I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Christ. I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
Philemon 1:4-7 NET
Paul often opens his letters by sharing his prayer for the recipients. And this letter to Philemon is no exception. Paul had been hearing good things about Philemon concerning his faith in the Lord and his love for the saints. As a result, his prayer for Philemon was one of thanksgiving.
He prayed that Philemon’s faith would deepen his understanding of the blessings that belonged to him in Christ. We tend to think of blessings in physical terms: family, friends, health, home, and job. But that is not what Paul had in mind here.
Paul describes the spiritual blessings we have in Christ in Ephesians 1:3-14. These include being chosen in Christ, adopted to sonship, redemption, and an understanding of the mystery of God concerning Christ and his work.
Faith is more than just an intellectual exercise. It is meant to be lived out in our day-to-day life. We will never understand the blessings we have in Christ by intellectual effort alone. Only as we actively live out our faith can we truly know them.
Encouragement
Paul also expressed the great joy and encouragement he felt when he heard of all that Philemon’s love for the saints had led him to do. Philemon’s love was not just an emotional feeling for the saints. It was active. He fed the hungry, gave the thirsty something to drink, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited the prisoners (Matthew 25:35-36). His active love refreshed the hearts of the believers in Colossae. It also encouraged those like Paul who had heard about what he was doing.
Paul’s prayer for Philemon is an encouragement to me to joyfully pray for others who are living out their faith and love. And Philemon’s example challenges me to actively live out my faith in the Lord and love for the saints. To be an example that others can follow. And to grow ever deeper in my understanding of God and what he is doing in my life and the world.
