Todays readings.. Joshua 11, Isaiah 15, 2 Timothy 1
“I REMEMBER YOU CONSTANTLY IN MY PRAYERS”
Today we started reading the final epistle that Paul wrote, his second letter to Timothy. The spiritual relationship he had developed with him is an example to us of the relationship we should aim to develop with fellow believers; surely we should remember each other constantly in our prayers. The spiritual rapport we develop will be invaluable, especially in the times of real trouble that are increasingly threatening our world! How close is the return of our Lord?
Paul tells Timothy, “I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.” [1 v.3] How often do we pray? How much do we pray for each other? Paul tells Timothy, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you …” [v.5] That is a challenging way of describing the ‘active’ nature of a genuine faith! It is more than an attitude in our brain – it is the active principle on which our heart operates.
The epistles of John illustrate this in a heart-challenging way, he wrote, “Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. … And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” [1 John 5 v.11,12] Food for the deepest thought and meditation here!
Clearly Paul had this “testimony in himself.” We perceive this as meaning that his faith had developed to its’ fullest extent, his life was the outcome of a “sincere faith.” It caused Paul to “constantly … remember” Timothy in his “prayers.”
We must each meditate on what we “remember … constantly in… (our) prayers” Do we “remember” the spirit that was in us when we were converted. Paul certainly did, and it is evident this “constantly” and dramatically influenced the rest of his life. What about ourselves? May we “constantly in (our) prayers” seek to follow, more and more, the example of Paul.