I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always
in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy - Philippians 1.3-4
Paul opens his amazing letter to the Philippian church with
his traditional greetings. The church at Philippi was a special church to him.
He was there when the church was founded. He stayed in regular contact with
them. They gave sacrificially to meet his needs. He truly loved these people
and his love shines though.
I am pretty sure he remembered with fondness that day when
they met Lydia praying at the river. He would have remembered being in jail and
being freed by an earthquake. Then we would remember the salvation of the jailer
and his family and their baptisms. This was a special place with special
memories for a special preacher.
It is Paul's loving spirit here that challenges me. You can
almost hear the love in his writing.
Every time I remember you I thank God for you.
Every day when I pray I pray for you with joy.
I just think that is sweet. It reminds me that praying for
those I care about should be sheer joy and not a burden. If I truly love people
it should excite me to remember them as I pray.
Lord, give me a heart of love like Paul had that was full of
joy every time I get to pray for my friends. Help me be the kind of person who
causes joy when people pray for me.
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