Daily Devotion (July 6, 2024)
Philippians 1:3–6
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
A thankful heart for the church. There is the realization that the church is composed of many people serving God together. There is the fellowship of the church that is not found in the world. The church is a family living for God and sharing Christ’s love not only with each other but with the lost.
Paul, being imprisoned in Rome, remembered his time spend in Philippi. He remembered the love, care, and support they had for his ministry.
I ask this question for each person reading this. When you go to church do you look for what you can get out of it, or do you look to how much you can give to the fellowship of the church? So many leave a church meeting empty because their expectations were not fulfilled. The church was too cold or too hot. The music was too loud or not contemporary enough. It did not move me. The preacher was boring. No one spoke to me. I could go on and on. The point is many go to church self-centered instead of Christ centered.
The church of Philippi was not perfect. Paul did not focus on the imperfections but on the positive. Paul gave thanks for each believer in the church. Even though Paul was miles away from Philippi, he remembered, gave thanks for, and prayed for the church.
Paul continually prayed for the church. Do you pray for your church? As God lays someone on your heart do you pray for that person”? Do you pray for the ministry of the church?
Do you pray for the ministry of the church to expand and grow? As you are praying for the ministry of the church are you asking God how He can use you in the ministry. Not to just be a taker but also a giver, a doer in the ministry of CHRIST’s church. Pray for the church throughout the world. Also pray for the church God has planted you in. Do not shrivel up and die. Go to church with the Mind of Christ! Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”