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From: The Message/Remix: Solo, An Uncommon Devotional Day 298

Read
Read Philippians 1:3-6.  After doing so, write out the entire passage.  Then read it again.  Here is a link to the reading in an online bible:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Phil.+1%3A3-6&version=MSG

Think
The subject of thankfulness in prayer will come up many times in this devotional, but there’s no way to offer too much gratitude when we communicate with God.  Of course it seems to be in our nature to approach God only when times are tough, when we feel like venting, or when we have a need.  God listens to all our prayers, but it’s hard to pray heartfelt, God-honoring prayers with an ungrateful and complaining spirit.  We should always be grateful for something in prayer.

Paul models a thankful heart for us here as he reflects on the church in Philippi.  On a scale of one to ten – one being “frequently ungrateful” and ten being “always thankful” – what number would you give your prayers?  What number would your friends give your prayers?  What would it take for your prayers to move toward ten?

Live/Pray
Find a small photo of an old friend or family member.  Place it in a location where you will see it often.  Every time you look at the photo, pause and thank God for who that person is, what that person means to you, and who God is forming that person to become.  Be reminded that God, who started this great work in him or her, will “keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish” one day.

Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash