Joy of Christian Prayer

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Philippians 1:3-5

Lutheran pastor Johann Albrecht Bengel (1687-1752) summarized Philippians this way: ”The whole point of the letter is to rejoice! Do you rejoice?”

Christian joy manifests itself in different forms—first, the joy of praying for others. In his book No Common Task, George Raindrop tells how a nurse taught a disgruntled and depressed man to pray. Using her strategy for prayer, he became a man of joy.

She used her hands as a strategy for prayer since most of her work was done with her hands. Each finger stood for someone. 

• Since her thumb was nearest her, it reminded her to pray for those closest to her. 
• The second finger was used to point and stand for all who showed others the way forward.
• The third finger was the tallest, and it stood for the leaders in every sphere of life. 
• The fourth finger was the weakest, as every pianist knows, and it stood for those who were in trouble and pain. 
• The little finger was the smallest and the least important; to the nurse, it stood for herself.

Use this strategy for prayer daily. You will be amazed at how it changes your perspective.