8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
Romans 1:8-12, ESV
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—
12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
We learn a lot about Paul’s prayer life in this passage of his letter to the church in Rome. The reality of Jesus being our way to God is highlighted in verse eight when he states that even his thanksgivings are shared with God THROUGH Jesus Christ. That’s an idea that I’ve never considered. Sure, Jesus is our advocate. He is our way to forgiveness. He provides access to fellowship with God, but the thought of even our thanksgivings going through Him is such a beautiful image.
Are your thanksgivings first on your list?
When was the last time you considered what you were thankful for?
Are you thankful for fellow believers as Paul was?