Thanking God For A Friend

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Philemon 1:3-5

We are often drawn to prayer by tragedies and difficult circumstances in our lives. We tell God all about our problems and ask for his help—and rightly so. Paul was certainly in difficult circumstances when he wrote this letter to Philemon. He was under house arrest in Rome, awaiting a trial before Caesar. He certainly had much to pray for. But his attention in prayer was also focused on others. In his letter to Philemon, Paul didn’t forget to tell Philemon that he was praying for him—that he was thanking God because of him.

Are there brothers or sisters in Christ who have encouraged you? Have you told them how much you appreciate them and that you are praying for them? Resolve to tell them how much they mean to you.

• Dear Lord, thank you for . . .