"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:3-11
When we pray for others there should be a sense of joy at the honor of taking someone else to God, to stand in the gap for their need or ask His blessings upon them. We aren't writing the Bible with our lives as Paul did, but we are living out what God has written for our lives. He is doing something in each and everyone of us; for some, we are resisting the process. For others, we are pressing in and letting God transform our lives through obedience to Him. It is a process that will continue until Christ returns.
We are called like Paul to share what God is placed within us. As we disciple or mentor others to the person of Christ, our souls are knit together. We partake of life together and grow together. In difficult times, we learn to love through difficult times, we learn to love like Jesus did. It is in relationships that we grow into who God wants us to be. We can't do it in a vacuum. We bear fruit in community. It is in relationship to others that God gets glory and praise.
Lord, I know I don't always do relationships well, but I do know that it is in community that You grow and shape me. Transform me into the woman that You want me to be. Reveal to me the works that You want to complete in me. I surrender to Your will in my life and in relationships. Help me to get out of Your way.
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