So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. Philippians 1:7, NLT

"Will you play school with me Daddy?"  I couldn't refuse the invitation to sit down and enjoy some pretend play with my youngest (immediately upon picking her up from school to boot!)  This time she was the teacher -- giving instructions about this and that, directing me to my next activity, and reading from her imaginary lesson plans.  After taking a few minutes to prepare for the next "assignment," my daughter handed me some paper and crayons and showed me her own colored drawing that she wanted me to copy.  By the end of our playtime, we had produced several artistic masterpieces that she proudly put away for later.  Can you guess what little Giselle was eager to show my wife when she arrived home that evening?  Giselle quickly retrieved our pile of artwork and displayed them for Debbie to see:  "These are for you, Mommy!  For Mother's Day!"  Then it dawned on me.  All that playtime wasn't just for kicks...it was for Mommy.  Giselle had her mother on her mind the whole time.  When certain loved ones "have a special place" in our hearts (Phil. 1:7) like that, even the routine things we do are impacted by them and revolve around them.  Those are the kind of people who mean a lot to us because they influence our lives in tremendous ways.  So what special things can we do for those who have a special place in our hearts?

THANK GOD FOR THEM

I thank my God for you every time I think of you... Philippians 1:3, GNT

With teacher appreciation week upon us and Mother's Day coming up, maybe you've set plans to send flowers, give gifts, or write notes in an effort to thank these special people and express gratitude for what they mean to you.  But may I suggest that we take that gratitude one step further -- not stopping at directing our thanks to them, but going on to direct our thanks to God for them?  In his letter to the Philippians, it's pretty evident that the believers in Philippi are near and dear to Paul's heart (Phil. 1:7).  But in the opening lines of his epistle, he doesn't just thank them for their kindness.  He thanks God for them, and in doing so, he acknowledges where the real gift comes from.  When we tell our loved ones about the fact that we thank God for them, we're communicating not just the reality that they're special to us but that they are in fact a special instrument in God's hands to bring divine blessings into our lives.  When we level up our gratitude like this, we help those who are near and dear to us become aware that God is using them, working in them and through them to impact our lives.

MAKE REQUEST FOR THEM

...always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy... Philippians 1:4, NKJV

When people have a special place in our hearts, we don't just hold them in high esteem.  We can hold them up in heartfelt prayer to God.  The term for "making request" refers to a particular kind of asking-prayer.  It's not the general term for prayer that broadly refers to directing our desires heavenward.  Instead, Paul is describing the act of bringing to God a specific, felt need on behalf of the Philippians.  Paul isn't just mentioning their names or remembering their faces as he prays.  He's feeling what they're feeling and lifting up specific petitions as he imagines their present situation.  And we can do the same for those we love.  More than thanking God for their influence in our lives, we can petition God for specific blessings in their lives based on what we know they may be going through.  

Additionally, we can follow Paul's example by actually letting our loved ones know that we're praying on their behalf.  Sure, we can pray for others to be strengthened and encouraged, but there's added power when we tell them they're being prayed for:

Too often we forget that our fellow laborers are in need of strength and cheer. In times of special perplexity and burden, take care to assure them of your interest and sympathy. While you try to help them by your prayers, let them know that you do it. Send along the line God's message to His workers: “Be strong and of a good courage.” Joshua 1:6.  (Ellen White, Prayer, 249)

Interceding for others moves God's mighty hand on a cosmic level, and telling friends that we're praying for them moves their hearts on a personal level.

 That simple step of communication assures our loved ones that they're on our radar, and it puts on their radar specific things to look for in their lives as an answer to those prayers. 

WRITE YOUR PRAYER FOR THEM

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11, NIV

Well that's pretty much awesome.  Paul doesn't stop at informing his friends that he's praying for them.  He goes on to copy and paste from his prayer journal and writes out what exactly he's praying on their behalf!  This may not be something we do for everyone, but I wonder if there's someone who has a special place in our hearts that needs to hear or read our prayers for them.  If we're not quite sure what to pray, we can take our cues from Paul's prayer here.  Sure, praying these words verbatim would be appropriate, but let me suggest a few principles we can glean to help personalize our specific prayers for our loved ones:

• v. 9 -- Identify a godly trait or characteristic in their lives and pray that God would cause that to abound more and more.
• v. 10 -- Consider what they may need discernment about and ask God for increasing clarity about what is best in their unique situation.
• v. 11 -- Express hope about a specific attribute their lives could be filled with through God's power and for God's glory.

So before you sign that next card, deliver that next gift, or even facilitate that next family worship, consider what more God might lead you to write or say or pray for those who have a special place in your heart.  May God fill us with a spirit of expressive gratitude and earnest prayer for those we love.