A Life Shaped and Re-shaped by Prayer

Friday, Week 1 - Philippians 1:27-30: Praying for others

Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well— since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

This letter is filled with encouragement.  Paul is in prison, probably in Rome.  He has lots of time for prayer and finds himself thinking about people whom he has come to care for deeply in Philippi, people who are struggling.  So he moves from quiet prayer to writing this letter of encouragement.   (Have you ever noticed that when you pray, others you care for tend to appear in your mind?)

Here’s a little more background.  Philippi was a Roman colony and those in the small church there were Roman citizens. However, because of their involvement in this counter-cultural movement called the Church, they were greatly upsetting others.  There is a story in Acts 16:16-24 that recounts how Paul, who insisted that Jesus was Lord and not Caesar, spoke up against a particular injustice, upset the economy of the day, and ended up beaten with rods, flogged, and put in prison.  It seems that his friends in Philippi are in some ways speaking up for injustice too and are facing painful consequences for it.  Paul notes, he is aware they are suffering as he had.

Paul writes, “Only live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”  A translation more true to the original Greek might be, “Only live as citizens of the Gospel of Christ.”  That is to say, do not give up on your trust and insistence that Jesus is Lord; and therefore the risen Jesus Christ is active in this world’s injustice and suffering; he cares deeply for all people and has the power to bring healing and change.

Part of what we do in prayer is pray for others. We bring to mind people who are struggling. We may write certain names on a little card so that we don’t forget them. Then in prayer we ask the Lord Jesus to bring healing and change in the lives of those we name.  Then too, sometimes we, like Paul, write notes of encouragement (a form of prayer); and sometimes we say to someone, “I am praying for you,” an encouraging statement rooted in our in our trust that the Lord still power to bring healing and change.

When you pray: breathe in belovedness, speak a word of gratitude, confess your limitations, pray for strength for yourself to face the challenges of the day. Then pray for others.  Pray for the Lord’s healing and change in those whom you are led to name.

O God, thank you for being present in all of our lives. Forgive me for being so complacent in so many things, including prayer.  Help me to trust throughout this day that you are with me and for me; and bring healing to those who in this moment I name before you… Amen.