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Romans 12:11, 12 - How to Stay Enthusiastic for a Lifetime.

Romans 12:11, 12 (NIV) Never be lacking in 
zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the 
Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, 
faithful in prayer. 

INTRODUCTION

If we take counsel with our doubts and 
fears, or try to solve everything that we cannot 
see clearly, before we have faith, perplexities 
will only increase and deepen. But if we come to 
God, feeling helpless and dependent, as we really 
are, and in humble, trusting faith make known our 
wants to Him whose knowledge is infinite, who sees 
everything in creation, and who governs everything by 
His will and word, He can and will attend to our 
cry, and will let light shine into our hearts. 
Through sincere prayer we are brought into 
connection with the mind of the Infinite. We may have 
no remarkable evidence at the time that the 
face of our Redeemer is bending over us in 
compassion and love, but this is even so. We may not 
feel His visible touch, but His hand is upon us 
in love and pitying tenderness. SC96, 97 

COMMENTARY PEARL

Prayer is Key Along with Bible Study and 
Service 
   Try to have a systematic method of 
prayer. Prayer combined with Bible study makes for a 
healthy Christian life. The Bible says, "Pray 
without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If you have 
special prayer periods that you set aside during the 
day, your unconscious life will be saturated with 
prayer between the prayer periods. It is not enough 
for you to get out of bed in the morning and 
just bow your knee and repeat a few sentences. 
There should be stated periods in which you slip 
apart with God. For the overworked mother or one 
living under extremely busy circumstances, this may 
be impossible. But here is where "prayer 
without ceasing" comes in. We pray as we work. As we 
have said, we pray everywhere, anytime. 
   There will be many interruptions, but 
keep at it! Don't be discouraged. Soon you will 
find that these periods of prayer are the 
greatest delight of your life. Without constant, 
daily, systematic prayer, your life will seem 
barren, discouraging, and fruitless. Without 
constant prayer, you never can know the inner peace 
that God wants to give you. 
   What times of day can you commit to 
prayer? [Peace for Each Day by Billy Graham] 

COMMENTARY

   In order to reach your goals, you have to 
figure out how to maintain your enthusiasm over the 
long haul. 
   Ralph Waldo Emerson said, Nothing 
great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. I 
believe that with all of my heart and have found it 
to be true in my life. Youve got to have 
passion and enthusiasm, or youre never going to 
make it to the finish line.  
   Most people would consider me an 
enthusiastic person - and I am. I havent been an 
enthusiastic person for just a week or a month. My 
enthusiasm has not waned after a year or five years or 
10 years. I have been consistently enthusiastic 
about the goals that Ive set for more than 30 
years. 
   How do you do that? How do you stay 
enthusiastic day after day in spite of delays, 
difficulties, dead ends, problems, pressures, and 
criticisms? How do you stay enthusiastic for more than 
30 years? 
   Positive thinking is not enough. Pulling 
yourself up by your psychological bootstraps is not 
enough. Talking yourself into optimism is not 
enough. 
   The way you stay enthusiastic for a 
lifetime is found in the word enthusiasm, which 
comes from the Greek word en theos. En is the 
Greek word for in. Theos is the Greek word 
for God. So en theos means to be in 
God. 
   When you get in God, you will be 
enthusiastic. Its the kind of enthusiasm that isnt 
affected by the economy or the weather or your 
circumstances. Its eternal, because you are tied to the 
eternal God. You are in Christ. 
   Paul tells you how to be in God - 
enthusiastic - in Romans 12:11-12: Never be lacking in 
zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the 
Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, 
faithful in prayer (NIV). 
   If you want to reach your goals, you need 
to get God-given enthusiasm by being joyful in 
hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in 
prayer. 
   Start by praying  Then close with  
Help me never be lacking in zeal, but keep my 
spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, 
patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. In 
Jesus name. Amen. [Daily Devotional by Rick 
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/ mod] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Romans 12:12 - Rejoice in hope, be patient 
in trouble, and keep on praying. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210929-0850.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/