Philippians 1:3-5 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.
How often do you pray for your friends? How often do you stop and thank God for each friend in your life? I admit that I am a failure when it comes to praying for my friends and I don’t know how many times I have thanked God for putting them in my life. Sure I pray for them when they ask for prayers or when I see them having a hard time. But the rest of the time? I admit I take my friendships for granted. And when I read this verse I feel conviction because I am reminded of how much I am failing my friends.
Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi is a great reminder of what it means to be a friend. All too often we skim through personal greetings and introductions to the letters, assuming they have no relevance in our lives and thinking we have nothing to learn from them. But the first few sentences are actually great examples of how we should think of and behave around others. He says, “…every time I remember you.” Every time. Not once in a while or periodically, but every single time they crossed his mind. And not only does he thank God, but he prays for them, with joy.
Think of the friends in your life. Stop and thank God for each one. Tell Him why you are giving Him thanks for these people. And pray for them. If you know specifically what they may need then pray for that. But don’t assume there is nothing you can pray about if you don’t know their needs. You can always ask Him to provide for any needs they have (because He already knows those needs even if you don’t), ask Him to bless their lives, efforts, finances, work, ministry, etc. And you can pray for their happiness, for their protection, their health, their families… the possibilities are endless when it comes to praying for others.
If you are not sure what to pray for or feel you are forgetting specific people, try making a list. Note who you are praying for and then write down a few things you can pray. Thanks should always be included in that list, as well as specific prayer requests. And make note of any answered prayers you see. A prayer journal is a very helpful resource for helping guide your prayers.
Why not give a few friends a call or send them a text asking if there’s anything you can pray for? We all have to start somewhere, right?
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