I thank God for you

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, – Romans 1.8-9

Once Paul introduced his letter, and before he said anything else, he told the believers in Rome that he thanked God for them.

Paul writes a lot about thankfulness. Thankfulness should be a trademark of the church.

But I like the personalisation of thanks here. ‘I thank my God for you all.’ Paul loved fellow believers. As far as we know he had never met any of the Roman Christians. But he gave thanks for them, because ‘their faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.’

Every time I read this I am challenged by it. I look at my life and wonder if my faith is the kind of faith that people could talk about and give someone cause to give thanks for me and my testimony. In fact, does anyone talk about my faith?

That’s one point here. The other is Paul’s attitude about prayer. He gave thanks for these folks. He also told them that he mentioned them in his prayer ‘without ceasing.’

Paul must have had some kind of prayer life. This was only one group of believers of all of those he had contact with. And yet he told them that he always mentioned them in his prayers. If that is the kind of praying for others than I have to say that I fall far short. I sometimes have a hard time even remembering to prayer for my family members and church people. I certainly don’t mention my friends in prayer ‘without ceasing.’

I want to me the kind man whose ‘faith is spoken of.’ I want to be the kind of man who ‘always makes mention’ of my friends in prayer.

Lord, help me to be that kind of man.