Where in the World is My Joy?
Joyfully Praying for Others
Prayer is one of those things that we all know is a part of our faith that we struggle with at times. Do we pray enough? Do we pray in the right way? Do we pray for the right things? One of the things I think we can struggle with is how to pray for other people. Paul gives us an example of how to pray for other people in way that can bring us joy, instead of it wearing us out.
I thank my God every time I remember you, always praying with joy for all of you. Philippians 1:3-4 (NCV)
Praying for others with joy means we pray for them remembering:
The help they give us
I thank God for the help you gave me while I preached the Good News—help you gave from the first day you believed until now. Philippians 1:5 (NCV)
We need to remember the people who have helped us throughout our lives and let their gifts be a source of joy for us. After all, we would not be where we are without others helping us along our journey. It is easy to remember the bad things that happen in our lives with others. To fight that tendency, we need to remember how we have been helped by others and express it to God and even them.
The work God is doing in them and us
God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again. Philippians 1:6 (NCV)
We need to be joyful that God is working in our lives. If our community of people that surround us are changing and growing into the people God dreamed, they could be. So, we are grateful that God has not given up on us but is still working in our hearts and lives.
That we share God’s grace with each other
And I know that I am right to think like this about all of you, because I have you in my heart. All of you share in God’s grace with me while I am in prison and while I am defending and proving the truth of the Good News. God knows that I want to see you very much, because I love all of you with the love of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:7-8 (NCV)
We can mark our relationships with grace. If we share the grace we have received from God with each other, then joy can one of the marks of our relationships. When we lead with grace and love we not only bring joy to ourselves but to everyone we meet.
Some strong points Paul gives us to pray for others
This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you will see the difference between good and bad and will choose the good; that you will be pure and without wrong for the coming of Christ; that you will do many good things with the help of Christ to bring glory and praise to God. Philippians 1:9-11 (NCV)
Love will grow stronger
Wisdom will be greater each day
Good choices become normal
That our thoughts and heart will be pure
Doing good that will bring praise to God
If we all pray for each other with joy, then we can truly make a difference in each other’s lives and make our world even better. We need to always remember that we are in this thing called life together. If we pray for each other and lift each other up, then we can share our joy and find a better way to live.