3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so 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)
As usually, Paul opens his letter with a greeting and a prayer. He missed them, and he did not forget them. He prayed for them. Hopefully during these last two months you have been praying for brothers and sisters in Christ. I know I have. As he did, Paul was confident in God - that he was continuing to work in the lives of His people. He prayed for more than maintanence: He prayed for abundance - that they would allow Christ to become more and more a part of their daily lives - that they would be moving forward in their spiritual journey at such a rate that when Paul saw them again, he would find them making wise, spiritual decisions and marked by a holiness and fruitfulness worthy of Christ. Is that what has been going on in your life?
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