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Philemon 1:4-7.

Published 20 October 2008 by matthew | | E-mail this post

Today the reading for The Journey struck a chord with me. Part of the passage was Philemon 1:4-7:

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Christ. I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

This prayer challenges me very deeply. If someone remembers me in their prayer, would this be the context? Would such a person thank God for their great joy and encouragement that came from my love for them? To be honest, I doubt it. I hope on some level some people out there would. However, I'm not so sure that my faith in Christ or my love for His saints always stand out as the defining bedrock of my character. My new prayer for myself is that God would mold me into a person whom would have resonance with the above prayer from Paul. If I pop up in your mind during your own prayers and your thought isn't to thank God for my refreshing upon your life, feel free to intercede for me that in time I would be such a friend and brother in Christ. I would be eternally grateful.