There he established an orphanage in Bristol which grew from a rented house into a complex of buildings. He renounced a regular salary and refused throughout the rest of his life to make any requests for financial support either for himself or for his philanthropic projects. He depended entirely on prayer. He also kept a notebook with two-page entries. On one page he gave the petition and the date. On the opposite page he entered the date of the answer. Mueller testified that in his lifetime 50,000 specific prayers were answered. Prayer was the secret of George Mueller’s productive life for Christ (Harbour pp.15).
Like George Mueller, the Apostle Paul was also a man of prayer. Last week we said that one of the ways that Paul expressed his thankful spirit was through prayer. In verses 3-8 we were given insight into the why and how of Paul’s prayer life. Why did Paul pray for the Philippians? Because of the fond memories he had with them; because of the firm confidence he had that God would continue to work in them; and because of the feelings of love he had for them.
How did Paul pray for the Philippians?
q Joyfully – “with joy”
q Constantly – “always”
q Repeatedly – “in every prayer”
q Individually – “for you all”
Paul also prayed for them specifically…“And this I pray,” this is the what of prayer.
What did Paul specifically pray for on behalf of the Philippians? I see four specific requests in v.9-11…..
He Prayed for Abounding Love – v.9
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
Having expressed his love for the Philippians in v.7-8, Paul now prayed that their love would grow to maturity. The passion of v.7-8 leads to the petitions in v.9-11.
The word love (agape) is used to describe God’s love – agape is a sacrificial, giving kind of love (John 3:16). Agape can only be produced in us as we come to know God personally and allow His Spirit to empower us (Gal. 5:16-23).
Paul’s reference to the Philippians love is not just talking about their love for one another but also their love for God. Whether expressed vertically or horizontally Paul wanted their love to “abound.” The word pictures a bucket standing under a giant waterfall, with the water overflowing on all sides because the bucket cannot possibly contain the downpour. He was praying that their love would continue to grow until it could not be contained.
The phrase “still more and more” stresses the dynamic of the love. The original has in it the idea of “still (yet) more and more” (some newer translations miss this).
§ That their love was to abound more would have been sufficient;
§ That their love was to abound more and more was better;
§ That their love was to abound still (yet) more and more was the very best.
Paul wanted their love to have no bounds so that it would overflow in great amounts.
q He wanted their love to abound deeper because deeper love is willing to endure more (from others and for the Lord’s work);
q He wanted their love to abound wider because wider love is willing to embrace more (especially the unlovable / hard to love);
q He wanted their love to abound fuller because fuller love is willing to risk more (fuller in a comprehensive sense).
There are always elements of risk in love. For example, love may be given but not returned. Love may be criticized as having ulterior motives. Still, deeper love will endure more, wider love will embrace more, and fuller love will risk more. Fully developed love never travels alone but it is always accompanied by knowledge and discernment. Knowledge and discernment help love to stay in focus!
“Knowledge” (epignosis) speaks of full knowledge, knowledge that is gained through experience. As we go about our lives day by day experiencing God’s love we gain knowledge. As we read and study God’s Word and put it into practice day by day we gain knowledge. As we develop a clear vision of our Lord Jesus Christ in all the beauty and love of His person, we gain real knowledge.
“Discernment” speaks of judgment or insight. It speaks of the ability to expose the rightness and the wrongness of thoughts and actions. It is the practical application of knowledge! Without knowledge we do not know whom to love. Without discernment we do not know how to love
When abounding love is controlled by knowledge and discernment it fulfills the highest goals of God and man!
He Prayed for Approving Minds – v.10a
10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent,
To “approve” means to examine carefully, to test. It speaks of the act of testing something for the purpose of approving it. The term refers to the ability of someone to sift or test something so as to recognize its worth. The word “excellent” here in the original speaks of things that differ – things that pull in opposite directions.
Paul is praying that the Philippians would be able to apply spiritual tests to the different views, attitudes, appeals and actions that surround them and then be able to discern which ones were best, which ones have real value! He is not talking about differentiating between good and bad, that is the discernment of verse 9! Rather, he is talking about differentiating between the primary and secondary things. J.B. Phillips translates v.10a this way, “I want you to be able to always recognize the highest and best.” Moffat translates it like this, “…enabling you to have a sense of what is vital.”
This is certainly a need we have in the church today, isn’t it? It is not difficult to choose between good and bad, but it is not as easy to choose between good and better, or better and best. We need a sense of what is vital, a spiritual sensitivity to true values, to the primary things.
J. Dwight Pentecost writes,
“To every man alike God grants a gift of twenty-four in any one day, not a moment more or less. What a man accomplishes in that twenty-four-hour period is determined by the discipline that the man exercises in the use of time; one will exercise discipline and accomplish much, another will be undisciplined and accomplish little. One is approving things that excel, and the other is involved in things of lessor worth. That may apply to every realm of life. A man whose life is disciplined by the Spirit of God and the Word of God does not give himself to something of secondary importance. Recognizing that he does not have time for both the good and the best, he approves the things that are superior” (pp. 25).Some of the things we are involved in are not bad, in fact they are good, but they are not the best use of our time and talents and treasures. Let us seek to focus on that which is primary, vital and excellent!
He Prayed for Authentic Lives – v.10b
in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ
The word “sincere” speaks of that which has been tested by the sunlight; that which is pure or unmixed. When the ancients made porcelain vessels, they often broke or cracked. Whenever that happened, they mended them with wax. Sometimes when a person just looked at a vase, he would not know if it was cracked. The only way to know for sure that the object had been cracked and patched with wax was to hold it up to the sunlight. If it had been cracked and patched the wax would immediately become visible. Those which had not been cracked and patched were pure, they would be advertised as being sine cera, without wax. From that background came the word, sincere. To be sincere then is to be pure enough to stand the test of sunlight. If our walk with the Lord is real and genuine, then our lives will be able to withstand inspection in the full light of day!
The Greek word that Paul used that is translated here as “blameless” is a word that was used to refer to the part of a trap in which the bait was attached. It was a snare which caused the animal to fall into the trap. It came to refer to a stumbling block. We are to live in such a way that we do not cause others to stumble and fall into Satan’s traps.
Sincerity is the Godward aspect of authenticity. Blamelessness is the manward aspect of authenticity.
He Prayed of Accompanying Fruit – v.11
11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Paul prays that there would be a rich spiritual harvest in the hearts and lives of the Philippians. He wants them to be spiritually filled and fruitful…“fruits of righteousness.” What are the “fruits of righteousness?” There is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23); the fruit of winning souls (Romans 1:13); the fruit of holiness (Romans 6:22); the fruit of good works (Colossians 1:10); and the fruit of our lips [praise] (Hebrews 13:15).
The fruits of righteousness come through Jesus Christ. We do not produce fruit – Christ produces it in us – when we abide in Him – and walk in the Spirit. The difference between human effort and true spiritual fruit is found in the result “to the glory and praise of God.”
True spiritual fruit is so beautiful and wonderful that no man can take credit for it. The glory must go to God alone!
The ultimate goal of Paul’s prayer for the Philippians is that through their lives glory and praise will be given to God! God is glorified when our love abounds still more and more – when it grows deeper, wider and fuller – and when it is adorned with knowledge and discernment.
God is glorified when we learn to test or approve the things that are truly important – when we choose to focus on the vital areas of our Christian life – when we let go of the secondary and seek only that which is primary. God is glorified when are lives are characterized by an authenticity, both Godward – pure and sincere and manward – blameless. God is glorified when our lives are filled with the rich fruit of righteousness that comes from abiding in Christ.
Are you abounding in love? Can you approve the things that are best? Is your life authentic? Is your life filled with the fruits of righteousness?
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