Joy in Prayer; Philippians

May the mumbling commence!

Rejoice.  Be joyful in attitude.  It is a constant theme in Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippian church.  Indeed, if Paul’s letters were given titles other than their intended recipients, this letter could be aptly titled REJOICE.

We do not need to read very far into the letter to see a form of the word joy or rejoice.  Read from the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Philippians (NASB 1995):

Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  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. (Verses 1-6)

Joy is inextricably linked to prayer.  Do you experience joy when you pray?  We should.

Prayer is a primary conduit for our relationship with God.  Prayer helps us to remember all that God has done for us… grace extended and peace indwelling.  Prayer helps us to remember our Christian brothers and sisters.  Prayer calls us to participate in the gospel of Christ Jesus.

When we fully engage ourselves in prayer, when we conform our lives in prayer, joy is a fruit of that engagement.  And those good works that God calls us to do will be perfected until the coming of the kingdom of God in Christ Jesus.  There is great potential for joy in being perfected… in being perfected in what God has made us to do.

I feel that joy when I interact with the Scriptures.  I feel that joy when I have the privilege to preach the Word.  I feel that joy when I immerse myself in story… particularly when I immerse myself in the Greatest Story ever told.  I feel that joy when I write biblically-based dramas.  I feel that joy when I help bring story to life on the stage.

But one of the foundational elements to joy is prayer.  Let us pray with joy – relating to God, remembering God, remembering our Christian brothers and sisters, and participating in the gospel of Christ Jesus.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out