TEXT: Philippians 1:3-11 (CSB) – “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”
We have been challenged by Paul’s example to Remember our Friends AT the throne, and remember by praying FOR them at the throne, and today we will close this short study by realizing
Remembrance IN Prayer will lead to and build fellowship one with another.
Paul gave thanks for the fellowship that he had with the Philippians. He called it Koinonia – fellowship, communion, partnership (vs. 5). Webster defines fellowship as – companionship, mutual sharing, a group of people with the same interests.
This makes me think of the old saying – “The family that prays together – stays together.”
As we begin to pray in earnest for one another – one of two things will happen. We will pull apart because we do not wish to be open and transparent with others, or we will draw closer and closer together.
Fellowship is not just a get-together over a meal, you know a good old evening fellowship – it is a deep coming together of our souls and spirits. Because Paul prayed with gratitude and confidence for these Philippian Christians – even though a wide distance separated them, there was a special fellowship between them.
May God challenge us to pray for one another – to build this intimate relationship with each other.
Consider this – “The people that pray together – grow to love each other.”
We might catch ourselves thinking, “Boy, if only I had the Apostle Paul to pray for me – what a difference that would make in my life.”
Remember – we are all saints – we can and must pray for one another.
I remember to this day shortly before his death, my Uncle Bud prayed a prayer over me for being used by God. I will never forget that prayer. I have felt it often over the years. I believe he is still at the Throne today praying for me.
We do have one who is praying for us, interceding for us before God – Jesus Christ.
Let us be challenged by Paul’s example.
o First, let us remember our friends at the throne of God;
o And, let us pray for them every time we think of them;
o Because this remembrance in prayer will build our fellowship together
Tomorrow, we will start to look at Paul’s Prayers of Thanksgiving.
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