Devotional Thoughts on Prayer Life and Philippians 1:3-6
“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” (Philippians 1:3-6).
The devil likes to whisper words of accusation whenever I read Scripture verses like these, holding up the metaphorical mirror to compare my prayer life with that of Paul’s or someone else’s.
No, I don’t always pray for other Christians and other people. Many of my prayers seem self-centered or reserved for my immediate friends and family. Then the devil likes to make me feel guilty for those prayers—which are good and proper for me to pray!
If you’re like me . . . push those whispers aside. Push them aside every day. Don’t focus on what you haven’t been doing in your conversations with God. There’s no changing that. Ask for forgiveness and move forward, confident that you’re fully and freely forgiven in Christ Jesus.
Then what? Pray.
And what should you pray for? Pray for yourself, your friends, and your family. Pray for physical needs; pray for spiritual needs. Pray in and with thanksgiving to God for the blessings that he has graciously given to you, and do the same for the blessings that God has graciously given to other people too.
Just . . . pray. And keep praying. You’re talking to God, and he promises he always listens. No request is too small or too big for him, no line of conversation too boring or uncomfortable or awkward.
Satan doesn’t want you to talk with God. Defy the devil.
Talk to God, and listen to his Word—as it was written in the pages of Scripture and shared by others who speak the Word of Truth to you. Thank God for the grace he has shown in allowing you to hear those beautiful words about our Savior Jesus and what he has done to rescue us from sin, death, and the power of the devil!
Thank God for the people who share those life-changing words with you. The joy that is ours and theirs is all because of the amazing things that our God is accomplishing in the lives of his people and in what happens in this world for the good of his people.
As you and I pray, that’s really what we focus on, isn’t it? Our focus is on God and what his will is for us and for all people. Not our will, but your will be done, O Lord.
God, fill us with the joy that comes from knowing you, and help us share that joy with others, knowing that you are with us always—all because of Jesus.
Thank you, God!
For Further Reading
Prayer: An Audience with the King will help you understand and improve your prayer life through an easy-to-follow study of God’s Word and its teaching on prayer.
For more Christ-centered content every week, join our free email list below:
Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House and a 2023 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. He enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation with his family.
Leave a Reply