Ephesians 1:16

I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers (Ephesians 1:16 NKJV).

Paul was a faithful prayer warrior who took very seriously the responsibility of bringing his spiritual children to the throne room of God.  This is an activity worthy of replication.  It is one thing to share the Gospel with people, yet quite another to faithfully pray for them as they “work out their own salvation in fear and trembling…” (Philippians 2:12).  The process of sanctification is the challenge of every Christian.  It is that time between justification – where we are instantly moved from darkness to light, from enemies of God to children of God and from sinners to saints – to glorification – where we receive the “end or our faith – the salvation of our souls.” (1 Peter 1:9).  It is the transition period between now and eternity in which we have to co-labor with God’s Spirit to walk through the treacherous pitfalls of life on a fallen planet earth.

Many Christians focus their prayers and efforts solely on the unbeliever.  This is not bad, just incomplete.  Our prayers and times of ministry should always include supplication for and encouragement to those who are already in the faith and especially those who are on front-line ministries, where the attacks of satan are so much more pronounced and brutal.  We should all be praying for those believers who head up ministries that are having an impact around the world.  We should be training and discipling those new believers that are within our immediate sphere of influence.  We must never put on the back burner our responsibility to be effective in ministry – both inside and outside the walls of our churches.

Today, I will be faithful to thank God for and pray for those people the Lord puts on my prayer list who are making a difference in this world for His namesake.  I will also seek an opportunity to encourage and minister to the people in my life who know Jesus and will be on the look out for anyone God puts in my path today who doesn’t yet know Him.

Check out Gennarino's devotional on this same verse at:  Ephesians 1:16