Listen to the audio devotional above, and/or read the written devotional below.
remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:3
REMEMBRANCES
When Paul cries out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24), the longer I sojourn upon this earth, as a Christian, I recognize the reality of this need of deliverance in my soul more and more. Even when I have devotional meditations upon Christ, upon His atoning sacrifice, and upon His victorious resurrection, I have a mind that ponders only how grace has affected me, forgetting or forsaking how grace has worked in others; even how God’s grace is ministering to those I love. This, too, can be a form of pride, of self-idolatry creeping in. I’m grateful for the epistles of Paul, especially those in which he makes specific mention of his remembrance of them (Phil 1:3; 1 Thess 1:3; 2 Tim 1:3-5). Moreover, when he remembers Timothy and the believers in Macedonia, both in Philippi and Thessalonica, he does so in connection with prayer (before our God and Father). Prayer is a blessing to others, but it is also a blessing to us. It takes the focus of our thoughts and places it upon our Christ, upon our heavenly Father, and upon those for whom we are praying. When we specifically go before our Lord in prayer on behalf of others, it truly becomes a sweet hour of prayer. God brings to our remembrance the work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope the Holy Spirit has worked in those we love. As we grow in grace, we find that our greatest growth in grace occurs when others are praying for us. The Holy Spirit blows where He wishes (John 3:8), but His greatest activity is in the prayers of Christ’s people; moreover, by prayer, we become more like Christ Jesus, our great Intercessor. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Intercession will bless our hearts
As we pray for others;
When we pray we become a part
Of God’s work in our brothers.
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
10/15 Reading Portions: 1 Kings 18; 1 Thessalonians 1; Ezekiel 48; Psalm 104
