I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 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. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God. - Philippians 1:3-11
Paul was no fly-by-night con artist. When he’d plant a church, he’d often spend months or even years helping the people get the church on its feet before he moved on. Because of his personal investment, those churches were very dear to Paul’s heart. Their members were like sons and daughters to him. Many of the letters we read in the New Testament are letters Paul wrote to the churches he’d started. Even though he couldn’t be with them physically, he wanted them to know he loved them, prayed for them, and was thinking about them. Your encouragement can go a long way in the lives of those you love.
Who do you encourage on a regular basis?
Ask God to remind you of some people you could encourage today with a word, a phone call, or an e-mail. Then do it!
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