Always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer.
Philippians 1:4
There are certainly tasks at camp that you do often. In fact there are tasks that you’ll do so often you might even get tired of them. You may end up washing thousands of dishes, cooking hundreds of meals, cleaning more toilets than you care to count, and playing more games than you did in your entire childhood. But there needs to be at least one task that you do this summer over and over again. One task that you cannot grow tired of.
Prayer.
When you read the New Testament letters of Paul, you get the impression that he was a very busy person.
He traveled across the Roman empire, planted churches, counseled, preached, and made tents. But despite all of that, Paul spent much time in prayer. All of his letters contain prayers that he prayed for churches and people. As you study those prayers you also learn that Paul expected us to do the same (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Today’s verse announces that Paul was continuously praying for the church of Philippi. And he prayed continuously with joy. Even though we might grow tired with repeated tasks, like Paul we must remain joyful and expectant in all of our prayers. Dedication to prayer is a hallmark of people who know the value of time (Ephesians 5:16).
As you serve this summer, do not give up on prayer. Make it a habit to fill your day with joyful prayer. See prayer as a source of strength. Turn to prayer quickly as the way to receive God’s power.
For greater motivation to dedicate all your activities this summer to the Lord, read this devotion.
As you begin those dishes again, ask God to help you. As you cook those meals, thank God for the opportunity to feed others. As you clean, do it while praying for the campers you see around you or for the camp in general. Praying continuously describes a lifestyle that is saturated with prayer—talking with God as you go about your daily tasks.
If you really want to grow in persistence in prayer, check out this devotion.
As great as a dedicated prayer time is, even greater is the regular communion with your Father throughout the day.
