I am speaking the truth; I belong to Christ and I do not lie. My conscience, ruled by the Holy Spirit, also assures me that I am not lying

There is someone in heaven to stand up for me and take my side.

I call God as my witness---he knows my heart! It was in order to spare you that I decided not to go to Corinth.

By Christ's truth in me, I promise that this boast of mine will not be silenced anywhere in all of Achaia.

Do I say this because I don't love you? God knows I love you!

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus---blessed be his name forever!---knows that I am not lying.

What I write is true. God knows that I am not lying!

God is my witness that I tell the truth when I say that my deep feeling for you all comes from the heart of Christ Jesus himself.

You know very well that we did not come to you with flattering talk, nor did we use words to cover up greed---God is our witness!

even though as apostles of Christ we could have made demands on you. But we were gentle when we were with you, like a mother taking care of her children.

Surely you remember, our friends, how we worked and toiled! We worked day and night so that we would not be any trouble to you as we preached to you the Good News from God.

and that is why I was sent as an apostle and teacher of the Gentiles, to proclaim the message of faith and truth. I am not lying; I am telling the truth!

For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship came to me

And you yourselves know how he has proved his worth, how he and I, like a son and his father, have worked together for the sake of the gospel.

So we preach Christ to everyone. With all possible wisdom we warn and teach them in order to bring each one into God's presence as a mature individual in union with Christ.

To get this done I toil and struggle, using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work in me.

I give thanks to God, whom I serve with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did. I thank him as I remember you always in my prayers night and day.

But the time is coming and is already here, when by the power of God's Spirit people will worship the Father as he really is, offering him the true worship that he wants.

God is Spirit, and only by the power of his Spirit can people worship him as he really is."

After these things had happened, Paul made up his mind to travel through Macedonia and Achaia and go on to Jerusalem. "After I go there," he said, "I must also see Rome."

For if I pray in this way, my spirit prays indeed, but my mind has no part in it.

What should I do, then? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray also with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will sing also with my mind.

It is we, not they, who have received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his Spirit and rejoice in our life in union with Christ Jesus. We do not put any trust in external ceremonies.

This is the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

And so God chose his Servant and sent him to you first, to bless you by making every one of you turn away from your wicked ways."

We believe human testimony; but God's testimony is much stronger, and he has given this testimony about his Son.

The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son.

As for me, the LORD forbid that I should sin against him by no longer praying for you. Instead, I will teach you what is good and right for you to do.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged.

So Peter was kept in jail, but the people of the church were praying earnestly to God for him.

Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people.

Day and night we ask him with all our heart to let us see you personally and supply what is needed in your faith.

pray at all times,

I give thanks to God, whom I serve with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did. I thank him as I remember you always in my prayers night and day.

I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you. I remember you in my prayers

I ask that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people,

For this reason I fall on my knees before the Father,

I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves,

so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love.

To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of:

and every time I pray for you all, I pray with joy

I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment,

Your lives will be filled with the truly good qualities which only Jesus Christ can produce, for the glory and praise of God.

For this reason we have always prayed for you, ever since we heard about you. We ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will, with all the wisdom and understanding that his Spirit gives.

May you be made strong with all the strength which comes from his glorious power, so that you may be able to endure everything with patience. And with joy give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to have your share of what God has reserved for his people in the kingdom of light.

He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son,

We always thank God for you all and always mention you in our prayers.

Brother Philemon, every time I pray, I mention you and give thanks to my God.