4I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints …
A life of gratitude characterizes a man or woman of God. On the one hand, this passage reveals Paul’s character as one who depends on the Lord and recognizes His work in the lives of those to whom he writes. But on the other hand, by including this statement before he makes his difficult appeal, he assures Philemon of his positive attitude toward him. In using the present progressive tense, Paul conveys the character and content of his prayer for Philemon. This is the kind of thing Paul prays when he brings Philemon before the throne of God in prayer. The writer of Hebrews uses this imagery: “[L]et us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace . . .” (Heb. 4:16). This is the same grace with which Paul writes this letter and the same grace which he extends to Philemon.
Paul gives us an example of the content and nature of his prayer life. He writes of merely “making mention” of Philemon, but then provides the reasons with a bit more detail. However, the specifics are not so important as the fact that he brings up Philemon’s name as he is talking with God.
One can argue, what is the point of merely mentioning a person’s name to God? We should be asking God for something on behalf of that person. While that is true, think about it for a moment. How would you feel knowing that other people are mentioning you, or in a slight misuse of grammar, are “remembering you” to God? In a world filled with slander, gossip, and “talking behind someone’s back,” do you and I not need more people talking to God about us, remembering before Him the good things He is doing in our lives? The content of the prayer will flow quite naturally out of the communion with God. What better place for people to talk about us than before His throne of grace?
Notice, while Paul commends Philemon for his love and faith, the apostle makes clear they are attributable to God, for He is the “author and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:2), and we can only love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Philemon has been exemplary in showing the Lord’s effective working in his life toward all the “saints,” that is, all believers. Paul is about to challenge him to take his faith and love to the next level. The runaway slave is returning to Philemon, his master, but now as a fellow believer, as a “saint.” Will Philemon rise to the challenge of accepting and treating him as such?
Lord, may the faith and love in me be perfected, even with brother or sister.
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