Why should I pray for you?

We are supposed to pray--we know that. Yet, we don't...at least not so very much. Try keeping track, who do you pray for and how much, how often. Maybe we don't because we lose sight of the why. Phil 1:3-8 describes some of the reasons Paul kept praying for these believers.

1. He was personally connected to them, he had to pray for them. I pray for our kids, I have to, they're stuck with my prayers, cause I'm personally involved, connected, invested. If we're not praying for others, maybe we need to jump in a find ways to connect with others. Maybe...praying for someone is a first step toward a growing relationship with them...
2. These believers were participating together in the gospel. Their fellowship was like that diverse band of brothers in Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. They were very different, but bound closely together in their partnership in a crucial mission.
3. Paul kept praying because he had God's promise. He had an eternal optimism for them, because he know that God would finish in them that good work He had begun. If I want my prayers answered, why not be praying for what I know God will do--His work in you.
4. Lastly, Paul prays, and we do, out of deep affection. If I love you, I will pray for you. And then again...if you love me, you will pray for me...

Excuse me, I gotta go. I need to pray.