ways. Please save us from a debased mind. That not only does what ought not to be done, but gives approval to it and delights in it. God, we need your mercy. God, we ask for your mercy. We plead for your mercy in our lives. We plead for your mercy in our families. Plead for your mercy as your church. We plead for your mercy in our country. Bring us to repentance, we pray. Bring us individually to repentance. Corporately to repentance. Save us from ourselves. Oh God, we pray, in light of your clear warnings in Romans 1:18–32. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
