Philippians 1:1-11

Verses 3-4: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,”

It’s a wonderful thing to hear from friends, especially when you haven’t seen them in ages. I was at a band festival recently taping the performance of my son’s band for the band director. My old university band was the feature exhibition and I saw some old friends who were in band with me from our college days at the event. I even saw an old friend from band who started the same time I did; I hadn’t seen this friend, literally, in years. They were as happy to see me as I was them, as old memories flooded back of fond days.

Sometimes, it can be just the message sent by a friend, whether a phone call or an email or a letter (some of you folks my age will remember what a “letter” is. :-)) Whatever the communique, it fills your heart with gladness to be remembered by an old friend; gladder still if they mention they have been praying for you.

Here is Paul, in prison in Rome, under arrest and awaiting trial by Nero, and yet he starts off this letter to his Philippian friends with this message. When you pray to God for someone, God hears our prayers. People who are prayed for, can feel the results of those prayers lifted in His name on their behalf. Though I may not do it every day, I try to remember to thank God for those who pray for me, and to ask Him to doubly-bless them in return. One of the best gifts you can give someone is to pray to God for them; have you done that today?

Something to think about.

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Ephesians 6:18-24

Verse 18: “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”

“How can you pray always?” asked my son of his mother and me once. We had to explain to him, that sometimes it’s remaining in the spirit of prayer. For instance, I reminded him that I pray on my drive to work; that does not mean I close my eyes and pray while speeding down the highway. 🙂 However, you can pray while driving. You can pray while you’re walking from one place to another. Students pray all the time before they take a test (ask me how I know! :-))

Seriously, though, I like to think of it as constant communication with God. Prayer with God isn’t like a 2-way link you have to wait to establish, like a telephone call. God is there all the time and always hears our prayers. We need to be receptive when God talks to us, whether in prayer or signs or through His Word. We need to pray always.

Something to think about today.

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