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…
Philippians 1:4-5 NIV
Praying with Joy
From east to west, there are cities across the country that consistently rank high on happiness indexes, offering a blend of natural beauty, economic prosperity, and social well-being. Back in 2024, canadim.com website revealed their “5 happiest cities in Canada” list. Their selection was based on factors such as the unemployment rate, average annual income, and overall life satisfaction scores. They explored what makes these cities exceptional and also highlight their main attractions. Which city topped the list? Vancouver. Followed by Calgary, Ottawa, Victoria and Halifax.
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Prayer is a mystery to me. It ought to be for all of us. As a follower of Jesus, one of our greatest gifts is to be able to enter into the throne room of the Kingdom of God at any time and present our needs, joys, hopes, loved ones, challenges … I could go on and on … to the Heavenly Father. We do so in Jesus’ name – the name by which we have access to God. Now here is the mystery – our God is sovereign. His will can never be thwarted. But at the same time, He loves to hear from us, loves for us to tell Him what’s in our hearts and on our minds. He loves those we pray for more than we love them, but He wants to hear us pray for them, expressing our desire for God to bless them or perform a miracle in their lives. As Paul says to his friends in Philippi as recorded in Philippians 1:4-5: “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…” Amen.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley