Philemon 4-7
Letters written in the first century, whether Christian or pagan, usually began with an expression of thanksgiving and a prayer after the salutation.
(4) I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,
(5) because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;
Paul starts off the body of this letter with thanking God for Philemon's godliness, in his loving lifestyle toward the Lord and others.
(6) and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake.
And his prayer is that Philemon would continue and be even more effective in his service through knowing Christ more intimately, and learning His ways.
(7) For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
Paul has been repeatedly impressed with all the expressions of Philemon's love, bringing him much joy and comfort. Paul is praying for great Christian maturity in his brother, which would find expression in Philemon's treatment of Onesimus.
O my Father, I pray for all Your children, that we may each draw closer to You in Your love, enjoying deeper intimacy with You, loving You more, and expressing this relationship with You in our dealings with one another. Teach us Your ways, to think Your thoughts, adopt Your attitudes, seeing reality with Your eyes, Father.
My Father, protect us from vulnerability to all the seductive deception that surrounds us in this world. Keep us grounded and firm in Your Truth, and bathed in Your compassionate Love, so that Your gentleness and Your meekness in Your strength will sustain us as we intermingle with the world and have dealings with them.
O Father, You are so good and so kind to us. You have told us Your great Plan of the Ages, and we are witnessing it unfold before our very eyes.
Father, we can discern that our Lord Jesus will be returning soon to this Earthly realm, because we can see all the turmoil You said would precede His coming transpiring, and all the minions of the devil stirring up hatred in the masses of people who do not know You.
Strengthen us, dear Father, to withstand the onslaught of all the evil, and after having done all, to stand.
Let our witness go out into all the nations of the world, so that every living person will hear of Your great love and provision for all of us, to rescue us.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
