The anguish of heart toward another fellow human being drives us to a lament, which in Christian terms is a prayer motivated by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
In simple terms, the Holy Spirit moves us to an anguish of heart. Romans 9-10 is imbued with the Apostle Paul’s compassion for his own people who for some reason have not yet accepted Jesus Christ even though God has incarnated in Jesus Christ. It is this “deconversion,” or hardness of heart that drives the Apostle Paul to his knees and pours his heart out to God on behalf of his own people.
Similarly, clergy — especially in the 21st century era of growing national, ethnic, tribal, and racial exclusivism — must imitate the Apostle Paul in praying for the salvation of humanity.
