“Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT)
”So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24 NKJV)
I feel led to go back to the prayers of the Apostle Paul. Previously we looked at Ephesians 1:15-23 and 3:13-21. I personally learned much from these two prayers that Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus. Today I am going to begin examining another powerful prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed. This time he is praying for the Philippian believers. This prayer is found in Philippians 1:3-11. I am going to use the same outline that I used with the previous prayers…
…Step 1: Probe the prayer under the light of the Holy Spirit.
…Step 2: Personalize the prayer with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
…Step 3: Pray the prayer through the power of the Holy Spirit
For today let’s simply read the prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to open our minds to what he has to say to us through it…
…“My prayers for you are full of praise to God as I give him thanks for you with great joy! I’m so grateful for our union and our enduring partnership that began the first time I presented to you the gospel. 6I pray with great faith for you, because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this gracious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ! It’s no wonder I pray with such confidence, since you have a permanent place in my heart! You have remained partners with me in the wonderful grace of God even though I’m here in chains for standing up for the truth of the gospel. Only God knows how much I dearly love you with the tender affection of Jesus, the Anointed One. I continue to pray for your love to grow and increase beyond measure, bringing you into the rich revelation of spiritual insight in all things. This will enable you to choose the most excellent way of all — becoming pure and without offense until the unveiling of Christ. And you will be filled completely with the fruits of righteousness that are found in Jesus, the Anointed One—bringing great praise and glory to God!” (Philippians 1:3-11 TPT)
Holy Spirit – open our spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear what the Apostle Paul is praying. Help us to hear your voice as we meditate on…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 475: Praying With Paul – Philippians 1:3-11: Part 1