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always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,
Philippians 1:4 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB always in every request of mine on behalf of you all making my requests with joy,
  • KJV Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
  • BSB In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy,
  • NKJV always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
  • NLT Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy,

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Paul prays for the Philippians constantly and does so with joy. Intercession and gladness belong together in the Christian life.

Overview

His prayers are not duty-bound drudgery but a delight, marked by joy even amid suffering. The repeated "all" shows his affection embraces the entire congregation without favoritism. Joy is a keynote of Philippians, and here it springs from love expressed in prayer.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 13

  • 1 Th 1:2We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers,
  • Rom 1:9For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers,
  • 2 Jn 1:4I rejoice greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, even as we have been commanded by the Father.
  • Phil 2:2make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;
  • Eph 1:14–23who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
  • Phil 1:9–11This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;
  • 1 Th 2:19–20For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Jesus at his coming?
  • Phil 3:18For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,
  • Col 2:5For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
  • Phil 4:1Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
  • Phlm 1:7For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
  • Luke 15:7I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
  • Luke 15:10Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Philippians videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Philippians 1:4YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PhilippiansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The one who, being in the form of God, emptied himself to the point of death on a cross and was exalted to the name above every name — the joy and prize of the believer.

How Philippians 1:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.