Romans 15:13 - Meaning and Application

Here is another prayer directed to God, this time as the God of hope. Like the earlier prayer in (Romans 15:5-6), it asks for spiritual blessings, and these are the best blessings. They should be the first things we pray for.

Notice how Paul addresses God as the God of hope. In prayer, it is wise to use the names, titles, and traits of God that fit our request and strengthen our faith. Every word in prayer should support our plea. The case should be arranged carefully, and our mouths should be full of reasons. God is the God of hope. He is the foundation our hope rests on, and he is the one who builds that hope in us. He is both the object of our hope and the one who gives it.

Any hope that is not fixed on God, as the good thing we long for and the true one we trust, is only a guess. It will fail us if God does not work it in us. We see both together in (Psalm 119:49): “Your word” is God as the object of hope, and “you have caused me to hope” is God as the one who gives hope. Peter says the same thing in (1 Peter 1:3).

Paul does not ask this for himself, but for the believers he is writing to. He prays that they may be filled with all joy and peace as they believe. Joy and peace are two things that make up God’s kingdom, as (Romans 14:17) says. Joy in God and peace of conscience both come from a sense of being made right with God, as in (Romans 5:1-2). Joy and peace in our own hearts also help us live in cheerful unity with other believers.

Notice how desirable this joy and peace are. They fill the soul. Earthly joy swells the heart, but it cannot fill it. That is why people can laugh and still have sorrow inside. True, heavenly joy fills the soul because it matches the soul’s deep and rightful desires. In this way God satisfies and refreshes the weary soul. A believer’s desire is for nothing more than this joy, except more of it, even its full perfection in glory, as (Psalm 4:6-7), (Psalm 36:8), (Psalm 63:5), and (Psalm 65:4) show.

Notice too how this joy and peace are found. We must seek them from God in prayer, because he must be asked for such gifts. Prayer brings in spiritual joy and peace. We must also seek them by believing, because faith is the means God has appointed. Joy that comes from mere imagination is shallow and short-lived. Real, lasting joy is the fruit of faith. As (1 Peter 1:8) says, believing brings “joy unspeakable.” Our lack of joy and peace often comes from weak faith. We need only believe, believe Christ’s goodness, Christ’s love, the promises of the covenant, and the joys and glory of heaven. Let faith treat these things as solid and real, and joy and peace must follow.

Paul asks for “all” joy and peace, meaning every kind of true joy and peace. When we come to God in prayer, we should ask boldly and widely. We are not limited in him, so why should we limit ourselves? Ask for all joy. Open your mouth wide, and he will fill it.

Paul also prays that they may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. The joy and peace of believers come mainly from their hope. What they have already received is small compared with what is stored up for them. So the more hope they have, the more joy and peace they will have. We abound in hope when we expect great things from God and are strongly settled in those expectations. Christians should desire and work toward rich hope, a hope that will not put them to shame. This comes through the power of the Holy Spirit. The same almighty power that gives grace also creates and strengthens hope. Our own strength can never reach this. So when this hope grows and overflows, all the glory belongs to the blessed Spirit.