May Your Love and Knowledge of God Abound
May Your Love and Knowledge of God Abound
We often pray focusing on the perceived needs of others instead of their true need. Even the people we are praying for do not often realize their true needs. I will also shock you that you and I do not understand our true need because our prayers for ourselves reflect such. So what should we be praying for ourselves and for others? Analyze your prayers for others and yourself. We always focus on “Lord, get us out of this trouble and fix this and fix that”. Though good prayers; but is that really it?
Listen to Paul pray for the Philippians.
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy... 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:3-11.
Woo! What a contrast to our prayers. Last week we looked on the attitude, benefits and reasons for praying for others with joy. Let’s learn from Paul’s specific prayers.
1. The Beatles sang “All you need is love”. So true. All we need is love but not the world’s love. We need God and God is love (1 John 4:8). Paul is saying to his beloved Philippians abound in “love more and more”. Not that they do not now have God (love) but more of God. Pray for God.
2. How? Through “knowledge and discernment”. The more you and I know God, the more we understand His love for us. God’s love will influence my behavior and how I relate to you and others which is the practical love. You can only give people the love of God that is already in you otherwise you are giving them “flesh” and “fluff”. That is my prayer for you. That you will long for God more than anything else and know His love that is beyond comprehension.
3. When you know God, “you may approve the things that are excellent” and think and act on things that are excellent. – “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things Phil 4:8. Excellent things build and not tear people down.
4. Love of God is expressed in “sincerity or honesty”. Remember, the great commandment, love God and love others? It cannot be phony and we have so much phony love going around. There is no honesty – truth in the inmost part. Can you pray that for yourself, me, others and this nation? Let’s speak the truth in love. We must be vulnerable and let our guards down and repent so that God and others can help us.
5. Have you prayed that you, your friends and family be without “offense”? That they do not go on carrying unnecessary baggage of unforgiveness. It is like carrying a bag of rotten potato on your should with disgusting smell. You will be disgusted and miserable and people around you will be uncomfortable. No one wants to hang around you because you are an “offense cop”. You will pick on people for the least thing and read “your rights” to them. Whatever happened to “bearing with one another in love”? Please drop the offense right now before it eats you up. It is not about you but for God.
6. The final and ultimate result of our lives – “filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” v.11. Our lives must be a glory and praise to our God. You and I were made for His pleasure. How do we produce it? The fruit of righteousness which are produced by the Christ in us. He is our righteousness and we have none of our own. Can people see Christ’s righteousness and not our self-righteousness that puts people off?
Lord, help me pray aright for myself and friends. Help us to abound in you. Help us to know you more and more. You are all that we need and not things and stuff. May we bring you glory and praise. Amen.
We often pray focusing on the perceived needs of others instead of their true need. Even the people we are praying for do not often realize their true needs. I will also shock you that you and I do not understand our true need because our prayers for ourselves reflect such. So what should we be praying for ourselves and for others? Analyze your prayers for others and yourself. We always focus on “Lord, get us out of this trouble and fix this and fix that”. Though good prayers; but is that really it?
Listen to Paul pray for the Philippians.
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy... 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:3-11.
Woo! What a contrast to our prayers. Last week we looked on the attitude, benefits and reasons for praying for others with joy. Let’s learn from Paul’s specific prayers.
1. The Beatles sang “All you need is love”. So true. All we need is love but not the world’s love. We need God and God is love (1 John 4:8). Paul is saying to his beloved Philippians abound in “love more and more”. Not that they do not now have God (love) but more of God. Pray for God.
2. How? Through “knowledge and discernment”. The more you and I know God, the more we understand His love for us. God’s love will influence my behavior and how I relate to you and others which is the practical love. You can only give people the love of God that is already in you otherwise you are giving them “flesh” and “fluff”. That is my prayer for you. That you will long for God more than anything else and know His love that is beyond comprehension.
3. When you know God, “you may approve the things that are excellent” and think and act on things that are excellent. – “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things Phil 4:8. Excellent things build and not tear people down.
4. Love of God is expressed in “sincerity or honesty”. Remember, the great commandment, love God and love others? It cannot be phony and we have so much phony love going around. There is no honesty – truth in the inmost part. Can you pray that for yourself, me, others and this nation? Let’s speak the truth in love. We must be vulnerable and let our guards down and repent so that God and others can help us.
5. Have you prayed that you, your friends and family be without “offense”? That they do not go on carrying unnecessary baggage of unforgiveness. It is like carrying a bag of rotten potato on your should with disgusting smell. You will be disgusted and miserable and people around you will be uncomfortable. No one wants to hang around you because you are an “offense cop”. You will pick on people for the least thing and read “your rights” to them. Whatever happened to “bearing with one another in love”? Please drop the offense right now before it eats you up. It is not about you but for God.
6. The final and ultimate result of our lives – “filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” v.11. Our lives must be a glory and praise to our God. You and I were made for His pleasure. How do we produce it? The fruit of righteousness which are produced by the Christ in us. He is our righteousness and we have none of our own. Can people see Christ’s righteousness and not our self-righteousness that puts people off?
Lord, help me pray aright for myself and friends. Help us to abound in you. Help us to know you more and more. You are all that we need and not things and stuff. May we bring you glory and praise. Amen.
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