“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)
It’s well worth our time to read Philippians 3:3-11 again…
……“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 are still on the first point in our study outline…
…Step 1: Probe the prayer under the light of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s probe verses 7-8…
…“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.”
We already looked at the fact that Paul began his prayer for the Philippians by laying the prayer’s foundation and completion in God. It is God that started the growth process. He is the one that perpetuates the building of our spiritual house (life). And it is God that will bring the building (maturing) process to completion.
Moving into verses 7 and 8 I can see Paul shifting his focus to those for whom he is praying. He already identified that he was able to approach this prayer with “great faith.” Now he expresses his “confidence.” That confidence is built on the permanence of his heartfelt commitment to these believers. They had a “permanent place” in his “heart.”
The “heart” in scripture refer to the combination of the spirit (the God breathed “real you” that is eternal – created in the image and likeness of God) and the soul (the inner man consisting of the mind – the intellect, emotions, will, personality – that connects the spirit to the body).
The most effective prayers come from my heart that is deeply in love with those for whom I am praying. Prayers that move mountains are deeply relational prayers. They begin with a spirit and soul (mind) that are permanently connected to God and then flow outward to a person or group to whom I am deeply (permanently) committed. When someone, or something, dominates my thoughts and feelings I am able to pray for them with passion and urgency. Paul’s head and heart were permanently devoted to these believers.
This is a prayer for those who partner in the “wonderful grace of God” and the “truth of the Gospel.” Even though they were separated by geography (in different locations) and circumstance (Paul was in prison while the Philippian believers were living freely), nothing could sever their connection. Their partnership was permanent.
Paul expressed one more element which gave his connection with these believers such depth and permanence. All of this is based on the “tender affection of Jesus, the Anointed One.” This is a love that comes straight from Heaven. It is divine, not merely human. If the source of my love is merely human it tends to be based on emotion and attraction. As wonderful as that love is, it is not sustainable. Emotions come and go. Attractions shift and change. Human love tends to fade over time. Human attraction tends to weaken and become redirected depending on what is currently attractive. Only divine love is unchangeable. Only love that finds its roots in that which is divine (Jesus, the Anointed One) will endure the test of time regardless of the fickle nature of emotions and attractions.
Paul was imprisoned in chains for “standing up for the truth of the Gospel.” He was able to pray in the midst of this horrendously painful moment because of his deep relationship with his brothers and sisters in Christ. His heart was filled with divine love for them which drove him to fill his heart and mind with prayers for them rather than his current suffering. This love for them was so deep that only God knew just how deep it went. In light of Paul’s example, I can’t help but ask myself…
…Do I have relationships in which my love runs so deep that the other person’s well being automatically comes before mine?
…Is my heart so filled with love for others that no separation of location or circumstance hinders me from praying for them?
…Is my love for others flowing from myself or from Jesus, the Anointed One?
…Am I partnering with anyone in the wonderful grace of God?
Take time to answer these questions for yourself. While you are doing this please set aside a bit of time to stop and pray over…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 478: Praying With Paul – Philippians 1:3-11: Part 4