“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,”Philippians 1:9-10 ESV
Reflection: what do you pray for?
This is a very interesting topic to me, the whole topic of prayer. Everything about it is interesting, perhaps mysterious, in a way. To speak to God who you cannot see, of things you cannot fully comprehend, and perhaps are physically impossible. Like asking for a miracle. And yet, at the same time, it makes so much sense, when you practice it. And people of all nations and races, backgrounds and religions, practice prayer. Even those who claim they do not believe in God, might cry out to the God they don’t believe in when they are desperate. I suggest to take a minute for yourself to honestly reflect on what your thoughts and opinions are about your own prayer.
1 WHY: Consider why you pray. I mean, is it a routine, an obligation, or something else? Do you believe God hears your prayers?
2 WHAT: Think of what you pray about or for? Is it the same thing most days? Do you create your own prayer, or use someone else’s prayer?
3 WHERE: Do you have a favorite place where you pray? At church? In a particular room in your house? In your car? While walking in nature?
4 HOW: And finally, how do you pray? Do you pray out loud or quietly? By yourself or only in the company of others?
There are examples throughout the Bible of prayers, even of how to pray. You might remember even the disciples were wondering how to pray, and they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, to which he responded with “The Lord’s Prayer”. Interestingly, Jesus also taught on this topic in his sermon on the Mount. Let’s look at it. ““And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”Matthew 6:5-8 ESV
And also here, as he was teaching the masses, he also concluded how to pray, “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:9-15 ESV. We also know that Jesus often went by himself to a desolate place, early in the morning, to pray.
So does this mean we should only pray the Lord’s Prayer? No, as we see many other examples of prayers throughout the Bible, such as Paul’s prayer in our focus verses today. But the Lord’s Prayer is an excellent outline for our prayer life, as Jesus himself taught us to pray “like this”, so this prayer should probably be integrated into our daily prayer practice.
But let’s look for a moment at Paul’s prayer for his brothers and sisters in Philippi. Notice that he starts out with what appears as a declaration: “And it is my prayer”. It is as if he lays out his case before the court of Heaven, before the Lord God, declaring what he is going to ask for. I find this so very powerful, that he is very deliberate about his request. So what is it that he is actually asking for? We need to look at the request from two dimensions 1) capabilities, and 2) results. First, he is asking God to equip them, to increase their capabilities, “your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,”. And why is he asking God for this? “so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,” This is Paul’s heart for them, to become more and more pure and blameless, through increased knowledge and understanding for what is right, what is pure, what is the will of God.
And it really struck me this morning, what a beautiful prayer for fellow believers this is! We often ask God to bless and protect others, which is probably fine. But in Paul’s example, we should ask God to increase our purification and holiness. To be more and more like Him, our Lord Jesus Christ. To pray more like Him, to speak more like Him, to be more like Him. To love like Him. Perhaps today, as you reflect on your prayer life, start with thinking about “what” you are asking God for, for yourself and others, and then declare
“And this is my prayer”…