27. An Intercessory Partnership
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In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your
partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of
this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in
my heart.
Philippians 1:4–7W
HAThigher calling is there than to pray for those with
whom we colabor in the faith? God gives us the faith we
require and the confidence we need to thank him for our “prayer
partners” and lift up their needs. He gives us gratitude to thank him
for the good work he has begun in them—a work he will carry on
to completion until Jesus returns.
The secret of Paul’s passionate intercessory prayer for his colabor-
ers was his love for them. In his intercession he was shifting gears—
changing his point of view from any and all needs of his own to the
needs of others.
We must learn to make that shift in our own prayer lives as well
if we are to become intercessors. There are so many desperate needs