By Jared GreenScripture is filled with thoughtful prayers from God’s people, and in many of Paul’s letters, he wrote out prayers he had prayed to God on behalf of his Christian audiences. In Philippians 1:9-11, Paul wrote a prayer that, when answered by God, will produce a faithful congregation filled with faithful Christians. Paul said:And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so 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.Paul prayed for their love to grow. In Scripture, we are called to love God and others with a love that leads to action. Love is contagious, and when we love both God and others, our love will spread, and people will see Jesus through us.Paul prayed for their knowledge and discernment. In Romans 12:2, Paul calls for Christians to be transformed by the renewal of our minds rather than by the world so that we “may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Similarly, Paul calls us to mature in our faith “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14). It is vital that we study God’s Word effectively so that we grow in both knowledge and discernment.Paul prayed for them to be pure and blameless. Undoubtedly, this part of Paul’s prayer was a call to faithful living, but it was not a call to perfect living. In his very next words, Paul made it clear that the Christian’s ability to be pure and blameless for the day of Christ was not found in his or her own willpower. Instead, Paul reminds us that we are “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:11). Thanks be to God that Christians will stand before God clothed in Christ’s righteousness, not our own!As I was writing these words, I prayed this prayer on behalf of our congregation. May we always be a congregation filled with love, knowledge, discernment, and righteousness because a congregation filled with these Christlike qualities is a congregation filled with Christians who glorify God and bring lost souls to salvation. As you read this, I urge you to take a moment and pray that both you and our congregation always fulfill Paul’s calling in this prayer. God loves you, and so do I. |
- Jared Green preaches the Calvert City Church of Christ in Calvert City, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com |
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