Quiet Contemplation - Day 3

Philippians 1:3,4 (NIV)

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy…

1 Thessalonians 1:2 (NIV)

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.

            A few months ago I wrote a fairly detailed entry focused on prayer (Write From My Heart, Entry #40 – A Pandemic Worse Than COVID-19). We have so many concerns to keep in our daily prayers, and the list seems to grow exponentially. However those of you who are familiar with my writing style, know that I often like to call attention to small details—things that are often overlooked at first glance—very often, things that I need in my own life.

            In my personal life, I place a high value and priority on prayer. If I know your name, you can be fairly certain you are frequently in my thoughts and prayers.  Ahh, there it is: “thoughts and prayers.” What I realize is that I typically think of how thankful I am for each of you and for the gifts and talents you share with others; and typically, I offer prayers of petition on your behalf for health, safety, well-being. So far, so good. Or is it?

            It may be fairly obvious to some, but for me it is a slight change making a huge difference in my prayer life. The Apostle Paul was a man of prayer. Most of his letters opened with reminders of prayer. Notice the details in the two selected verses above—when he remembered someone, he offered a prayer of thankfulness to God for that person (or persons).

            Do you realize what this means? Now, when I remember you, not only will I join you in lifting up your concerns in prayer, but I will be thanking God for brining you into my life! I’ll still keep you in my thoughts of thankfulness, but now I’ll also be keeping you in my prayers of thankfulness!

           

Gracious Heavenly Father,

            What a joy and privilege to read your Word! How blessed we are to find the tiny little hidden treasures making such a difference in our daily lives and in the lives of those we love.

            In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Respectfully written and submitted by

Dotty Willmon, Resurrection Christian—looking for the blessed hope of Christ’s return!