I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you…” vss. 3-4
Philippians 1:3-6
Perhaps Paul is exaggerating here. Could it be that he constantly prayed in every one of his prayers for all of the Philippians? Based on our own prayer lives we’re likely to say “no, he couldn’t have possibly done that.” But then again it’s very likely that Paul devoted considerable time to prayer–there are people, many of our friends in fact, who do in fact have massive prayer lists. And they do take time every day to remember all their friends, particularly those who are in some sort of need. Such prayer lists are the glue that holds the community of faith together. Of course it seems mundane to go through the same names day after day, year after year–some would call the process boring and repetitive. But it really isn’t, particularly when there is a face or a memory connected to each of the names. Does it do any good? Of course! It’s what binds us to one another in the Body of Christ. We aren’t solitary souls in the universe–we’re part of a complex organism and we have an effect on each other even when we aren’t near. We’ve learned from quantum mechanics that subatomic particles have an influence far beyond physical connections. In the same way, the Divine Presence acts as a force field that draws us together through our prayers for mutual healing and joy.
Thought for the Day: Who is on my daily prayer list?
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