# 34 2018 Dev. Php.1:9-11. May God’s Love Abound! Read Verses 1-11. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.
Philippians1:9-11 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”
We move from the letter to the Ephesians to the letter to the Philippians. Paul wrote to the Philippians to thank them for the gift they sent to support Paul while incarcerated. He also wanted to encourage them in times of opposition, to rejoice in all circumstances, to recommend Timothy and Epaphroditus to them and for them to continue in humility and unity. Lastly he warns them about the Judaizers, those who want to add Jewish laws to the church, adulterating the Gospel of Christ.
Paul begins with a greeting and a prayer. The prayer is important in that it shows us the pastoral heart of Paul and sets an example for us today. How often do we complain about the church, about people in the church, or the pastor of the church, without one thought about praying for anyone of them or for all of them. This is what Paul teaches us: Paul thanks God for them and rejoices over them. His faith in God dictates that God will finish His work in them, God starts good work with us and He will finish that work in the day of Christ’s return. Praise Him! Paul holds them in his heart as those who share in the the grace of Christ Jesus. When are we going to understand that our bond in Christ Jesus binds us to each other and cannot separate us if we are in Christ for real. Yes, but the other person is not in Christ, Really? Lets look at ourselves.
But the prayer continues: “That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that we will be able to discern what may be best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” In place of complaining and criticizing each other and the church this is the prayer we must be praying. We need to love, we need the knowledge of God’s, love, insight into the grace of Christ so that we may discern God’s goodness, God’s righteousness and God’s salvation for you and for others. That is the point of this prayer and that is why we pray for each other so that God’s goodness, His righteousness and His salvation flows through us, not only to each other but to those who have not yet responded to Jesus. Keep praying this prayer and allow God’s grace to flow though you. Praise God!
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Heavenhigh 