The expression through your prayers and the help of the Spirit can be understood in such a way that God, by way of the congregation’s prayers, has granted Paul the support of the Spirit. The church has prayed for this support for Paul, and Christ has provided it.

How closely these prayers and the Spirit of Christ are connected is also apparent in the grammatical construction Paul here uses. The article is used only once: in effect the Philippians’ prayers and the Spirit’s sustenance are presented as one coherent whole. Paul senses the underlying prayer of the congregation in the Spirit’s presence. While it does not follow that the initiative for Paul’s deliverance lies with the congregation, it does indicate how Christ sends his Spirit upon the prayer of the congregation. This is also very clear from the events at Pentecost. The miracle of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is encompassed by the prayers of the church (Acts 1:14; Acts 2:42). The Holy Spirit enables prayer, but the Spirit is also granted upon prayer (see Lord’s Day 45 of the Heidelberg Catechism).¹