For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
Ephesians 1:15-16 (NIV)
How do you generally pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ?
The Apostle Paul could not cease praising God for the Ephesians because of their unwavering faith in Christ and their deep love for all Christians.
Faith and love go together.
Every time Paul mentioned the church in his prayers, it seems that he was continually reminding himself and his readers of how Christ loves His Church. In the same sense, we cannot claim to be disciples of Jesus and not share His love for His people.
Some Christians believe that since they have Christ, they don't need to belong to a church. Because Christ never separates Himself from His church, we must stay committed to the people God has put in our lives, despite trying circumstances. Even when a church community proves to be disappointing on some levels, we must learn from Christ to love in grace and truth.
If you grow the habit of being thankful for one another, it will benefit you more than you can possibly realise. By expressing appreciation and gratitude, you are celebrating what Christ has done and is still doing among His followers. Such a mindset liberates you from a critical spirit and gives you the grace to love people as Christ loves them.
Let’s learn from Paul. Pray for one another regularly and watch God work wonders in each of our lives. When we see how much their love and faith are growing every day, it will inspire us to do more to support them. The more we pray for our church, the more blessed we realise we are. Then there is nothing that we can’t face or overcome together.