“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)
Let’s read again Philippians 3:3-11…
……“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. I 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)
We will begin today with the first point in our study outline…
…Step 1: Probe the prayer under the light of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s begin probing with verses 3-5…
…“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.”
As we begin to look at Paul’s prayer for the Philippians I can’t help but notice what is once again missing from his prayer. Did you notice that he wasn’t praying through a laundry list of needs and wants? He bypassed the typical content that fills over 90% of most people’s prayers. He didn’t pray for Uncle Ernie’s hernia surgery. He neglected to mention Aunt Mae’s bout with depression. He didn’t ask for this or that to satisfy the desires within him. No, he flew right past the problems and needs and went right to the solutions.
Paul’s prayer reminds me of the old saying, “Give a person a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach a person to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.” Paul is feeding us for a lifetime. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Paul begins in verses 3 – 5 by laying a foundation of praise and thanksgiving. It reminds me of what he wrote to the Thessalonians…
…“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT)
Starting a prayer for others with praise and thanksgiving puts your prayer at the center of God’s desire and design (will) for your prayer. Paul was thinking of the Philippians and it caused him to praise God. He was recognizing that the foundation to his prayer was his relationship with those for whom he was praying and this relationship was from God. The only way that any relationship will be long-lasting and positive is to have God at the center. It is the triangle effect in which there is a person at each side of the base and God at the peak. The closer each person gets to God (individually and together) the closer they get to each other. Paul was “full of praise to God” for the Philippian believers.
This praise to God flowed out of Paul’s thankfulness. As Paul was thanking God for the Philippians it caused him to praise him. His love for these believers was wrapped in his love of God. This attitude of thanksgiving produced “great joy.” What a wonderful way to start his prayer. He didn’t rush right into the typical prayer of petition that we so often rush into. He began with a prayer of praise giving God his due.
After opening his prayer with recognition of the foundation of relationship with God, Paul moved to his relationship with these believers. He expressed deep gratitude for his enduring relationship with those for whom he was praying. He pointed out that this relationship was grounded in the “Gospel.” He saw their relationship as a “partnership.” As an Apostle he could have seen their relationship as one of followership. He could have elevated his position over them but that is not how he related to them. He viewed them as his equals. They were his partners in the Gospel.
Reading this made me stop and ask myself a few questions…
…How do I approach praying for others?
…Are my relationships rooted in the Gospel?
…Do I start my prayers by praising and thanking God or do I rush to my grocery list of wants and needs?
…Are my prayers focused primarily on myself or on those whom God has placed in my life?
How I answer these questions will determine how I pray.
I have been challenged to probe my own prayers by…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 476: Praying With Paul – Philippians 1:3-11: Part 2