第一章

3  我每逢想到你們，就感謝我的神；  4每次為你們大家祈求的時候，總是歡歡喜喜地祈求。 5 為了你們從頭一天直到現在都在福音的事工上有分，我就感謝我的神。 6 我深信那在你們中間開始了美好工作的，到了基督耶穌的日子，必成全這工作。

 

默想：

1. 有的時候，基督徒會認為，禱告時在我們面對急難、害怕的時候，才會想到的。但是保羅在此的禱告時出於喜樂，並且充滿了信心的禱告。腓立比教會的信徒，從開始就曾與保羅一同傳揚福音。保羅深信神會保守祂在他們中間開始的工作，且到耶穌基督再來的時候，必成全祂的工作。
2. 當我為別人禱告的時候，我也可以有同樣的信心，相信神必不會丟棄祂的任何一個兒女。因此我可以帶著喜樂為其他信徒禱告，也全心地相信神在他們的心中工作。為什麼要禱告呢？因為禱告是我表達愛的方式，並且因為我相信，神會使用我的禱告，使得祂在別人生命中的工作更加充實。
3. 花幾分鐘的時間，用我自己的話，改寫保羅的禱告，來為我的小組，我的教會禱告。

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在「靈程筆記簿」上面。

 

 

Philippians (NIV)

Chapter 1

³I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

Meditation

1. Sometimes Christians think of prayer as a last resort when we’re desperate, or when we are fearful for others.  But Paul prayed out of joy, and with supreme confidence.  The Philippian believers had worked in partnership with Paul in spreading the gospel from the first.  And Paul had total confidence that the work God began in their lives would be carried on to completion, “until the day of Christ Jesus.”
2. We can have the same confidence when we pray for one another.  God won’t abandon any of His own.  We pray for other Christians with joy, and with total confidence that God is at work in their lives.  Why then do we pray?  We pray as an expression of love.  And we pray because we believe that God in some mysterious way uses our prayers to enrich that good work He is committed to do in His children’s lives.
3. Take a few minutes to put Paul’s prayer into my own words, then apply the prayer for my cell group and my church.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2012 “Spiritual Journal” book.