Philippians 1:1-11
PHILIPPIANS 1:1-11
New International Version
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
PHILIPPIANS 1:3
I thank my God every time I remember you.
REFLECTION
We are created to be in community with others, and every now and then, the Lord puts people in our lives who bring great joy! Sometimes it’s our family, but often it’s people who enter our lives in the most unexpected places. Paul smiles when he thinks about his friends in Philippi. He thinks of them often, and he doesn’t miss a chance to give thanks for them.
RESPONSE
Who are the people in your life that bring you great joy?
Do you see them regularly, or just every now and again?
When was the last time you told them how grateful you are for them?
It’s a good practice to begin your time of prayer in gratitude, giving thanks to the Lord before petitioning Him for needs. Spend some time today focusing on who you’re thankful for. Write down their names.
