Remember. Remember. Remind. Remind.

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, we see a simple layout for how to encourage someone. The older mentor here has major impact and influence over the younger mentee and for good reason. God is working in this multi-generational relationship, and many, many lives and ministries have been benefitting from it for years!

Here are the 4 steps Paul used to greatly encourage Timothy:

1. Remember them in Prayer. Pray for them. He prayed for him. 2 Timothy 1:3 “I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.”
   Paul prayed for Timothy, and this caused his mind to be remembering him and their relationship.
   
2. Remember them well. He remembered his tears. 2 Timothy 1:4 “As I remember your tears.” Paul prayed for Timothy long enough that his mind went to remembering details of Timothy and his life. He thought about the real memories of some times they had spent together. His prayer for him was not simply a mentioning. It was also a remembering. As he was praying for Timothy, he was also thinking about Timothy. He was remembering him well.
   
3. Be reminded even more about them. He was reminded of Timothy’s sincere faith. 2 Timothy 1:5 “I am reminded of your sincere faith.” In that moment of prayer and reflection, he was reminded of Timothy’s faith, his grandmother Lois’s faith, and his mother Eunice’s faith. This prayer time is powerful for Paul. In this simple prayer moment, there is actually quite a bit going on. And it is really helpful for us to see this. As Paul was praying for Timothy, he then remembered the tears of Timothy. An aspect of their relationship and time spent together. From there, he was reminded of Timothy’s sincere faith in Jesus. And from there, that reminded him that Timothy has also been impacted by the devout faith that also dwells in his grandmother and mother. Paul is spending time reflecting, remembering, and being reminded about Timothy, and this was also started because he was praying for him.
   
4. Remind them what to do. He reminded Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God. 2 Timothy 1:6 “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God.” Paul writes a letter to Timothy to encourage him. Even more specifically, he was telling him what he needed to do to grow in his relationship with God.
   What is remarkable is how all of this came about! Paul did not just decide to encourage Timothy. Paul was praying consistently for him. From praying, he then remembered detailed things about him. From there, he was reminded of personal aspects of him. No doubt, this prayerful reflection increased his love and concern for Timothy. And from that frame of mind, he set out to encourage him. That is encouraging! We are certain that Timothy was built up as he heard of how much he meant to Paul, which then allowed him to be more open and receptive to the instruction.
   Imagine how much you would be encouraged if someone wrote to you to let you know that they pray for you often, and that they remember fondly several things about you, and then from there they then remind you to go and live for Jesus.
   May God give us more and more true encouragement!
   And may these 4 steps be used to bring it about – Remember, Remember, Remind, Remind!

And so here is a helpful outline of what to say to them to truly encourage them:

1. I prayed for you recently.
2. I remembered this __________ about you.
3. That reminded me of this _________ about you.
4. And I want to remind you to do this _________.

Visiting teams in ministry are ultra valuable to the life of a church family.

There is a science to a good home visit. One must be able to read the room and recognize what is beneficial and what is not. How many people should go? How long to stay? What to do while you are there? There are many things to consider when visiting people in their homes. But once a church has given consideration and decided to start visiting people in their homes, here are 3 Reasons to Visit More and More:

1. THEY LOVE IT.
   This is so real. It is so nice and refreshing to see how much this contact is impacting them. They tell you so many things that they knew that you didn’t even know they knew. They update you on so many things that you didn’t even ask about. They are still very much so desiring to be a part of the church family. They show you all the cards that the church family has been mailing them. They give you feedback on the church sermons that they have been watching online. They ask heartfelt questions about other church people that they haven’t seen in a while. I could go on and on. Clearly, they love the visiting teams being there. Its good for them, and it shows!
   
2. WE LOVE IT.
   This is so real. I never find anyone who wishes they weren’t involved with visiting. On the contrary, we see it growing. And we see visiting people sticking with it for a long time. Because the benefits are so real. It will edify your soul and build up your faith to go visit some people in their home. This is a common refrain around our church – “I thought I was going to bless them and minister to them, but in reality I was the one being blessed and ministered to.” People involved in visiting ministry are glad to be a part of this crucial work!
   
3. GOD USES IT.
   Man, oh man, does God use visiting ministry. The Bible is read. Prayer happens. Lives are connected. Burdens are shared. Togetherness is created and further strengthened. And all in all, eyes are opened to the reality of life and church life. A fresh perspective on one’s life and faith is brought to your attention, and then this awareness is used by God to apply it to being more involved in the whole body of the church. Its just so good.
   Regularly, one single in-home visit will cause a believer to begin reflecting on many other aspects of church life. This is healthy! God uses the visting teams!

May God continue to use our church’s visiting teams, and may we all see more and more the value and benefits of a good home visit.