[Sidenote: Ver. 9.] =For God is my record, my witness,[6]= of this; the God =whom I serve,= at once, so the Greek (λατρεύω) implies, with adoration and obedience, =in my spirit, in the Gospel of His Son.= The "_for_" gives the connexion we have just indicated; he rejoices to hear of their faith, _for_ the Lord knows how much they are in his prayers. The divine Witness is the more instinctively appealed to, because these thoughts and prayers are for a mission-Church, and the relations between St Paul and his God are above all missionary relations. He "_serves Him in the Gospel of His Son_" the Gospel of the God who is known and believed in His Christ. He "serves Him in _the Gospel_"; that is, in _the propagation_ of it. So he often means, where he speaks of "the Gospel"; take for example ver. 1 above; xv. 16, 19 below; Phil. i. 5, 12; ii. 22. "He serves Him," in that great branch of ministry, "_in his spirit_" with his whole love, will, and mind, working in communion with his Lord. And now to this eternal Friend and Witness he appeals to seal his assurance of incessant intercessions for them; =how without ceasing,= as a habit constantly in action, =I make mention of you,= calling them up by name, specifying before the Father Rome, and Aquila, and Andronicus, and Junias, and Persis, and Mary, and the whole circle, personally known or not, =in my prayers;= literally, =on occasion of my prayers;= whenever he found himself at prayer, statedly or as it were casually remembering and beseeching. The prayers of St Paul are a study by themselves. See his own accounts of them, to the Corinthians, the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, the Thessalonians, and Philemon. Observe their topic; it is almost always the growth of grace in the saints, to their Master's glory. Observe now still more their manner; the frequency, the diligence, the resolution which grapples, wrestles, with the difficulties of prayer, so that in Col. ii. 1 he calls his prayer simply "_a great wrestling_." Learn here how to deal with God for those for whom you work, shepherd of souls, messenger of the Word, Christian man or woman who in any way are called to help other hearts in Christ.