Romans 10:1

In the previous chapter, Paul vindicated the righteousness of God, showing the justice of his rejecting Israel and taking up the Gentiles, and including them along with the Jews and all people, as beneficiaries of the gospel of peace; and, in this chapter, Paul stressed the fact that the rejection of Israel as a nation from having any further covenant, as a nation, with God, had not affected in any manner the status of Jews as individuals, who, exactly like all others, are called to enjoy the privileges of redemption in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Brethren, my heart's desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved. (Romans 10:1)

Brethren ... is here an address to the disciples in Rome, to whom the book of Romans was written; and "them" is a reference to Israel, the great majority of whom had rejected the Lord and were thus in a lost condition. The fact of Paul's praying for Israel is instructive, especially in view of Paul's belief of the great prophecies which had predicted their stumbling on Christ, as mentioned at the end of the preceding chapter. This shows that there was no such thing as an "irrevocable decree" that Israel should be lost, and that there was actually no impediment to Israel's salvation except Israel. Note too that Paul's prayer was to the effect that Israel should accept the gospel, not that they should be saved in unbelief. This second reference to Paul's emotional desire for the salvation of Israel is different from that at the beginning of Romans 9, because here there is a specific reference to his prayers on their behalf.